Senior Associate, SUN Business Network

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is seeking a Senior Associate, SUN Business Network to coordinate the SBN to improve its visibility and reach. This role will be offered on a 3-year fixed-term contract, subject to availability of funding. This position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

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 SUN Business Network (SBN) is the world’s leading private sector focused nutrition initiative: a neutral platform to foster partnerships and collaborations. It aims to engage and mobilize business at a global and national level to act and invest responsibly and to innovate in responsible and sustainable actions. It focuses on emerging markets to improve the consumption of safe food and to make good nutrition more aspirational, accessible, affordable and available for all people.

Reporting to the Influencing and Advocacy Manager, the Senior Associate, SBN will identify opportunities to improve the enabling environment for business to increase actions and investments in nutrition. Organize meetings between business, government, civil society, donors and UN agencies to strengthen cross-sector dialogue on nutrition and build consensus on priorities and opportunities for business and nutrition in Kenya. Strengthen the capacity of the SBN sub-national chapters in order to function effectively including engagement with the county governments and consider creation of additional chapters where necessary.

Key Responsibilities include.

• Organize technical and political level meetings between business, government, civil society, donors and UN agencies to strengthen cross-sector dialogue on nutrition and build consensus on priorities and opportunities for business and nutrition in Kenya.
• Roll out the SBN’s finance, technical assistance and business development surveys to assess SBN members for their needs – and identify new partnerships to address the challenges and opportunities facing business in Kenya to scale up their actions or investments in nutrition.
• Map and pilot integration of last mile vendors into the SBN platform and share lessons for scale up.
• Regularly implement policy activities under SBN such as the Use of EBANI .
• Strengthen the capacity of the SBN sub-national chapters in order to function effectively including engagement with the county governments. Consider creation of additional chapters where necessary.
• Work closely with the Country team to manage relevant program information such as reports, minutes, research reports and other reference documents and upload the resources onto online platforms channels to improve access to information and knowledge.
• Work with the SBN Global team and policy and advocacy manager to develop a SBN Kenya fundraising strategy.
• Lead the implementation of the SBN Kenya strategy (2019-2023) – aligning the strategy in Kenya with the SBN’s Logic Model, Theory of Change and where relevant, utilising National SBN tools.

About You

The ideal candidate should have proven experience working with SMEs involved in food supply chains through project coordination, management, negotiation, and advocacy skills. Capacity to bring cross-sector actors within nutrition space to improve business opportunities.

The post-holder should be able to build relationships with businesses including last mile vendors and recruit them to the SBN database. Experience in convening meetings and forums to identify new partnerships to address the challenges and opportunities facing businesses in Kenya to scale up their actions or investments in nutrition.

You should have strong (written and verbal) communication and knowledge management skills in multi-cultural, multi-lingual environments. Candidate should have an education background in in a relevant field such university level degree in business and marketing, food technology, economics, or other relevant fields

About our Offer

The starting salary on offer for this role is from KES 2,849,328 – KES 3,259,800 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 2nd 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.