Food System Governance Associate

About the Role

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is seeking a Food System Governance Associate to provide technical and management support under the mandate of the Global Food System Governance programme. This role will be offered on a 4 years’ fixed term contract basis, subject to availability of funding. You will be based in GAIN’s Tanzania office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Reporting to the Food Systems Governance Global Manager, you will be involved in core project activities as well as providing a range of support services, including communications, preparation of reports and briefs, coordinating resources, maintaining project documentation and implementing and monitoring project plans and to ensure project outcomes etc.

The Food System Governance Associate will also undertake various administrative tasks such as meetings coordination with team members and various stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Providing support to country teams in implementing programmatic activities related to GAIN’s global Food Systems Governance programme
• Providing technical and administrative support to programme, liaising with other GAIN departments, like corporate services and other programmes including cross cutting themes like gender, environment, food safety, youth and social protection, as well as with partners, and other organizations
• Conducting desktop research and supporting primary data collection (mixed methods with an emphasis on participatory methods)
• Developing briefs and other materials, for internal and external audiences (local and global)
• Contributing to the development and tracking of communications materials (blogs, articles, videos, social media posts) to drive awareness and engagement attentive to linkages between inclusive local food systems governance, multistakeholder engagement and programmatic implementation
• Engaging and collaborating with partners, service providers/consultants, and a variety of food system stakeholders. This will require routine travel to delivery areas in GAIN countries as well as other countries as linked to the global agenda
• Overseeing all administrative aspects of the procurement process including budgeting, procurement supporting with the drafting of agreements and contracts and logistical arrangements within ethical and procurement standards and guidelines with reference also to GAINs Project Management Guidelines

About You

The ideal candidate will have experience working in diverse contexts in sub-Saharan Africa and/or Asia. You will have experience in community or participatory development work; preferably with multiple food systems stakeholders, especially government, community-based organizations and/or non-governmental organizations. Experience working with informal local food markets would be an advantage.

In addition, you will have research experience, preferably with mixed methods or qualitative participatory methods and proven experience in project management, project finance and administration. Candidates with understanding of food systems and/or agriculture, SMEs, public sector governance, urban food environments and/or nutrition is preferable.

The postholder will possess good presentation skills, fluent in written and verbal English and able to work in a multicultural environment. You should be highly flexible and able to travel to project sites frequently.

A Bachelor’s degree or above in international relations, public health, development studies, agriculture, food systems, business administration, public policy, public administration or related field. You will be computer literate in Microsoft Office and with sound project management and administrative skills. Candidates with advocacy and/or communications experience would be an advantage.

About our Offer

The starting salary on offer for this role is from USD 19,379 – USD 22,147 per annum (gross salary), depending on experience.

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.

We are committed to the health of our staff, especially in these challenging times, and have developed a programme of wellbeing that includes flexible working, additional leave allowances, wellbeing days, mindfulness coaching and access to independent and confidential counselling.

GAIN also has a strong commitment to professional development. We will support you to grow in your career through both formal and informal training, and are committed to providing opportunities through internal recruitment, secondments and promotion. All of this is delivered in a supportive and collaborative environment.

About GAIN

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the United Nations in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Due to COVID19, conflict in Ukraine and climate change, malnutrition and hunger have worsened significantly since 2019, reversing a decade of progress. There is growing recognition that our food systems need to change if we are to reverse these trends.

GAIN’s Strategy aims to transform food systems to make healthier diets from sustainable food systems accessible to all people and especially those whose are most vulnerable to shocks. By 2027, we aim to improve the access of 1.5 billion people to nutritionally enhanced staple foods, improve the access of 25 million people to healthier diets, and support positive food system change in 10 countries. This is bold and complex, and the only way to achieve this is to work together with partners including governments, businesses, and civil society at the country and global level. These goals, and the ways of achieving them, build on our twenty-year legacy of transforming people’s lives with improved nutrition through concerted action and effective policy change.

Our Working Culture and Environment

We provide a flexible working environment that includes a combination of home and office working opportunities through our global hybrid working policy. This encourages our staff to have a healthy work-life balance and increases staff motivation, enriches employee wellbeing, and improves performance and productivity.

All of our positions are based in one or more of GAIN’s designated offices as stated on our job advertisements. Successful candidates will be based in one of GAIN’s country offices and must have the existing right to live and work within a reasonably commutable distance of the relevant city / cities in which the role is advertised. Please note, that GAIN does not sponsor working visas and relocations.

GAIN reserves the right to withdraw an offer of employment for candidates who are considered to ineligible under the above conditions during or after the recruitment process.

Applicants must be currently based and have the existing right to live and work in the Dar es Salaam, Tanzania region to be eligible to apply for this position.

This advert closes on 24th January 2024. Early applications are encouraged. GAIN reserves the right to close this advert early should we receive suitable candidates ahead of the closing date.

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition is committed to equality of opportunity and creating an inclusive environment where diversity is valued. We are keen to reflect the diversity of our society at every level within our organisation and therefore welcome applications from talented and committed people from all backgrounds, representing the diverse societies we operate in.