Programme Lead, Commercialisation of Biofortified Crops at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

Contract Type: Fixed Term
Duration: 24 Months
Classification: C6 - Programme Lead
Direct Reports: 1 - 5

Overall Purpose

• The Programme Lead will be responsible for building out GAIN’s programming in commercialisation of biofortified crops through programme design, technical support to country programmes, and supporting on-time and on-budget delivery across all country programmes.
• In addition, the postholder will manage GAIN’s engagement with our partner organisations, specifically around commercialisation and marketing of biofortified crops.
• They will bring excellent portfolio management skills to the relationship between GAIN, HarvestPlus and our other partners, and take a lead role within GAIN in supporting the execution of the commercialisation of biofortified crops strategy.

Tasks and Responsibilities
Support Program Design, Delivery and Scale Up:

• Constantly emphasise key GAIN design parameters (impact, scale, and sustainability), promoting innovative, customer-focused, and high value-for-money solutions
• Provide technical oversight to the implementation of activities that bring biofortified crops to scale through commercialisation activities such as:
  • Production delivery models (e.g., clustering smallholder farmers, mapping crop geographic zones, large scale farmers),
  • Supply chain and market development initiatives e.g., crop aggregation models, linking processors with aggregators/farmers, working with agro-dealers, and supporting food processors along the supply chain (business case development, access to finance, product development and manufacturing, distribution, and market development).
• Co-lead, with our partners, the development of detailed workplans to support the commercialisation of biofortified crops in Asia and Africa, clarifying how GAIN and our partners will ensure impact, scale, and sustainability in a small number of strategically selected geographies.
• Support design process in GAIN countries and provide technical know-how to deliver strategically relevant, sound, and feasible project design.
• Work closely with GAIN’s Knowledge Leadership and our partner’s monitoring and evaluation teams to ensure monitoring and tracking targets, evaluation and learning takes place within the commercialization activities.
• Coordinate with and report to the partnership donors.

Programme Leadership, Strategy and Partnership Development:

• In existing global fora, contribute strategic direction and good practice to build strong evidence-based approaches to commercialisation of biofortified crops and nutrient rich agricultural commodities.
• Help build links between biofortified crops and other food systems interventions for nutrition.
• Provide guidance to GAIN country teams on strategy development, state of the field, and positioning of commercialization of biofortified crops programme.
• Keep up to date with programmatic advances in biofortification and related areas, commercialization, synthesizing and sharing with other team members as appropriate.
• Develop and manage relationships with other organisations active in the biofortification and commercialisation of agricultural commodities space.
• Support development of good practice material in commercialisation approaches, its dissemination.
• Support delivery of a dissemination and visibility plan (incl. by leading on dissemination workshops, manuscripts, publications, blogs, white papers, articles, factsheets, brief), alongside GAIN’s Knowledge Leadership, Communications and Country programmes teams, as well as with GAIN’s partners.
• Internal communications within GAIN on programme progress and results.
• Always maintain a fluid and positive communication with our partner organisation counterparts.

Resource Mobilization and Representation:

• Support resource mobilization for commercialization of biofortified crops programmes and relationship management with funders
• Significantly contribute to resource mobilization pipeline and success rates.
• Provide technical support to development office on major bids for multi-country / multi-sectoral proposals and strategic donors.
• Identify new channels of funding (foundations, UHNWI)
• Represent the GAIN and commercialisation projects partnership at global and national technical meetings and workshops.

Develop and Maintain High-Performing Staff:

• Mentor and coach Project Managers and other staff
• Lead the recruitment of key staff (direct reports). Support the recruitment of key technical staff e.g., country-based roles.
• Champion and demonstrate GAIN’s values.
• Protect and promote the effective functioning of the Quad system.

Key Organizational Relationships:

• Reports directly to the Cluster Lead, Food Fortification, working closely with other project colleagues and implementing partners as required for the agreed upon activities.
• Supports the SMT member on the GAIN-HarvestPlus Management Team with timely information and advice;
• Work closely with the broader Programme Services Team (PST) to draw in technical and design skills to help build the programme and ensure quality implementation and monitor of progress against the GAIN/Partner partnerships performance indicators.
• Work closely with GAIN Country Offices to support the implementation of activities under the GAIN/Partner partnership
• Work with the GAIN Development Office to identify and respond to new funding opportunities.

Job Requirements
Education:

• University level degree in a relevant field such as business and marketing, food technology, development studies, economics, agricultural development, or other relevant technical field.
• Masters degree desirable.

Experience:

• Demonstrable success in managing multi-country, multi-donor, multi-partner consortium projects of $10M or more.
• Substantial level of professional experience directly or indirectly related to marketing foods, new product category development, supply chains and international development. Experience implementing large market-based nutrition programs and projects will be an added advantage.
• Strong business-to-business (B2B) development skills, trade marketing, or partnership management. Blend of private and public experience preferred.
• Experience working at both at global and country levels preferred.
• Demonstrated excellence in written/verbal communications, research, writing, and analytical ability.
• Previous experience of leading and managing a team.

Competencies:

• Excellent representational, strategic, and diplomatic abilities to represent GAIN and our partners
• Recognised expertise in market strengthening
• Proven ability to use initiative, prioritize, multi-task, and work well under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Clear and systematic thinking that demonstrates good judgment, problem solving, and creativity.
• Excellent project coordination, management, negotiation, and advocacy skills.
• Strong communication skills in multi-cultural, multi-lingual environments (written and verbal).
• Flexible, with a willingness and ability to travel in challenging environments.
• IT literate with excellent MS Office skills.
• Ability to operate within the private and public sectors to effectively liaise with food enterprises, development agencies, and governments at senior level.

Other Requirements:

• Professional proficiency in business English is required.

Salary

• Starting Salary: NGN 12,001,627 - 13,716,145 annually.
• Please note, this salary stated is per annum and is depending on experience. More may be available for an exceptional candidate).
• GAIN has a fair and competitive salary structure that allows for annual progression subject to good performance. In addition, GAIN offers a total of 37 days holiday per year (including annual leave, public holidays and additional office closure days), an attractive pension scheme and competitive insurance cover including health, travel and life assurance.