Company Profile

MEDA’s work is built on a foundation of Mennonite business roots and faith-based values, within the global context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We believe business solutions are effective interventions to address poverty. Through a market-systems approach and strategic partnerships, MEDA enables access to finance and provides business and technical expertise to build transformative agri-food market systems that create decent jobs, allowing traditionally excluded groups to become active participants in a sustainable economy. MEDA welcomes all who share our values and want to join us in our mission. To find out more about MEDA, please visit our website at www.meda.org.  

Job Description

• Job Status:  Full-time Contract
• Anticipated Start Date: July 2022
• Location: Wa, Ghana

Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) invites applications for a Senior Nutrition & GESI Officer to join our dedicated and talented team in Ghana on our mission to create business solutions to poverty.

MEDA’s work is built on a foundation of Mennonite business roots and faith-based values, within the global context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We believe business solutions are effective interventions to address poverty. Through a market-systems approach and strategic partnerships, MEDA enables access to finance and provides business and technical expertise to build transformative agri-food market systems that create decent jobs, allowing traditionally excluded groups to become active participants in a sustainable economy. MEDA welcomes all who share our values and want to join us in our mission. To find out more about MEDA, please visit our website at www.meda.org. 

POSITION SUMMARY 
The Greater Rural for Opportunities for Women 2 (GROW2) project is a women-focused project driven by a strong market system approach that fully integrates Nutrition, Gender Equality, Human Rights, Environmental Sustainability, and Innovation in its implementation. The Project will increase the economic and social empowerment of women farmers, entrepreneurs, and agribusinesses in the Northern, Savannah, and Upper West Regions of Ghana through increased productivity, and an improved business environment. 

MEDA is seeking the services of a Senior Nutrition & GESI Officer (referred to in this document as Senior Officer) to focus on promoting nutrition-sensitive agriculture and ensure mainstreaming of gender objectives and indicators into all aspects of MEDA’s GROW2 project. This integration will be critical to the project’s ability to facilitate sustained change. The successful candidate will be based in Wa, Ghana.  

The Senior Officer will work closely with GROW2's Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), Agricultural Value Chain (AVCM), Monitoring & Impact Measurement (MIM), Environment & Climate Change (ECC) Managers, as well as MEDA’s headquarters-based technical leads and project implementing partners to ensure that they bring a focused nutrition and gender lens on activities and interventions with Women Smallholder Farmers (WSHFs), community leaders, men, and women in the GROW2 operational areas.  The Senior Officer will work with the GESI Manager to design and deliver nutrition and gender training for the GROW2 staff and Key Facilitating Partners in addition to frequent direct interaction with MEDA GROW2 clients. 

This role is instrumental in creating a culture of respectful dialogue and effective workaround gender equality and household nutrition and will involve frequent travel to project locations within the Northern, Savannah, and Upper West Regions of Ghana.

​​POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the GESI, Agricultural Value Chain, and other component managers in planning and designing project interventions; ensuring that nutrition and gender are specifically addressed with effective implementation strategies in line with the GROW2 Project strategies 
• Train and support agribusinesses, and partner staff to effectively integrate nutrition and mainstream gender into project activities including setting objectives and measuring results
• Together with the GROW2 GESI Manager and Monitoring & Impact Measurement Manager, be responsible for collecting, processing, and analyzing nutrition and gender data within the GROW2 Project 
• Develop and carry out reviews of GROW2 nutrition and gender policies/guidelines and strategies that provide strategic direction keeping abreast of resources/opportunities available in the country  
• Contribute to, review, and write where appropriate, activity and project reports.   
• Contribute and share knowledge, information, best practices, and lessons learned on gender and nutrition  
• Liaise regularly with the GESI Manager and GESI Technical Director at head office for support and share learning with other MEDA country programs and head office during MEDA GESI Community of Practice (CoP) meetings 
• Guide the processes of identifying and participating in nutrition and/or gender research as required 
• Lead the processes of organizing and facilitating workshops/training to share information/learning 
• Support active networking of GROW2 Project with external stakeholders implementing similar programs at local, national, and/or international level 
• Lead the development of training manuals, tools, procedures, and materials on nutrition and gender  
• Support in developing detailed work plans to ensure that gender and nutrition are mainstreamed in GROW2 project activities.  
• Ensure accountability to project clients, partners, colleagues, and donors by providing ongoing feedback in a context of mutual respect.  
• Ensure that activities are implemented in compliance with the requirements of the donor and with best practices.   
• The Senior Nutrition & GESI officer will supervise the work of the Nutrition & GESI Officer
• Any other duties and/or requirements as assigned 

Required Skills or Experience

• Education: Degree in a related field  
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years’ experience in programming designed to assist women to improve their nutritional and economic situation 

Additional Qualifications: 

• Fluency in English and any major local language in Northern, Savanna, or Upper West regions is an added advantage.  
• Knowledge of gender -related issues in Ghana as they relate to value chain development and entrepreneurship.  
• Ability to work collaboratively to achieve results.  
• Demonstrated ability to mobilize stakeholders into partnerships and alliances, and coordinate and facilitate collaborative processes around issues of gender  
• Experience in providing capacity building and training to colleagues and project partners on Nutrition and gender equality issues.  
• Appreciation and support of MEDA’s Mission vision and values.  
• Understanding and appreciation of business principles, international development, and MEDA’s approach to creating business solutions to poverty.