Project Officer – Human-Centered Design & Co-Innovation - SYS-1243

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is seeking a Project Officer – Human-Centered Design & Co-Innovation to support the implementation of co-innovation partnerships and human-centered design (HCD) processes under the global social protection portfolio. This role will be on a 2 years’ fixed-term contract basis, subject to availability of funding. This position is open to GAIN’s country offices in Abuja and Addis Ababa.

Reporting to the Programme Lead, Social Protection, the Project Officer will be responsible for coordinating resources and plans for various HCD processes in social protection projects across country contexts, and for providing administrative support for GAIN’s co-innovation platform for nutrition-sensitive social protection.

You will support the global Social Protection team to ensure HCD- and co-innovation-related project outcomes are achieved on time, on budget, to quality standards and within agreed scope, in line with GAINs Project Management Guidelines.

• Supporting global and in-country social protection programme teams in developing agendas and organizing logistics/operational characteristics of HCD processes for various projects, in alignment with GAIN’s HCD Toolkit for Nutrition-Sensitive Social Protection
• Conducting trainings for project staff and partners on appropriate HCD facilitation methods and tools, and, when required, contribute to the facilitation of HCD processes for various projects
• Supporting data processing, documentation, and reporting for HCD processes in alignment with project workplans and donor reporting needs
• Working closely with the global social protection team, overseeing all administrative aspects of GAIN’s Co-Innovation Platform for Nutrition-Sensitive Social Protection
• Supporting the Programme Lead and country-based social protection staff to manage recruitment and retention of Platform members and co-innovation partnership participants
• Working closely with GAIN’s communications and policy teams to curate and manage informative, relevant content to be shared through the Platform to co-innovation partners and broader audiences
• Liaising with GAIN’s legal team to coordinate and execute appropriate institutional arrangements for co-innovation partnerships facilitated on the Platform
• Participating in routine collection and reporting of key performance indicators for the Platform, including reach, engagement, and impacts
• Supporting the Programme Lead and Project Coordinator in preparing donors’ reports pertaining to the Co-Innovation Platform in collaboration with project teams

About You

The ideal candidate will have experience in project management and project administration systems. You will possess demonstrable technical understanding of innovation and human-centered design (HCD) processes and proven ability to execute administrative tasks in a timely manner.

In addition to this, you will be a clear and effective communicator with strong ability to work with diverse groups/individuals. You will be fluent in both written and verbal English, candidates with knowledge of second language within GAIN’s regional office and with experience working in multi-cultural or international environment would be desirable. The postholder should also be highly flexible and willing and able to travel.

A degree or equivalent recognized international accreditation in a project management and/or Bachelors’ degree in business management, international relations, sustainable development, economics, development studies, peace and conflict studies or related field.

The starting salary for each office is as follows, depending on experience:

• Nigeria: From NGN 8,570,652 – NGN 9,787,044 (gross) per annum
• Ethiopia: From USD 10,920 – USD 12,480 (gross) (gross) per annum

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.

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.

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.

For more detailed information please see the attached job description. To apply, follow the "Apply Now" link.

This advert closes on 6th January 2025. 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.