Country Director, Rwanda

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 changes 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.

Overall Purpose

The Country Director (CD) is responsible for setting up, leading, managing, representing, implementing and adapting existing strategy in collaboration with technical colleagues setting the overall direction of GAIN’s strategy, partnerships and programmes. Based in-country, the CD must ensure that the country’s strategy implementation is in line with GAIN’s vision, outcomes, policies and procedures. As the most senior representative for GAIN in the country, the CD is responsible for high level representation to the government, donors, the private sector and the UN. The CD has overall responsibility for security management and health and safety for GAIN staff within the country.

They will lead and manage all aspect of GAIN`s Country office, including operations and financial management, compliance with local laws, fiscal planning, human resource planning and the creation of a shared vision among all staff.

Growth of a New Country Office

• Demonstrated experience in developing a new country office or programme. Will work to improve GAIN’s in-country presence by building GAIN’s capability and network in order to improve delivery
• Will seek to improve GAIN’s overall organizational capability in Rwanda from Start-up to a Structured level of organisational maturity.

People & Organizational Development

• Build, coach and mentor a new team to implement and develop GAIN’s programmatic strategy in Rwanda.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with relevant global teams
• Provide overall leadership to GAIN staff, coach, mentor and motivate team members and ensure team synergy, including leading the senior direct reports.
• Line manages several senior direct reports including supporting work plan development and performance management.
• Ensure all staff within the Country Office uphold GAIN Values and Code of Conduct, including the development of and support to a culture & work environment that reflects GAIN’s values.
• Ensure the appropriate implementation of all Human Resource policies, procedures and practices.
• Foster a collegial, transparent, supportive and respectful culture within the country team.
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion including the safeguarding vulnerable populations, as well as staff health and wellbeing principles.

Resource Mobilization, Advocacy and Communication

• Develop the organization’s profile & influence, including approving the development of communications products (press releases, brochures, stories).
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with relevant officials in government, civil society, donors, partners and other international organizations.
• Support activities to deliver outcomes on priority advocacy issues.
• Ensure that information requests are serviced in a timely way and that effective country contributions are made to global advocacy initiatives and priorities.
• Represent GAIN in external events or suitably delegate

Strategic Leadership

• The CD will lead the development, implementation and quality management of the country strategy so it maximizes impact to transforming local food systems for better nutrition.
• The planning and tracking of progress of the implementation of the country strategy, including the development and review of annual business plans, to support the vision set out in the country strategy.
• Contribute positively, as a member of GAINs leadership team to strategic discussions, to support organizational effectiveness and development.
• Manage the process of support to partners, sustaining formal, long-term relationships, and identification of appropriate partner organizations.

Program Design and Implementation

• Ensure programme design and implementation maintains focus on achieving country strategy objectives based on the inherited project plans. Guide business development, staying aware of the local funding context and identifying appropriate opportunities to increase income to deliver the country strategy.
• Support the program teams to ensure that strong M & E and quality control procedures are understood and implemented by program staff, both from GAIN and partner organizations.

Financial and Operations Management

• Has oversight systems and business processes for finance, HR, contracts, facilities and IT that are integrated and aligned with the organization as a whole.
• Manages the recruitment of staff, with support from the Global HR team.
• Support the operations and programs teams to ensure the efficient and proper use of funds, supporting team in the development and management of the country program and grant level budgets.
• Support the operations and programs teams to ensure compliance with donor monitoring, spending and legal requirements.
• Lead the identification of in-country funding to support our planned work, and to make best use of resources available to maximise impact.
• Support the operations team/ finance and admin team to ensure country office policies, procedures, guidelines and risk registers are in place, updated and disseminated.
• Develop a proposed annual budget and ensure the timely submission of financial reports, which accurately reflects the financial condition of the country office.

Security

• Lead the preparation, regular updating and implementation of the security plan in line with GAINs security policy and procedure

Competency

• Strategic thinking, management and leadership skills
• Excellent communication skills, presenting clear and structured arguments with strong interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Excellent networking, influencing, negotiation and advocacy skills
• Ability to operate within corporate and public sectors to effectively liaise with private companies, development agencies and governments.
• Proven successful people management experience, ability to work as part of a multicultural team.
• Ability to use initiative, prioritize, multi-task, and work well under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills

Experience

• Extensive leadership and management experience in leading and developing projects in a multi-cultural environment at international level in the private sector, food industry or with development organizations.
• Solid experience in representation with key donors, government, internal and external stakeholders with a demonstrable track record in fundraising and business development required.
• Experience in building effective personal networks at a senior level, resulting in securing new opportunities for the organization
• Broad understanding of the nutrition-food systems nexus, public health and community development.
• Excellent understanding and experience of risk, programme, financial and operational management
• Demonstrated success in building and managing multi-disciplinary teams
• Good understanding of key trends in international and humanitarian development

Education

• Masters in agricultural science, food science, public health, nutrition, economics, business administration or Equivalent

Other Requirements

• Fluent in written and English.
• Proficiency in local languages is highly desirable
• A willingness and ability to travel in-country and overseas as and when required

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