Nigeria: SENIOR COUNTRY COORDINATOR

The International Potato Center (CIP) is seeking to recruit a highly skilled, results-oriented Senior Country Coordinator to provide overall national leadership and management for the Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) project in Nigeria.

The Center: CIP is a not-for-profit international agricultural research-for-development organization with a focus on potato, sweet potato, and Andean roots and tubers. Its vision is of roots and tubers improving the lives of the poor. CIP is dedicated to achieving food security, improved well-being, and gender equity for poor people in root and tuber farming and food systems of the developing world. CIP works with partners to contribute high quality science, technology, and capacity strengthening for sustainable science-based solutions. CIP is headquartered in Lima, Peru, with staff and activities in over 30 locations across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. CIP is a member of the CGIAR Consortium, a network of 15 Research Centers and 16 Research Programs mostly located in the developing world and supported by more than 50 donor members.

The Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) project: This three-year project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, seeks to reduce hidden hunger by catalyzing sustainable investment for the utilization of biofortified crops (vitamin A cassava, vitamin A maize, vitamin A sweetpotato and iron rich beans) at scale. The project will be implemented in Nigeria and Tanzania, to demonstrate how multiple biofortified crops can be scaled up together at country level. The project is led by CIP and is implemented by a consortium partnership of six core partners - the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the International Potato Center (CIP), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), HarvestPlus and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA).

The position: CIP is seeking the services of an experienced Senior Country Coordinator for Nigeria who will work closely with the Project Manager to implement project activities in close collaboration with national partners. The Senior Country Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating advocacy activities and will backstop capacity building initiatives. He / She will work closely with the Regional Advocacy Advisor and ensure national advocacy efforts are informed by the outcomes of regional advocacy processes. The Coordinator will also work closely with the Communications and Training Specialist in developing appropriate advocacy and behaviour change communication materials. Close liaison with national implementing partners is required to ensure demand for seed is synchronized with the seed supply chain. The employment contract will be for a 3 year term (with a 3 month probation period). This is an nationally recruited position (NRS) based in Abuja, Nigeria, with extensive local travel to support project activities in the country and occasional regional travel. This position reports to the Project Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Working closely with the Project Manager, coordinate the implementation of project activities in the country;
• Support the situation analysis consultant and implement the national advocacy strategy;

• Coordinate policy engagement and investment activities on biofortified crops at national level;

• In collaboration with the Regional Advocacy Advisor, identify advocacy priorities and approaches in Nigeria in line with the project’s advocacy strategy;

• Support the Communications and Training Specialist, the Regional Advocacy Advisor and the technical team in producing relevant advocacy / promotion / behavior change communication materials and gender responsive and culturally appropriate nutrition messages;

• Work closely with advocates, champions, key policy makers, and on-going initiatives to influence the formulation of favourable policies, strategies and plans and operationalization of existing policies on biofortification at national and regional level;

• Establish and maintain relevant linkages with national advocacy fori / existing multi-sectoral nutrition programmes, bilateral donors, and civil society and initiate establishment / strengthening of a national multi-sectoral advocacy platform that links agriculture, nutrition and health;

• Spearhead the establishment / strengthening of thematic technical and policy platforms on biofortified crops;

• Ensure key policymakers are informed about biofortification and support the efforts of the BNFB project;

• Work closely with the technical team and national implementing partners and coordinate capacity building and seed systems activities that strengthen capacities of government agencies, private sector, NGOs and CBOs to invest in biofortification;

• Support the Communications and Training Specialist with planning training events;

• Work closely with the Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation Specialist to monitor the work of BNFB in the country for quality control and documenting processes and lessons learned;

• Assist in analysing the implementation of progress, data collection and timely reporting to the Project Manager; and

• Supervise nationally recruited staff, financial and operations matters of the project at country as per CIP policies.

Selection Criteria:

• Master’s degree in agriculture, horticulture, economics, nutrition, development or social science degree;
• Strong analytical and writing skills;
• Experience in networking, alliance building and previous advocacy experience;
• Experience working in a challenging and fast paced environment;
• At least 7 years’ experience as a project / program manager for a large-scale agricultural advocacy/development project;
• Demonstrated ability to manage and motivate staff into a cohesive team and proven record in effectively managing multidisciplinary partnerships;
• Demonstrated awareness and responsiveness to gender and social issues in cross-cultural and gender integration programming;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English required;
• knowledge of one or two local languages of Nigeria preferred;
• Willingness to travel frequently.

Applicants should apply online through our CIP’s Job Opportunities website (http://cipotato.org/open-vacancies/), including a letter of motivation, a full C.V with the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable of the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience. Deadline for submission of applications will be 15 February 2016. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.