Innovation Ventures Project Lead
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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 an Innovation Ventures Project Lead 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
More information here: http://innovation.wfp.org and https://youtu.be/OnKkQlRdh2c.
General Information:
Title of Post: Innovation Ventures Project Lead
Unit: Innovation Accelerator, Innovation and Knowledge Management Division (INKA)
Country: Germany
Duty Station: Munich
Initial contract duration: 5 months (extendable)
Expected Start Date: 01.06.2023
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
The incumbent, reporting to the Head of SDG2 Acceleration, is expected to:
1. Lead the planning and implementation of core accelerator activities to deliver effective and efficient innovation programs:
- Scope and deliver acceleration programs and innovation services, including bootcamps, pitch events, sprint programs and other types of innovation engagements;
- Scope and deliver the innovation sourcing, including needs identification, innovation challenges, pipeline sharing, active scouting and matching with WFP organizational entities, as applicable;
- Plan and orchestrate the work of multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring the on time, on budget and on scope delivery of the relevant projects, including impact measurement and reporting;
- Build strong relationships with programme partners and create meaningful connections with the innovation ecosystem.
2. Coach internal and external ventures to become desirable, feasible and viable and to advance towards Zero Hunger and the Sustainable Development Goals:
- Advise innovation teams using methodologies such as human-centered design, lean start-up, and system thinking, coaching them on key decisions regarding user needs, product roadmap, business model and growth;
- Define key performance indicators and milestones for the innovation projects, and ensure their implementation, impact measurement and reporting;
- Liaise and coordinate with WFP entities as Programme units, Regional Bureaux or Country Offices, or with relevant stakeholders in other organizations to align on project scope and objectives;
- Build up expertise in one WFP focal area (e.g. Nutrition, Smallholder Farmers) or Sustainable Development Goals (e.g. Climate Action, Gender) to identify opportunities for innovation in alignment with the strategic objectives of WFP.
3. Support the strategic and organizational development of the SDG2 Acceleration unit to build a unique positioning and competitive advantage:
- Contribute to the establishment of strategic objectives and ensure work plans are in place to meet key results;
- Define and run initiatives that help constantly improve the SDG2 unit’s value proposition in alignment with the broader WFP Innovation Accelerator and WFP;
- Build up the right capabilities, knowledge and best practices across the unit, making sure that people are equipped with the right tools and skills to deliver results;
- Ensure that resources are adequately deployed and program demands are being met with the latest know-how.
4. Support the business growth of the WFP Innovation Accelerator and the SDG2 Acceleration unit to realize external and internal sales opportunities:
- Build up a network of public, private and philanthropic donors to identify and realize sales opportunities for acceleration programs;
- Connect with key internal stakeholders from WFP Programme units, Regional Bureaux and Country Offices to identify innovation support needs;
- Take an active role in lead generation, proposal preparation and negotiation of new contracts and funding agreements;
- Define and implement outreach campaigns and communication plans to amplify the scope and impact of the SDG2 acceleration programs.
5. Lead a team of Innovation Ventures Consultants to reach the goals of the SDG2 Acceleration unit:
- Guide and grow a team of Innovation Ventures Consultants and/or other disciplines by establishing priorities, providing coaching and making sure people are engaged in the right value-creation activities;
- Engage in creative leadership methods to foster the right conditions for collective and individual learning and growth;
- Cultivate a collaborative and high-performing team culture to help the team thrive in constantly changing environments;
- Conduct performance feedback and development sessions.
6. Support the overall Innovation Accelerator 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 WFP Innovation Accelerator (e.g. sourcing campaigns, bootcamp facilitation, sprint coaching, event hosting, speaking engagements, event management) as required;
- Support the Head of the Innovation Accelerator and the Director of Innovation and Knowledge Management with any other activities as required.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree is a plus.
Experience: At least 7 years of progressively responsible international experience in a start-up leadership role, start-up accelerator, innovations in private businesses or innovations in the humanitarian or international development sector.
Language Requirements: Fluency in oral and written English is mandatory. 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
- Understanding of technology innovations (e.g. mobile apps, blockchain, artificial intelligence) and business model innovations (e.g. innovative finance, sharing economy).
- Experience in innovation project life cycle – from ideation, minimum viable product, testing, prototyping and implementation.
- Experience working cross-functionally and getting things done in a scrappy and hands-on way.
- Worked in a large-scale organization or with a client/in partnership with a large-scale organization.
- A proven track record of driving and implementing 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 product ideas.
- Strong conceptual thinking to develop new strategies & innovative 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.
- Collaborative spirit, able to partner with a wide range of people at all levels and across different cultures and to act with credibility and diplomacy.
- Self-motivated and able to work with a high degree of autonomy.
- Sets a high-level of ambition for the project and own work to achieve impact for the people we serve.
- Fully committed and motivated to achieve the aims of the UN World Food Programme.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.
Please visit the following website for detailed information on working with WFP: http://www.wfp.org
Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
Closing Date: 03 March 2023
VA Reference number: 475706
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Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply. WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
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.
WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment
WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.
