Technical Specialist (Center of Excellence) – PATH New Delhi

About the Job – Technical Specialist (Center of Excellence) – PATH New Delhi

Working Title: Technical Specialist (Center of Excellence)

Internal Title: Program Officer II

Location: New Delhi (with frequent travel to the project site)

Reports to: PMU Lead

Division: Nutrition, Family Health

PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships, and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges.

PATH’s rice fortification project in India has already benefitted about 1 million people. It has the potential to reach 800+ million people in India, especially women and children through the government’s safety net programs, making it a viable tool for addressing vitamin and mineral deficiencies at scale. Also, the cost of fortification is minimal between 50 and 80 paise / kg), especially compared to the negative health and economic costs of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Scaling up rice fortification will therefore not only improve the health of India’s families and communities but improve the productivity of the country at large.

About The Program

Over the last few years, PATH has been a technical partner to the national government’s Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Ministry of Consumer Affairs on rice fortification. PATH has played an imperative role in guiding FSSAI on the regulation for staple food fortification and state governments to scale-up rice fortification in the government’s safety net programs. PATH has ongoing rice fortification across 12 states in India, presently.

PATH believes in consistently evolving and sustaining its rice fortification programs through knowledge sharing, technological advancement, and partnerships. PATH creation of multiple Centers of Excellence (CoEs) rice fortification in India, to scale up fortified rice in social safety net programs in India and provide support for supply chain alignment. The proposed CoEs will provide the needed propelling boost that enhances rice fortification quality, government mechanisms, trained personnel, data on micronutrient deficiencies and the rice fortification program coverage in India.

PATH seeks to recruit a Technical Specialist- Centre of Excellence to oversee, coordinate and support the PMU lead in all CoE project activities for various initiatives on rice fortification under the Family Health team.

Role & Responsibilities

Support Program Strategy and Partnerships
- Support the PMU Lead to oversee strategy, work plan and drive activities for the established Centre of Excellence for strengthening large scale food fortification in India.
- Serve as key point of contact as designated SPOC for CoE engagements, managing implementation of approved workplan
- Provide technical and strategic inputs to the identified COEs
- Fosters relation with external partners including academia, government stakeholders, development partners and private players.
Assist in Program Implementation
- Support the overall coalition for knowledge sharing in collaboration with PMU Lead and convene and participate in meetings with external stakeholders
- Ensure quality assurance of all technical deliverables of the assigned engagements by editing, reviewing, and checking compliance of reports and other deliverables submitted by CoE’s
- Travel to project sites for monitoring and provide technical inputs.
- Support development of training toolkit for operationalization of Government policy on rice fortification through PDS, ICDS and MDM.
- Support the national team by providing technical expertise on rice fortification program
Coordination and Reporting
- Coordinate regular check-ins with the leads of CoE’s and participate in key work planning sessions and manage the process flow of internal and external reviews of activity deliverables, operational documentation, and learning products.
- Provide support in reporting and monitoring of the program, provide managerial oversight and monitoring of the projects.
- Work on any other task assigned by the organization.

Required Skills

Required Experience

A Master’s degree in food engineering/ Food Technology/ Nutrition with seven or more years of relevant experience or a bachelor’s degree in food technology with more than ten years of relevant experience.
Knowledge and experience on rice fortification is essential
Experience in managing complex technical projects, ideally including the management of technical partners
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Experience working with officials in the Government of India desirable. Demonstrated experience in working with public sector program and participating in government tenders.
Demonstrated experience in implementing Food Safety and Quality Control Systems (HACCP & GMPs) and lab experience is desirable
Demonstrated experience working with food-based products and/or agricultural commodities
Professional experience working with international donor organizations, civil society, and government organizations.
Ability to travel up to 30% of the time annually (mostly domestic travel within India, but on occasion to other countries in the South Asia hub)

Must have legal authorization to work in India.

PATH is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where diversity is valued.