About the Role

• The manager will lead the implementation of GAIN’s N3F Technical Assistance (TA) offerings, by overseeing and assessing the TA needs of SMEs, matching them with service providers, and implementing activities to ensure the quality of services provided.
• They will coordinate closely with the fund manager of N3F, Incofin, on pipeline development, joint site visits for due diligence by the Investment Manager and TA needs assessments by the N3F TA team, as well as data collected for the development of nutrition profiles for SMEs together with the MEL Specialist, so that the SMEs fit the N3F Fund financial and nutrition criteria.
• The manager will also contribute to the financing engagement work of N3F, to improve awareness, capacity, commitment among investors of nutrition as an investment theme.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Oversee and design technical assistance support packages tailored to individual SMEs and group training according to common needs in the portfolio in Francophone Africa.
• Identify technical assessment needs of SMEs operating in the food value chain that are potential pipeline for the N3F Fund, working together with the investment officers at our partner asset manager Incofin Investment Management.
• Provide strategic and technical leadership in the design, planning and implementation of the project as per the GAIN Project Management Guidelines (PMG).
• Define project scope, activities and objectives in line with the GAIN business plans, programme frameworks, and organizational strategic priorities.
• Identify, track and resolve project issues on an ongoing basis, and proactively seek support where issues require wider attention and resolution.
• Ensure that implementation of project activities is in line with the policies and best practice standards of GAIN.
• Represent GAIN at national and regional technical meetings, tradeshows and workshops and contribute to identifying SMEs that fit the N3F criteria across Anglophone and Francophone Africa, sharing them with Incofin, N3F Fund Manager
• Lead on matchmaking activities between TA requirements and service providers, manage engagements between GAIN, service providers, and our beneficiaries.

About you

• The ideal candidate should have advanced expertise directly or indirectly related to impact investing, development finance and/or grant-making and TA support to SMEs across Anglophone and Francophone Africa. You should have substantive experience directly or indirectly related to food supply chains and working with SMEs.
• The post holder should have experience leading matchmaking activities between TA requirements and service providers, manage engagements between the organization, service providers, and our beneficiaries. You should be able to identify relevant events to influence and raise awareness of nutrition investing outside of the food systems community.
• The position holder should be deep understanding of what makes an SME scale their operations, grow, and succeed and a demonstrated expertise in the assessment of needs and provision of technical assistance (TA) to SMEs, and more specifically to nutrition focused SMEs. An educational background with a master’s level degree in a relevant field such as business administration, economics, agribusiness, agricultural economics, or bachelor’s degree with requisite years of experience in a relevant field.