Senior Associate, Technical Assistance: Nutritious Foods Financing

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is seeking an experienced Senior Associate, Nutritious Food Financing to aid with the current projects in place to reduce hunger and improve the nutrition deficit in Kenya.

The Global Nutrition Report 2021 estimates an additional USD 39 to 50 billion is needed every year to close the finance gap and reach the nutrition targets of Sustainable Development Goal 2 ‘Zero Hunger’.

Innovative methods of resource mobilization are needed to increase overall funds dedicated to nutrition and to consciously target them towards the high priority needs of the most vulnerable. This is exactly what the Nutritious Foods Financing Facility – or N3F – aims to do.

This position will be on a fixed-term contract of up to 3 years subject to availability of funding.

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 post holder will play a key role in identifying technical assessment needs of SME’s, as well as being responsible for designing technical assistance support packages tailored to the individual SME’s.

To be successful in this role the post holder will play a key role in the scaling up process in order to consolidate the chances of the project making a real impact and it’s ability to grow and succeed.

The Senior Associate will work closely with the Programme Lead, other project colleagues and the other GAIN Country Offices.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Identify technical assessment needs of SMEs operating in the food value chain that are potential pipeline for the N3F Fund, working together with the investment officers at our partner asset manager Incofin Investment Management.
• Design technical assistance support packages tailored to individual SMEs and group training according to common needs in the portfolio.
• Perform matchmaking between TA requirements and service providers, manage engagements between GAIN, service providers, and our beneficiaries.
• Oversee the implementation of project workplans and ensure that all assignments deliver maximum value for money.
• Fine-tune documented procedures, monitoring mechanisms, and feedback forms for the provision of TA to SMEs.
• Identify and perform due diligence on a roster of qualified service providers in N3F’s scoping countries.
• Manage the roster of GAIN’s internal TA capabilities and service providers.

About You

Candidates for the position will possess demonstrable professional experience and technical understanding at senior associate level, preferably related to impact investment and/or development finance, business development, due diligence, food supply chains and SMEs.

You will have the ability to operate within the private and public sectors to effectively liaise diverse stakeholders and multi-cultural settings.

Candidates for this role should also possess excellent coordination, communication, research, writing skills with a strong analytical ability.

The ability to build key relationships will be of paramount importance in this role, as well as the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and written.

The post holder will need to have excellent leadership skills as there will be the added responsibility of managing a small team of technical experts.

About our Offer

The salary for this role is 2,849,328 (KES) – 3,259,800 (KES) 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 hybrid 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.

This advert closes on 30th May 2022. Early applications are encouraged. GAIN reserves the right to close this advert early should we receive suitable candidates ahead of the closing date. Candidates will ideally be available to start by end of June or the beginning of July 2022.

Applicants must have the existing right to live and work in Kenya. Please note that GAIN are currently unable to sponsor working visas.

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.