Junior Associate, Enhancing Access to Safe and Nutritious Diets (ENSAND)

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is seeking a Junior Associate, Enhancing Access to Safe and Nutritious Diets (ENSAND) to support the implementation of ENSAND project activities. This role will be offered on a 4-year fixed-term contract, subject to availability of funding. You will be based in Abuja, Nigeria.

About GAIN

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with both governments and businesses, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people. In particular, we aim to make healthier food choices more desirable, more available, and more affordable. GAIN’s mission is to advance nutrition outcomes by improving consumption of nutritious and safe food for all people, especially the most vulnerable to malnutrition.

About the Role

The Enhancing Access to Safe and Nutritious Diets (ENSAND) project seeks to build on the lessons and progress from GAIN’s recent investments that includes creating demand for eggs (The ‘Eggs make Kids’ campaign), scaling up support for safe, nutritious food supply to traditional market (KFMW, EatSafe, SBN) through SMEs, Commercialization of Biofortified Crops (CBC) and reducing postharvest loss (PLAN). The overarching objective is to increase access to and consumption of nutritious foods at the household levels. The specific goal of ENSAND project is to improve dietary diversity of low-income (BoP) households in 3 states of Nigeria (Kaduna, Kebbi and FCT) with emphasis on children of school age and women.

Reporting to the Project Manager, ENSAND, the Junior Associate will support the implementation of specific project activities in Abuja State based on approved workplans. In addition, they will support project reporting and provide administrative cover necessary to ensure timely implementation and achievement of key project outputs.

Key Responsibilities include:

• In coordination with ENSAND project team members, participate at project review meetings with government, project partners, community stakeholders and other technical groups as the need arises.
• Supporting the implementation of project components with other project leads to ensure activities are executed within agreed timeline
• Responsible for the establishment and maintenance of a range of basic databases and filing system.
• Support the ENSAND team with travel logistics arrangements.
• Working closely with GAIN Nigeria operations team in raising of Purchase Orders and processing related to payments for procurement of goods and services
• Developing and managing attendance and payment sheets for meetings or gatherings pertaining to the EASND project.

About You

The ideal candidate should have programme/project support experience ideally with a focus on product development, food systems, and/or international development, including the implementation of market-based agricultural or nutrition programs. Experience providing support to administrative and procurement functions.

The post-holder should have strong communication skills in multicultural, multi-lingual environment and excellent negotiation skills in supporting the management of contractors and vendors. You should also have the ability to generate and deliver reports that provide useful insight into project details. Knowledge of Poultry value chain, Agricultural and or any other food value chain in Nigeria preferred.

You should be competent in the use of MS office programs and flexible, adaptable, and available to take on other tasks or duties. Candidate should have an education background in a relevant field such nutrition science, public health, business administration, food technology, sociology development studies or agricultural science or related field.

About our Offer

The starting salary on offer for this role is from NGN 5,139,552 – NGN 5,860,896 per annum, 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.

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 be ineligible under the above conditions during or after the recruitment process.

This advert closes on 8th December 2022. 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.