Food Safety and Nutrition Lead, Egypt ERAS

Job Description

Opportunity:

Feed the Future Egypt Rural Agribusiness Strengthening Project (ERAS) is a five-year USAID-funded activity, supported by the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative. ERAS aims improve the competitiveness of Egypt’s horticulture producers and related down-stream businesses and food processors. The project promotes a more competitive and inclusive Egyptian economy through growth in selected horticultural sectors with special focus on securing employment and increasing agriculture-related incomes of smallholder farmers. Meeting market requirements will require adoption of international food quality and safety standards for horticulture crops destined for international and domestic markets, including food processors, supermarkets, and restaurant chains. ERAS will address the following intermediate results: 1) Strengthen sustainable domestic and international market linkages; 2) Improve post-harvest handling and storage; 3) Increase productivity of small farmers and food processors; and 4) Improve nutritional status of women and children.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

This position is based at the project headquarters office in Dokki, Giza, and will oversee the Food Safety and Nutrition team there, liaising as needed with the three regional offices in Menia, Luxor, and Gharbia. The Food Safety and Nutrition Lead will report directly to the DCOP.

• Oversee ERAS efforts to improve horticultural food safety in Egypt, for both domestic and export markets.
• Monitor and support implementation of all Government of Egypt efforts to improve the institutional and policy environment for food safety.
• Assist farmers and agribusinesses to improve food safety, food quality and nutrition.
• Coordinate with private sector governmental stakeholders and NGOs that promote food safety and good nutrition.
• Assist designated Hubs to improve farmers’ management of food products—including best practices in pesticides and food handling—and suggest new approaches and techniques.
• Following annual work planning, travel to each regional office with Cairo-based advisors to facilitate customization of project’s technical strategy for each region.
• Participate in weekly teleconference calls with each region to review ongoing activities and discuss planned activities.
• Participate in monthly MEL meetings among technical staff in the Cairo office.
• Participate in monthly teleconference calls with all regional directors and senior-level regional staff to review progress and respond to results, scaling up what works and course-correcting underperforming activities.
• Supervise all project’ nutrition strengthening activities to match mandated objectives resulting in healthy diet and better nutritional status for targeted rural communities
• Directly supervise the Food Safety and Nutrition Team, including the Quality and Certifications Lead; Food Safety Lead; and the Nutrition Lead.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Required: Master’s degree in food safety and nutrition.
• Required: Minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in nutrition and food safety with international organizations/companies operation in the developmental agriculture/agribusiness sector.
• Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to engage productively with a wide range of organizations, beneficiaries, and related parties (e.g. producers, government, private sector, NGOs, research and training institutions).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English are a must.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree + Fifteen years of relevant experience, or Master’s Degree + Twelve years of relevant experience, or PhD + Ten years of relevant experience

Abt Associates is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse workforce. Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits. Local candidates strongly encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer: Abt Associates will never ask candidates for money in exchange for an offer of employment.

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About the Organization

Abt Associates is a mission-driven, global leader in research and program implementation in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, and international development. Founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1965, Abt Associates was built on the concept that sound information and empirical analysis are the best foundations for effective decision making. The firm blends the subject matter expertise of our staff with technical capabilities in applied research, program implementation, and data collection to shape policy, strengthen systems, measure performance, and deliver other solutions to our public and private sector clients. Examples of Abt Associates’ work include nationally recognized research, evaluation, and technical assistance to improve the efficiency of healthcare systems, the effectiveness of government housing programs, the production of food, and the measurement of public opinion. Abt’s staff of more than 2000 includes national and international experts who are known for their understanding of communities and governments worldwide, innovative research techniques, and insightful—and often groundbreaking—analyses and recommendations. Approximately 51 percent of our staff has graduate degrees; one in six has a doctorate. Our staff’s educational and professional disciplines include economics, engineering, environmental analysis, epidemiology, food security, health, housing, international development, psychology, social science, statistics, and survey methodology. Abt’s research staff is experienced with prominent statistical software packages, including SPSS, SAS, and STATA, along with qualitative software such as NVIVO and Atlas. In 2011, Abt Associates was ranked among the top 20 global research firms and one of the top 40 development innovators. Abt has offices in Atlanta, Ga.; Bethesda, Md.; Cambridge, Mass.; Chicago, Ill.; Durham, N.C.; and New York City and program offices in nearly 40 countries in Africa, Central and Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and North Africa. www.abtassociates.com