Project Officer – Whey2Value At Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

About the Role

GAIN Pakistan is looking for a Project Officer 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 Officer works under the guidance of the project manager, and with operations teams to support the implementation and coordination of Whey2Value – Greening the dairy sector in Pakistan project activities.

The post holder will be involved in core project activities and provide a range of support services, including preparation of reports and briefs, coordinating resources, maintaining project documentation and implementing and monitoring project plans, to ensure project outcomes are achieved on time, on budget, to quality standards and within agreed scope, in line with GAINs Project Management Guidelines.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Support and assist the project manager to develop detailed implementation plans of the project.
• Conduct assigned activities in the plan and support the tracking of progress and deliverables from project partners.
• Be responsible for the regular updating of PRISM to ensure accurate documentation of project/activity progress for project review meetings.
• Source, collate and compile data and information to identify emerging issues; track and report on project progress against established milestones and deliverables.
• Under the supervision of the Project Manager, conduct regular field monitoring visits of the activities conducted under the project by partners. Follow up with partners to ensure timely submission of reports and prepare timely monitoring reports with findings and recommendations.
• Work closely with external suppliers and professional services to facilitate an effective delivery of project related goods and services.
• Maintain strong partnerships with civil society, INGOs, government entities, private sector and other organisations.
• Oversee all administrative aspects of the procurement process including budgeting, procurement supporting with the drafting of agreements and contracts and logistical arrangements within ethical and procurement standards and guidelines.
• Support the project manager in preparing donors’ reports in collaboration with project teams, technical teams, funding team and support teams.

About You

The ideal candidate will have demonstrable experience in implementing projects activities in food and nutrition sectors with government or international organizations. You will have experience in business and project administration systems, including financial administration, candidates with experience in delivering a wide range of project management and support services, within tight deadlines, limited resources, while managing competing priorities is desirable.

In addition, you will have good knowledge of local public policy/strategic plans; and an understanding of food systems. Candidates with experience working in multi-cultural or international environment is desirable.

The postholder will have strong writing skills, with analytical capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of quality project reports.

You will possess excellent communication skills and fluent in written and spoken English, candidates with knowledge of second language within GAIN’s regional offices is desirable. In addition, you should be highly flexible and be able and willing to travel.

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

You will be computer literate with good Excel, MS Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint skills and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems.

About our Offer

The starting salary on offer for this role is from PKR 1,732,836 – PKR 1,986,420 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 ineligible under the above conditions during or after the recruitment process.

Applicants must be currently based and have the existing right to live and work in the Lahore, Pakistan region 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.