Global Portfolio Manager, Maternal Newborn Health & Nutrition (MNHN)

Description

Role: Full Time

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Deadline for Submission: 18th September 2026

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

About Us

Founded in 1992, Nutrition International is a global organization dedicated to delivering proven nutrition interventions to those who need them most. Working in partnership with countries, donors and implementers, our experts conduct cutting-edge nutrition research, support critical policy formulation, and integrate nutrition into broader development programs. In more than 60 countries, primarily in Asia and Africa, Nutrition International nourishes people to nourish life.

For more than 30 years now, Nutrition International has focused on delivering low-cost, high-impact, nutrition interventions to people in need, driven by our mission to achieve a world where everyone, everywhere, is free from malnutrition and able to reach their full potential. Nutrition International’s work is guided by a dedicated and talented team of experts working globally, regionally and within countries to end malnutrition worldwide.

About the role

The Global Portfolio Manager (GPM) will support the growing portfolio of the Maternal Newborn Health and Nutrition (MNHN) portfolio. The GPM is a crucial position within the Programs Unit responsible for supporting the Global Portfolio Director (GPD) in the grant management of projects within the portfolio.

The GPM will work with a global cross-functional team of internal resources in Head Office, Africa and Asia, to ensure projects are delivered on time, on scope and on budget. The GPM will ensure all projects delegated to their authority within the MNHN portfolio are managed effectively and delivered according to their contractual obligations.

The Global Portfolio Manager will be an inclusive leader with a proven ability to manage public health/ nutrition grants and lead and motivate teams and foster a respectful and innovative team environment. They will report to the Global Portfolio Director for Maternal Newborn Health and Nutrition and will work closely with all team members in the portfolio and country offices as well as other portfolio teams within Nutrition International.

This position is open to Kenyan nationals and offers a four (4) year contract, renewable based on performance.

Key responsibilities

Portfolio Management

• Work with the Global Portfolio Director to put in place effective project management mechanisms to ensure quality implementation and implementation of a set of projects within a portfolio, in collaboration with colleagues in HQ, the regional offices in New Delhi and Nairobi, and in countries of operation and according to Nutrition International policies and ways of working.
• Ensure program data is up to date, quality assured by the Monitoring, Data and Learning (MDL) and portfolio teams and is available to leadership and to the communications team.

Grant Management

• Working with regional and country colleagues, ensure grants under their management have clear annual plans, activity plans and budgets and are implemented on time and to a high quality.
• For all the grants under their management, ensure that all donor, technical and financial reports are completed in a timely fashion to a quality that meets Nutrition International monitoring and reporting standards.
• Carry out monitoring to ensure projects are on track to meet corporate and grant performance targets (program and finance) and take corrective action in a timely way
• Manage the overall programmatic budget:

Cross Unit/Program Coordination and Representation

• Support and provide capacity building to project teams when and where required on project cycle management processes and tools.
• Work with Corporate Services and Program unit colleagues to improve modalities, including processes, tools and ways of working to make improvements that drive program quality and/or cost savings.
• Represent Nutrition International, as requested, at partner meetings and other forums

Resource Mobilization

• Support the development of project proposals.

Requirements

Education/Professional Designations/Experience:

• A master’s degree in public health, nutrition, international development, or a similar field or significant experience in lieu.
• A minimum of 7 years’ experience managing large, complex, development programs in an international NGO/UN agency (or similar) that spans multiple geographies in Asia and/or Africa and from multiple and diverse donors.
• Experience working in the public health/nutrition sector in Asia and Africa; understanding of health systems.
• Experience managing field research projects an asset.
• Demonstrated experience and/or personal commitment to promoting gender equality within development work.
• Previous experience working in maternal and newborn health and nutrition programming is highly valued for this position.
• Demonstrated skills and experience in proposal writing, external representation and effective donor stewardship.
• Superior written and spoken English; able to work with a team to put together complex documents that clearly articulate the organization’s work.
• Previous experience of grant management and/or PMP certification will be an asset
• Above average ability in Excel and able to make sense of complex spreadsheets that support the development of better data management and program monitoring.
• Experience and comfort working within a matrixed team structure

Other Specific Skill Requirements

• Strong ability to identify, rank and mitigate risks, and manage complex time sensitive problems.
• Able to work as part of multi-cultural global team in a dynamic and growing organisation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Excellent communications skills (oral and written) including good report writing and presentation skills.
• Excellent communications skills (verbal and written).
• Demonstrated understanding of results-based management, performance measurement frameworks and fundamentals of program monitoring and donor reporting.
• Demonstrated experience in project start up processes.
• Demonstrated understanding and/or experience operationalizing child safeguarding principles and policy.
• Fluency in English - both reading and writing – is essential.
• A working knowledge of French is an asset.

Key Competencies

• Organization: Exceptional organizational and planning skill with a proven ability to prioritize and work in a dynamic fast paced environment.
• Leadership: Confident leader with a proven ability to motivate and support project teams.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Relationship Building: Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with team members, project stakeholders and partner organizations.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Ability to navigate diverse cultural environments and tailor solutions to country and regional contexts.
• Project Management: Strong project management skills, with experience in the direct management of international development projects.
• Analytical: Ability to analyze and interpret data for decision-making, program improvement, and donor reporting.