Project Manager

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.

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is seeking a reliable and driven Project Manager to join and lead the Better Dairy for All project. The Project Manager is responsible for the effective implementation of the project and will lead the project team in generating demand for dairy products to be consumed by the target groups. This role is offered on a fixed-term basis until March 2025, subject to funding and requires frequent travel within Ethiopia.

Specific Responsibilities include;

• Accountability for the overall effective management of the project activities with emphasis on access and demand
• Planning, implementing, monitoring, and tracking the project outputs
• Identifying, reporting and developing strategies to address project risks
• Working with the Senior Program Manager, Knowledge and Leadership Team and other internal stakeholders to successfully implement all components of the project
• Collaborating with country and global teams to facilitate stakeholder alignment and develop key partnerships between public / Government and private sectors
• Engaging with key Government departments, including the standard and regulatory body, to revise, develop, and harmonize policies, directives, standards, regulations, and guidelines
• Collaborating with other, relevant GAIN departments for contracts, purchase orders and project financial accounts
• Supporting the project team, including GAIN staff and external service providers and suppliers
• Providing the required technical support to selected dairy processors and distributers to make safe and quality dairy products accessible to target community

Education

• A Master’s Degree in Dairy/nutrition/Food Science/Food Technology/ a suitable equivalent is required

Experience

• Solid experience in similar roles with aligning responsibilities
• Good understanding of food systems and dairy value chain
• Experience on nutritious food demand creation
• Experience in project management
• Demonstrated success in working with various partners and service providers in time-bound projects
• Understanding and experience with international development, particularly food systems, dairy value chain, nutrition and other similar topics
• Understanding of the role of business in contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Experience working on food processing, food quality and food safety area
• Experience with writing comprehensive reports and development of tools to be used for scaling of projects

Competencies

• Proven project management skills
• Strong communication and negotiation skills
• Able to prioritize, multi-task, and work well under pressure with frequent deadlines.
• Strong facilitation skills
• Analytical, with the ability to effectively liaise with government offices and private business sectors.
• Proactive with a commitment to quality and accuracy with close attention to detail.
• Basic computer literacy with Excel, MS Word, Power Point skills and other software