Project Manager – Whey2Value At Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

About the Role

GAIN Pakistan is looking for a Project Manager for its Whey2Value Project. The overall objective of the project is to “valorise dairy waste streams to reduce environmental impact and support sustainable business growth and improved human health/nutrition” with three sub-objectives: i) reduced environmental strain caused by dairy processors; ii) sustainable and responsible economic growth and new job creation in the dairy value chain; and iii) improved consumption of nutritious whey-based products by vulnerable populations.

In this project, GAIN is working with consortium partners like Arla Foods Ingredients (AFI), Danish Industry (DI), and local dairy processors with the support of DGBP to co-develop a solution repurposing fresh whey into a nutritious food/drink products, preventing waste, nutrient loss, and environmental contamination.

The Project Manager will be responsible to ensure implementation of the project, Whey2Value – Greening the dairy sector in Pakistan and provide all the functional, technical and managerial leadership.

The post holder will lead the project, and establish, manage and maintain relationships with relevant partners and stakeholders. Responsible for the overall project management leadership and ensure the project team and partners implement project activities within approved plans, budget, and quality standards.

The Project Manager, throughout the project life cycle, ensures accurate planning, management and reporting of activities, budgets (resources), monitoring, external services and any other key areas required to deliver successful projects.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Provide strategic leadership in the design, planning and implementation of the project as per the GAIN Project Management Guidelines (PMG).
• Define project scope, activities and objectives in line with the GAIN business plans, programme frameworks, and organizational strategic priorities.
• Responsible for consulting and/or communicating on any change requests or course corrections.
• Identify, track and resolve project issues on an ongoing basis, and proactively seek support where issues require wider attention and resolution
• Lead a high performing project team consisting of people across the organization; bringing together the skills, experience and competencies required for successful project delivery.
• Build a positive and inclusive culture and working environment. for the staff to carry out their activities.
• Engage key external partners in project design, implementation, and review.
• Represent the project and organisation in external forum as agreed with the Head of Programmes & Policy lead.
• Write donors’ reports in collaboration with project teams, technical teams, funding team and support teams.
• Ensure narrative reporting and financial accounting meet GAIN and donor’s requirements.

About You

The ideal candidate should have proven project management experience in an environment requiring collaboration and liaising with government stakeholders, relevant industries, and international organizations. You should have strong technical knowledge of public health and nutrition, including micronutrient deficiency control.

The postholder should have strong coordination/liaison and communication skills and able to work effectively in multi-cultural and multi-lingual environments. You should have the ability to prioritize, multi-task and work well under pressure with frequent deadlines and willing to travel in country.

The postholder should have skills in quantitative research methods and high-level report writing and presentation skills including experience of presenting to a wide range of audiences.

A Masters’ degree in social sciences, international development, business management, public health, nutrition, international relations or related fields would be an advantage.

About our Offer

The starting salary on offer for this role is from PKR 3,550,212 – PKR 4,057,380 per annum (gross salary), 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.

About GAIN

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.

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.

Applicants must have the right to work and be currently based in the advertised country location, to be eligible to apply for this position.

This advert closes on 29th March 2024. 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.