Programme Lead, Consumer Demand
GAIN is seeking a dynamic Programme Lead to oversee and guide GAIN’s Consumer Demand Creation programme, acting as the leader responsible for driving the strategic vision of market-based demand creation and providing technical leadership across GAIN's consumer-centric approaches, design and implementation of activities that increase consumers’ motivation and ability to choose healthier and more sustainable foods. The Programme Lead will continue developing and refining GAIN's distinctive demand approach, while providing strategic clarity on when and how to deploy different consumer-centric interventions (demand, SBCC, nutrition education). This role will be offered on a (2) year fixed term contract, subject to availability of funding and will be based in either of our offices in Nairobi, Kampala or Abuja.
The Programme Lead is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the programme, providing technical support and team management, ensuring that evidence-based behavioural, emotional and market-level approaches effectively increase demand for healthier and more sustainable foods. The role involved supporting multi-country initiatives, coordinating partnerships and representing GAIN externally.
Overall, this role will ensure that GAIN’s portfolio of work on demand creation delivers to the highest possible standards.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
Programmatic and Strategic Leadership
- Oversee the Demand Generation Programme working in close collaboration with the respective programme and technical leads and leveraging their specific technical expertise, tools and resources available.
- Review and refresh GAIN’s demand creation approach Provide strategic clarity across GAIN on when and how to use different consumer-centric approaches (demand creation vs SBCC vs nutrition education), ensuring improved coherence and teams understanding their distinct purposes, channels, and target audience.
- Advance GAIN's demand creation approach by continuing to test, refine, and document market-based strategies that integrate behavioural insights, emotional engagement, and marketing principles.
- Drive internal and external awareness of GAIN’s work (including dissemination of project activities and findings, communications assets, working papers and other publications on GAIN’s work) as required, represent GAIN at government and donor meetings, technical groups, and seminars / conferences. Work alongside the Policy & Advocacy team to design and deliver a global influencing agenda.
- Build strategic partnerships and contribute to existing global discourse on strategic direction and good practice for demand generation. Convene/attend events that shape these strategic discussions.
Technical project design and delivery support
- Provide collaborative advice and technical guidance to colleagues throughout the project lifecycle (design, implementation) on delivering strategically relevant, sound and feasible demand activities.
- Collaborate with KL focal points to define learning agenda and collaborate on M&E framework including roll-up indicators and theory of change/logic model, results framework, and monitoring templates.
- Coordinate with KL focal points to develop knowledge products that advance thinking on market-based demand creation for nutritious foods.
- Position GAIN as a thought leader in consumer demand by contributing to practitioner discourse through conferences and strategic convenings.
- Actively contribute to the Consumer Nutrition team and Thematic Unit wider initiatives, supporting the Team Lead and the Chief Technical Officer, and create linkages across the department.
- Periodically review all of GAIN’s relevant projects with the Project Managers concerned, facilitating the sharing of experiences across countries, feeding in insights from outside GAIN, mobilizing needed resources from within the organization and outside, and identifying and resolving conflicts.
Fundraising
- Generate resource mobilization opportunities in collaboration with the Consumer Nutrition Team Lead and the Chief Technical Officer, and lead on proposal development for the thematic area along with respective Leads and Programme Managers.
- Provide technical guidance to the Development Office, lead and contribute to the development of proposals for new funding.
Team and People Management
- Manage and mentor the Demand Generation team, interns and/or consultants, and support the recruitment of key staff.
- As part of a multi-site, multi-functional team, participate in organizational development taskforces to improve GAIN’s overall effectiveness
The gross salary per annum on offer for this role is as listed below for each location.
Kenya: KES 6,236,928 - KES 7,127,928
Uganda: UGX 126,529,380 - UGX 144,542,460
Nigeria: NGN 22,211,484 - NGN 25,364,388
GAIN has a fair and competitive salary structure that allows for annual progression subject to good performance. 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.
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.
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the United Nations in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with governments, businesses and civil society, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver healthier diets for all people, especially the most vulnerable.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, GAIN has offices in countries with high levels of malnutrition: Bangladesh, Benin, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. To support work in those countries, we have representative offices in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
At GAIN, we believe that everyone in the world should have access to nutritious, safe, and affordable food. Today, one in three people - drawn from nearly every country on the planet - are unable to consume enough nutritious food. We work to develop and deliver solutions to this daily challenge.
We provide a flexible working environment that includes a combination of home and office working opportunities through our global hybrid working policy. This encourages our staff to have a healthy work-life balance and increases staff motivation, enriches employee wellbeing, and improves performance and productivity.
All of our positions are based in one or more of GAIN’s designated offices as stated on our job advertisements. Successful candidates will be based in one of GAIN’s country offices and must have the existing right to live and work within a reasonably commutable distance of the relevant city / cities in which the role is advertised. Please note, that GAIN does not sponsor working visas and relocations.
GAIN reserves the right to withdraw an offer of employment for candidates who are considered to ineligible under the above conditions during or after the recruitment process.
Applicants must have the right to work and be currently based in the advertised country location, to be eligible to apply for this position.
For more detailed information please see the attached job description. To apply, follow the "Apply Now" link.
This advert closes on 28th January 2026. Early applications are encouraged. GAIN reserves the right to close this advert early should we receive suitable candidates ahead of the closing date.
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition is committed to equality of opportunity and creating an inclusive environment where diversity is valued. We are keen to reflect the diversity of our society at every level within our organisation and therefore welcome applications from talented and committed people from all backgrounds, representing the diverse societies we operate in.
Our core values
GAIN is committed to equality of opportunity and to eliminating discrimination. All staff are expected to follow GAIN Values
Our commitment to safeguarding
GAIN is committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment where all staff, volunteers, and job applicants are treated with dignity and respect. We are also committed to safeguarding the communities we work with. We have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, exploitation and abuse of power or trust.
Safeguarding is integral to our recruitment practices, and we have robust procedures in place to prevent any form of harm, abuse, or discrimination. As part of our commitment to safeguarding, all successful candidates will undergo thorough background checks and vetting procedures, which can include references, criminal records and terrorist finance checks where applicable, in accordance with our Safeguarding Policy.
We provide comprehensive training and support to our staff and volunteers and associates to raise awareness of safeguarding issues and ensure they are equipped to recognise and respond to concerns effectively.
By applying for a position with GAIN, you agree to uphold our safeguarding principles and contribute to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all individuals.