Technical Specialist / Food Safety and Nutrition Specialist - ERAS Egypt

Job Description

Opportunity:

Abt Associates seeks a qualified Food Safety and Nutrition Specialist to support the Cairo office on the ERAS project in Egypt. This position will oversee the Food Safety and Nutrition Team for the Feed the Future Egypt Rural Agribusiness Strengthening project, liaising as needed with the regional offices in Menia and Luxor.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

• 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 associations 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
• Directly supervise the Food Safety and Nutrition Team, including the Quality and Certifications Lead; Food Safety Lead; and the Nutrition Lead

Preferred Skills / Prerequisites:

• Degree in nutrition, food safety, business or other relevant field (master’s preferred)
• Required: Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in nutrition and food safety
• 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 required; oral and written fluency in Arabic is desirable

Minimum Qualifications:

• (10+) years of experience and a bachelor degree OR the equivalent combination of education and experience

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.; Rockville, 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