CASCADE PROJECT CONSORTIUM LEAD

Job Summary

The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs funded, Catalyzing Strengthened Policy Action for Healthy Diets and Resilience (CASCADE) project aims to strengthen nutrition systems that contribute to ending malnutrition for 1.1 million women of reproductive age and children under 5 years old in Nigeria. The 5-year (2022-2027) CASCADE project is implemented by a consortium of CARE and GAIN in partnership with national organizations, private sector, academic institutions and government. 

CARE Nigeria is seeking a passionate and experienced leader and technical expert to lead and oversee the implementation of the CASCADE program in Nigeria, which focuses on strengthening access to and consumption of healthy diets and increasing household resilience to shocks. The CASCADE Project Consortium Lead will be the primary representative of the program, ensuring high-quality execution and management, fostering strong partnerships with government and other key stakeholders, consortium management, and ensuring alignment with donor requirements and national priorities.

The CASCADE Consortium Lead position provides strategic oversight, management, and coordination for the CASCADE project, across all partners and stakeholders. The position directly supervises a team in CARE Nigeria, while also ensuring program deliverables are met across the consortium in direct collaboration with the GAIN Project Manager and local/national partners. The position is based in Abuja and reports directly to CARE Nigeria’s Program Director.

Job Details

SCOPE:

Employment Type: Contract - Full-Time 

Job Status: Nationals only.

Slots: 1

Location: F.C.T, Abuja.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS:

CASCADE Project Lead – 90%

Job Responsibility #1: Project Leadership and Oversight

• Lead the overall planning, coordination and execution of the CASCADE project, ensuring all components are delivered on time and on budget, through quality planning, oversight, technical guidance, and monitoring. 
• Directly supervise and oversee the CARE CASCADE team and consultants and sub-contractors engaged through the project. Ensure staff and partners have the necessary resources and support to meet donor requirements, execute quality project deliverables, and generate and share learning. Provide coaching where needed.
• Manage the overall CASCADE budget, and CARE-specific budget, overseeing financial management processes, monitoring expenditures, ensuring efficient resource allocation, and ensuring compliance with CARE and donor guidelines and policies.
• Facilitate and foster regular consortium meetings to ensure clear and consistent communication and coordination, to share results and learning, and for strategic planning and monitoring purposes. 
• Lead and coordinate the CASCADE Consortium, made of CARE and GAIN and includes Project Management Team and Consortium Steering Committee in Nigeria, and represent CASCADE Nigeria to the global CASCADE team, ensuring that diverse voices, concerns and opportunities are raised and discussed
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements, both for CARE as the prime and for all consortium members and implementing partners.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, and results-oriented work environment within the project team.

Job Responsibility #2: Program Strategy and Technical Leadership 

• Provide strategic direction and vision, guiding the CASCADE project team to reflect on progress and results, and strategize on appropriate adaptations to meet the project’s objectives.
• Ensure the integration of technical expertise in nutrition, agriculture, gender, food security and resilience to create a holistic, sustainable approach to healthy diets and food systems.
• Provide technical leadership and strategic guidance to program teams, ensuring evidence-based approaches and best practices are applied. 
• Promote cross-sectoral integration, in monitoring and evaluation, gender, resilience, adaptation and learning, and community engagement  
• Conduct periodic visits to the four implementing states, including to communities, to ensure technical quality and consistency, support local partners and volunteers, identify problems and issues and make recommendations for improvement

Job Responsibility #3: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) and Reporting

• Ensure robust MEAL systems are in place to track program progress and impact, working closely with the MEAL Advisor and Program Quality and Learning Manager to refine approaches as necessary.
• Oversee data collection, analysis, and reporting to ensure that outcomes and lessons learned are communicated across the consortium, to donors, government partners and other key stakeholders.
• Ensure the program meets all donor and compliance requirements, preparing timely and accurate reports, including progress updates, financial reports, and performance reviews.
• Ensure overall coordination, technical engagement, and responsiveness with the global CASCADE team and with external evaluation teams, including the project’s midterm review (MTR) and endline evaluation.
• Ensure the development and use of MEAL tools, data and analysis to inform strategy and implementation, and to ensure accountability and learning, providing technical guidance as needed. Guide field staff in effective monitoring on project outcomes/impacts and render advice for fine-tuning plans where required. 
• Oversee the development, budgeting, and monitoring of annual work plans (DIP) and reports, including through routine consortium meetings, pause and reflects, planning sessions, and quarterly and annual progress reviews. Collaborate closely with relevant staff from consortium partners, and ensure alignment across workplans, budgets, and established MEAL targets and results. 
• With MEAL, communications, and technical colleagues, capture key milestones, processes, learning and adaptations for use in local, national and global communications channels through a range of media channels and platforms.
• Ensure the quality implementation of Feedback and Accountability Mechanisms to inform project implementation and protect communities’ wellbeing and safety, including against Sexual Exploitation, Harassment and Abuse.
• Ensure completion of CARE Nigeria mandatory project reporting requirements, and promote cross-team and project collaboration, sharing and learning

