Job Description
SPECIALIST – NUTRITION
THE ORGANIZATION
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center
for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) delivers research-based solutions that harness
agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve
people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition,
climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. With novel
partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to
transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive
prosperity, and nourish people in a climate crisis. The Alliance is part of
CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future. Please visit http://www.alliancebioversityciat.org/for more
information on the Alliance.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a
not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet
Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural
resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa,
we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase
employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR,
a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Please
visit http://www.iita.org/for more
information on IITA.
ABOUT THE POSITION
The Nutrition Specialist role is established to provide hands-on
technical and coordination support for IITA Nutrition Research, including Area
of Work 4, Strengthening the Impact of Biofortified and Health-Enhancing
Staples, within the Better Diets and Nutrition Science Program. The post holder
will support the implementation, coordination, tracking, and reporting of all
AoW4 Packages of Deliverables, helping ensure that technical activities,
partnerships, budgets, timelines, and reporting requirements are well managed
and aligned with the Better Diets and Nutrition results framework. Given the
breadth, complexity, and multi-country nature of the AoW4 portfolio, the role
combines technical nutrition expertise with strong program management,
stakeholder engagement, and delivery follow-through to support timely
implementation, effective risk management, and coherent reporting across the
portfolio.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:
AOW4 PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AND TECHNICAL COORDINATION
The Nutrition Specialist will support all
AoW4 Packages of Deliverables across multiple countries and partners. The role
requires close coordination with CGIAR Centers, national partners, consultants,
and internal program teams, with an estimated 30 percent multi-country travel.
The role will:
Provide day-to-day
technical support for implementation of all AoW4 Packages of Deliverables.Support translation of
workplans into actionable implementation schedules, milestones, and
deliverables.Contribute to
technical design and review of activities related to nutrition-sensitive
agriculture, biofortification, policy engagement, value chains, dietary
assessment, and behavior change.Review technical
outputs to ensure quality, consistency, and alignment with AoW4 objectives and
the Better Diets and Nutrition Theory of Change.Support preparation of technical briefs,
concept notes, presentations, summaries, and internal planning documents.
PROGRAM
COORDINATION AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT
The Nutrition Specialist will serve as a
coordination focal point across internal and external stakeholders.
The role will:
Track progress across
all PoDs against agreed milestones, timelines, and deliverables.Maintain
implementation trackers, action logs, risk logs, and follow-up matrices for the
AoW4 portfolio.Identify delays,
bottlenecks, and risks early, and flag them with proposed mitigation measures.Support planning and
coordination of meetings, consultations, workshops, and follow-up actions.Serve as a focal point
for routine follow-up with implementing teams, partner institutions,
consultants, and collaborators.Support engagement
with national, regional, and international stakeholders relevant to AoW4
implementation.Help align partner
contributions with AoW4 priorities, deliverables, and reporting needs.
IMPLEMENTATION,
REPORTING AND COORDINATION
The Nutrition Specialist will support
high-quality implementation follow-through, synthesis, and operational
coordination.
The role will:
Lead coordination of
routine implementation updates across all AoW4 PoDs.Draft high-quality
progress reports, briefing notes, meeting summaries, and donor-facing updates
as required.Support preparation of
coherent inputs for annual reporting so all PoDs are reflected accurately and
consistently.Synthesize technical,
operational, and stakeholder information into concise reporting products for
decision-making.Support tracking of
PoD-related budgets, expenditures, procurement requests, consultant processes,
logistics, and administrative actions.Monitor field
implementation readiness, data collection processes, and reporting quality, and
conduct field visits as needed.
REQUIREMENTS:
EDUCATION
- Master’s degree in Nutrition, Public Health Nutrition, Food and Nutrition, Nutrition-sensitive Agriculture, International Development, or a related field.
