The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is seeking to recruit a Programme Lead to provide strategic, technical, and portfolio-level leadership for the programme, ensuring the programme delivers large-scale, inclusive, and sustainable impact.
As GAIN’s senior representative for the programme, the Programme Lead will be directly accountable for shaping the programme’s direction oversee a high-performing, cross-functional programme team.
The Programme Lead will anchor and strengthen strategic partnerships, ensures cohesion across technical teams, partners, and state structures, and positions GAIN as the lead organisation within the consortium.
This role will be offered on a two (2) year fixed term contract, subject to securing the award and availability of funding. This position will be based in Abuja, Nigeria.
Key Responsibilities
- Deliver strategic leadership in the design, evolution, and implementation of the programme in line with GAIN’s organisational strategy, country priorities, and donor expectations.
- Define and drive the programme’s strategic scope, objectives, and delivery model, ensuring alignment with GAIN programme frameworks and portfolio priorities.
- Identify strategic risks, opportunities, and innovations to strengthen programme impact, scalability, and sustainability.
- Provide oversight and strategic leadership to zonal coordination teams and partner organizations, ensuring harmonized delivery
- Oversee project implementation and provide strategic consultation and guidance.
- Lead risk management, safeguarding and environmental compliance, developing robust contingency plans and ensuring integration across all partners and field operations.
- Serve as the primary GAIN representative within the programme consortium, fostering collaboration with the implementing partners, government agencies, and state-level stakeholders to ensure strategic alignment and shared ownership of results.
- Oversee external partner engagement across programme design, implementation, and review processes working closing with GAIN’s technical teams
- Lead and inspire a high-performing, cross-functional programme team aligning technical experts, project coordinators, and operational staff
Requirements
The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in senior programme leadership roles within complex, multi-partner or consortium-based development programmes, preferably in agriculture, livelihoods, or market systems with a focus on systemic change and inclusive impact.
As an astute leader, you will be inept at managing multi-disciplinary teams within complex and diverse environments, ensuring successful delivery across multiple sectors and partners. You will have a proven track record of delivering projects on time and on budget, applying project management tools and processes including risk management, benefits realization, financial management, and quality assurance.
You will have demonstrable experience working in a donor funded environment, overseeing donor contracting, grant oversight, budget management and compliance with a solid understanding of donor compliance and reporting requirements.
Prior experience engaging with government institutions, private sector entities, and donor agencies, including work on multi-state or national-level programmes integrating youth, gender, and climate resilience dimensions.to influence policy and systemic transformation is essential. Master’s degree in agriculture, Agribusiness, Development Studies, Economics, Management, or related field. Certification or postgraduate training in Project or Programme Management is desirable.
About Offer
The starting gross salary on offer for this role is from NGN 25,364,388 gross per annum, depending on experience. A higher increment maybe provided for exceptional candidates.
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.
In alignment with this mission, GAIN is leading a multi-stakeholder consortium to implement an initiative aiming to creating dignified and fulfilling work for Nigerian youth under 35 across agrifood value chains. The programme specifically aims to reach and benefit young women, persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons.
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.
Deadline
This advert closes on 9th March 2026. Early applications are encouraged.
