Technical Advisor, Policy and Governance at GAIN

Job Description

About the Role
* Please ensure to submit a cover letter during your application*
Knowledge Leadership team provides technical assistance to ensure evidence-based project design and to support internal and external learning from research and evaluation activities. With the expansion of GAIN’s policy and governance work, leadership is needed in conceptualizing impactful projects, researching what works, and applying appropriate methods for impact tracking.
The overall purpose of this position is strengthening the design and implementation of programs at GAIN through developing and overseeing a learning agenda for GAIN’s Policy & Governance work.
• The post holder will be responsible for mapping knowledge gaps related to our policy and governance programming and identifying appropriate methods and approaches for filling knowledge gaps through research and evaluation.
• In addition, the post holder will provide support to project teams bringing their expertise in policy and governance to project proposals and project design—for instance, through the development of evidence-based Theories of Change and Logic Models—and being responsible for the day-to day implementation, integration and oversight of research, monitoring, and learning for our Policy and Governance work.

Key Responsibilities include
• Serving as the focal point providing support to programmatic areas, lead on the development of high-quality research, evaluation, & learning activities (e.g., surveys, evaluations, implementation research and other assessments) in alignment with state-of-art understanding of methods and theory on policy and governance and with research good-practice guidelines
• Lead literature reviews, evidence synthesis, and other desk-research activities to support evidence-based project design and research, evaluation, & learning activities.
• Undertake rigorous data analysis and visualization.
• Oversight of field implementation of research, evaluation, learning, and knowledge management activities, including visiting study sites and interacting with project partners (e.g., implementing partners, consultants, contractors).
• Develop Terms of Reference and Requests for Proposals for contracting relevant research and evaluation activities, when necessary, managing contracts of research partners ensuring timely delivery of high-quality research products.
• Lead on the critical review and development of project reports and other knowledge products, including research articles, briefings, presentations, and associated tables/figures.
• Work closely with GAIN’s Development Office to produce regular donor reports, as necessary, including tracking and updating monitoring indicators to track the projects’ progress.

About you
• The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in research design and implementation skills using political science and/or social science research methodologies: including Political Economy Analysis (PEA), policy-process research, institutional analysis, and related approaches. Possess knowledge of theory and practice related to governance, institutions, service delivery, and other policy issues in Low and middle-income countries.
• The post holder should demonstrate understanding of nutrition and food systems policy and governance. Substantial hands-on experience doing relevant research in collaboration with local research counterparts, using either quantitative or qualitive methodologies. Experience should encompass the design of research methodologies, analysis of data, and reporting of results on the policy process and the role of policy, governance, and/or institutions in addressing poverty, food security, and nutrition issues.
• The candidate should have an education background with a master’s degree in political science, public policy, public health, sociology, economics, development studies, or related field. Degree should include formal training in research methods.
• About our Offer
• The starting gross salary for each office is as follows, depending on experience:
• Kenya: KES 4’301’136 – KES 4’917’408 (gross) per annum
Uganda: UGX 83’860’752 – UGX 95’898’744 (gross) per annum
• 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 and hybrid 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
• GAIN is a Swiss-based foundation that was launched in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with both governments and businesses, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people. In particular, we aim to make healthier food choices more desirable, more available, and more affordable. GAIN’s mission is to advance nutrition outcomes by improving consumption of nutritious and safe food for all people, especially those most vulnerable to malnutrition.

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 have the right to work and be currently based in the advertised country location, to be eligible to apply for this position.
• For more detailed information please see the attached job description. To apply, follow the “Apply Now” link.