EXPERIENCE
At least 10 years of
relevant field and program implementation experience.Demonstrated
experience in nutrition-sensitive agriculture and biofortification.Proven experience
coordinating complex, multi-country projects or portfolios.Strong experience in
stakeholder engagement, partner coordination, and cross-institutional
collaboration.Experience in
technical writing, reporting, and synthesis for research, development, or
donor-funded programs.Experience supporting
implementation planning, milestone tracking, and issue follow-up.Experience working
with consultants, service providers, procurement processes, and administrative
follow-through.Experience conducting
or supporting field visits and quality assurance processes.Experience working in multicultural and
interdisciplinary environments.
TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES
Technical grounding in
nutrition and food systems.Excellent project
management and organizational skills.Strong analytical and
problem-solving ability.Ability to manage
multiple priorities and follow through under pressure.Excellent writing,
synthesis, and presentation skills.Strong interpersonal
and stakeholder management skills.High level of
attention to detail and commitment to quality.Ability to work
independently while supporting a complex team environment.Sound judgment,
discretion, and professional maturity.Ability to identify
risks early and communicate them clearly and constructively.Excellent written and
spoken English is required.Excellent written and
spoken Kiswahili is required.
EXPECTED DELIVERABLES
A consolidated AoW4
implementation tracker covering all PoDs, updated regularly.A milestone-based
coordination system for tracking deliverables, risks, dependencies, and
follow-up actions.Monthly or agreed
periodic portfolio progress updates for the AoW4 Lead.High-quality technical
and administrative follow-up for meetings, partner consultations, and
workshops.Drafts of technical
summaries, briefing notes, presentations, and reporting inputs as required.Timely coordination of
contributions to annual reporting and other program reporting requirements.A risk register with
mitigation actions and escalation notes for major implementation issues.Budget and procurement
follow-up notes to support timely execution of activities.Support to field
missions and documentation of key findings, actions, and implementation
implications.A coherent end-of-year synthesis of AoW4
implementation progress across all PoDs.
KEY PERFORMANCE MILESTONES
Within the first 30
days, establish an AoW4 implementation and reporting tracker covering all PoDs.Within the first 60
days, produce a consolidated milestone map, partner follow-up matrix, and risk
register.Within the first 90
days, demonstrate timely coordination of PoD workplans, meetings, and reporting
inputs.By mid-year, show
evidence of strengthened implementation follow-up, improved milestone
visibility, and documented progress across PoDs.By annual reporting
period, support delivery of coherent, timely, and high-quality AoW4 inputs into
the BDN annual report.Throughout the contract, maintain
effective stakeholder coordination, timely issue escalation, and strong
follow-through on agreed actions
EVALUATION CRITERIA
A consolidated AoW4
implementation tracker covering all PoDs, updated regularly.A milestone-based
coordination system for tracking deliverables, risks, dependencies, and
follow-up actions.Monthly or agreed
periodic portfolio progress updates for the AoW4 Lead.High-quality technical
and administrative follow-up for meetings, partner consultations, and
workshops.Drafts of technical
summaries, briefing notes, presentations, and reporting inputs as required.Timely coordination of
contributions to annual reporting and other program reporting requirements.A risk register with
mitigation actions and escalation notes for major implementation issues.Budget and procurement
follow-up notes to support timely execution of activities.Support to field
missions and documentation of key findings, actions, and implementation
implications.A coherent end-of-year synthesis of AoW4
implementation progress across all PoDs.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT
This is a nationally recruited position based at IITA Nairobi, Kenya. The initial contract will be for one and half yearssubject
to a probation period of three months
and is renewable depending on performance and availability of resources.
This position is graded at BG08 level, with a
minimum basic salary of KES 307,706 in a scale of BG01 to BG14 (BG14 being the
highest level according to the Alliance job classification framework policy).
We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits including but not limited
to insurance, retirement plan, staff training and development, paid time off
and flexible working arrangements.
The Alliance Bioversity-CIAT is committed to
fair, safe, and inclusive workplaces. We believe that diversity powers our
innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission.
Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that
reflects our global character is a priority. We encourage applicants from all
cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages,
disability statuses, sexual orientations, marital status, and gender
identities. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.