Job Responsibility #4: Coordination, Representation, Advocacy and Learning

• Represent the consortium in high-level meetings, conferences and events, including with government authorities, peer organizations, and the Dutch Embassy. Build and maintain strong relationships with government bodies, local communities, private sector actors, and civil society organizations to advance project objectives.
• Ensure that CASCADE’s work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government.
• Take a leadership role within Inter agency coordination forums, ensuring the specific needs of women and girls are being addressed. This may involve taking the lead in coordination working groups.
• Support senior staff, from both GAIN and CARE, in advocacy activities that target decision-makers at all levels. 
• Oversee the development of project materials that convey compelling messages, themes, data analysis and results to promote policy-level change targeted to the intended audience

CARE Nigeria’s Food Systems, Livelihood and Nutrition (FSL&N) Sector Lead – 10%

• Lead the CO program and program support teams in development of Food and Nutrition Systems & Livelihoods, strategy and appropriately guide CARE’s programming and practices in this sector. 
• Provide technical support to partners and team members implementing food Systems & livelihoods projects in both development and emergency response.
• Lead the process of developing project participant targeting strategy and its roll out and implementation.
• Display technical and organizational leadership in sectoral activity commensurate with the role as a primary resource person for food Systems and Nutrition in CARE Nigeria.
• Monitor the food and nutrition Systems’ outlook in Nigeria and provide clear periodic analysis on the impact and the implications for CARE Nigeria programming.
• Ensure CASCADE project learning is captured, consolidated, and disseminated and inform CARE Nigeria’s larger Food, Nutrition and Livelihoods program development.
• Provide technical guidance and close monitoring of partner organizations’ food Systems & livelihoods related activities
• Contribute to knowledge building and sharing good practices within Nigeria, Headquarters, and other offices, and globally through exchange visits, learning sessions, results mapping, etc.
• Support preparation and development of concept notes/proposals and lead in discussion with relevant stakeholders in food & Nutrition, and livelihood Systems including donors, peer agencies and sector managers. 
• Actively represent CARE Nigeria in food Systems, agriculture, and livelihood sector/cluster discussions and activities.

Other Responsibilities:

• Other Responsibilities as Assigned
• Contribute to CARE’s resource mobilization efforts.
• Provide innovative food systems and livelihood solutions for new program development and resource mobilization.
• Work closely with Business Development Manager and other project leads to identify new opportunities and partners to fund raise for CARE Food Systems and Livelihoods programming

Requirements

QUALIFICATION/EXPERIENCE/TECHNICAL SKILLS:

Required:

• Advanced university degree or equivalent in international development, nutrition, public health, agriculture, food systems, or other relevant field. 
• Over 8 years of progressively senior roles in nutrition, food security, agriculture, or livelihoods, including experience in emergency response and recovery following natural/man-made disasters. Demonstrated nutrition expertise preferred.
• Experience in assessment, program design & evaluation and technical training and support.
• Demonstrated experience providing technical direction, guidance, supervision, tools and support for teams of technical experts in nutrition, agriculture or food security.
• Strong experience and knowledge of major donors, particularly USAID, ECHO, EU, BHA and FCDO and their requirements, including funding and reporting guidelines.
• Experience working in partnership with local organizations.
• Proficient analytical skills that demonstrate an understanding of the current concepts, priorities, and emerging local and global issues in food systems, livelihoods, and nutrition.
• Prior experience in policy and advocacy, inclusive development approaches, and women’s empowerment preferred
• Prior experience working with key government stakeholders, including the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, and other national agencies.
• Demonstrated experience leading or managing a program of similar size and scope to CASCADE.

Technical Competencies Required:

• Fluency in English and excellent oral and written communication skills
• Excellent demonstrated inter-cultural, interpersonal, and negotiation skills are required. 
• Knowledge of a local language is an asset.
• Strong data visualization and report writing skills, and ability to translate technical information for non-technical audiences.
• Experience recruiting, developing, and managing staff and teams.
• Demonstrated skills building and maintaining relationships with project stakeholders, local partners, and local organizations.
• Demonstrated commitment to PSHEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Harassment, and Abuse).
• Demonstrated commitment to principles of Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion (DEBI).

NOTE:

• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
• CARE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. CARE considers all applicants on the basis of merit without prejudice to race, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, colour, national origin, marital status, or veteran status.
• There are individuals who may use CARE’s name and trademark in emails and on websites in an attempt to solicit fees from interested job seekers. Please note that CARE will not request for any monetary payments from applicants at any stage of the recruitment process.

Qualified Women and Persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

About Company

CARE

https://www.carenigeria.org/

CARE is a global humanitarian and development leader within a worldwide movement dedicated to ending poverty. We are known everywhere for our unshakable commitment to the dignity of people. CARE vision is to seek a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live with dignity and security. Our Mission is to work around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice. We put women and girls in the center of our work because we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We are strongly inspired and guided by our Core Values of Transformation, Integrity, Excellence, Diversity and Equality. CARE Nigeria was established in Nigeria in April 2017 and has been predominantly operating in the conflict affected Northeast, and in the Northwest. CARE aims to support vulnerable people who are affected by conflict, natural disasters and poverty across four key programming areas: Food and Nutrition Security and Livelihoods, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, a Life Free from Violence (Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response) and Women’s Economic Empowerment through its Flagship ‘Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) approach. Our Commitment to Nigeria people goes beyond our current humanitarian work to exploring and initiating longer-term development programs that address underlying causes of poverty and vulnerability in Nigeria. In collaboration with other stakeholders, we will initiate and support equitable and sustainable development interventions by enabling the underprivileged to realize their potential, exercise their right and strengthen linkages with broader society.