Large Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) Project Manager
.
WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.
ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies, and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. We are currently seeking to fill a Large Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) Project Manager Consultancy position in the INKA division, based in Munich, Germany.
Brief description of WFP Innovation Accelerator, INKA:
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline agency fighting hunger. WFP reaches more than 100 million people every day – delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with smallholder farmers, communities, and governments to improve nutrition and build resilience.
The WFP Innovation Accelerator was named by Fast Company as Most Innovative Non-Profit Organization 2021 for its work in identifying, nurturing, and scaling disruptive start-ups and innovations to end global hunger. Based in Munich, Germany, the Innovation Accelerator provides WFP employees and start-ups with funding, hands-on support, and access to WFP’s global operations. Through the Accelerator, WFP is leveraging unprecedented advances in digital innovation – such as mobile technology, artificial intelligence, and blockchain – and new business models to transform the way it serves vulnerable communities across the world. In 2021, Accelerator supported innovations that positively impacted the lives of 9 million people globally. Most recently, the Accelerator runs programs for external partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others
General Information:
- Job title: Large Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) Project Manager
- Unit: Innovation Accelerator, Innovation and Knowledge Management Division (INKA)
- Country: Germany
- Duty Station: Munich
- Initial contract duration: 5 months (extendable)
- Expected Start Date: 01.10.2022
About the Project: Staple Food Fortification is a proven, cost-effective intervention to contribute to the improvement of micronutrient deficiencies, the scaling of this approach has not progressed as required to meet global needs. Key challenges to drive progress include availability of financial resources, appropriate access to affordable testing mechanisms for monitoring quality, and a successful approach to engage small and medium mills in fortification efforts. The project has 4 main directives:
- The tokenization of impact and its value (i.e., converting impact which is a non-financial value – into digital tokens that can be tracked and used to unlock investments for projects with positive social impacts in support of SDGs)
- The development of digitally enabled testing devices that will tap into the collection of data at each intersection of the ecosystem
- The expansion of small-scale milling solutions which provide collection of data from small scale food producers
- Exploring additional opportunities that will arise through the implementation of the work.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
The LSFF Project Manager, reporting to the Head of Scale Up Enablement, is expected to:
- Lead and manage the LSFF innovation projects and/or new ventures:
- Define, develop, and implement the strategic objectives and goals of all four LSFF directives.
- Define key performance indicators and milestones for the LSFF project and assure their implementation, impact measurement, and reporting.
- Manage the LSFF project team, defining the team structure, with clear roles and responsibilities, leading performance and development management.
- providing hands-on guidance and development support, as needed, on key decisions that will allow the project to meet its target and reach impact at scale.
- Coach the LSFF project team to develop their projects using methodologies such as human-centred design, lean start-up, project management, and business modeling.
- Lead discussions with WFP colleagues across internal WFP and external teams to align on project scope and objectives; carry out root cause analysis and ultimately make recommendations for policy and process improvements.
- Manage stakeholder relationships:
- Lead senior stakeholder engagement, defining and implementing a stakeholder management strategy.
- Lead the LSFF ecosystem, ensuring alignment between projects and workstreams.
- Define a stakeholder management plan including workshops, meetings, business, and data analysis, and solution design driving both the four directives and LSFF ecosystem initiatives.
- Drive initiatives and projects on the topics of innovation in LSFF in key geographies.
- Establish an LSFF network, bringing together Country offices, NGOs, and startups – to ensure alignment between key stakeholders.
- Implement an inclusive and diverse team culture where people are recognized for their contributions.
- Drive and foster Partnerships and Collaboration:
- Define and design the project strategy, shape the community of experts, and engage with key government, private sector, international organization and civil society partners.
- Manage and coach the LSFF project team to define and deliver the LSFF value proposition.
- Build a community of highly influential senior management stakeholders across governments and international organizations.
- Define and implement a communications plan to launch LSFF.
- Support the Innovation Accelerator’s strategy deployment and operations:
- Provide analysis & content preparation (data on projects, PowerPoint presentations, briefs, etc.) for corporate priority topics and management meetings.
- Participate and carry out discussions with colleagues in other divisions or external stakeholders on topics related to innovation.
- Support other core processes of the Innovation Accelerator (e.g. innovation sourcing; innovation bootcamps; sprint programme; thought leadership; scale-up enablement; innovation services; knowledge management) as required.
- Support the Head of the Innovation Accelerator and the Director of INK with any other activities as required.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree a plus.
- Experience: At least 5 years of progressively responsible international experience in a product role, including in a start-up or innovation accelerator, innovations in private businesses, or innovations in the humanitarian or international development sector. Direct experience in project management is a must. Experience in venture building, innovation scaling, and/or stakeholder management in multiple locations and settings is a plus.
- Languages: High proficiency in oral and written English. Fluency in German is highly desirable. Intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages) is a plus.
REQUIRED SOFT SKILLS | WFP COMPETENCIES
- Experience and interest in project implementation and development for impact is a plus.
- Passion and understanding of technology innovations (e.g. mobile apps, blockchain, artificial intelligence) and business model innovations (e.g. innovative finance, sharing economy).
- Substantial experience in building a new digital business, business unit or as an executive in a startup ecosystem.
- Worked or led cross-functionally and get things done in a scrappy and hands-on way.
- Experience working in a large scale-organization or with a client/in partnership with a large-scale organization.
- Proven track record of driving products and projects – effectively delivering impactful elements of projects in a fast-moving environment, ideally for new businesses, new business models, start-ups etc.
- Able to generate new and original solutions to complex problems and to design new products ideas.
- Strong conceptual thinking to develop new strategies & innovative products and projects.
- Able to interact with a broad range of stakeholders and external audience with maturity and tact.
- Excellent communication/presentation skills, with the ability to write strategy documents, to develop business plans and to write and deliver presentations.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
Closing date: 7 September 2022
VA Reference no: 171826
.
All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.
