Head of Innovative Finance, Frontier Innovations, and Venture Launchpad
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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 a Head of Innovative Finance, Frontier Innovations, and Venture Launchpad 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 2022, Accelerator supported innovations that positively impacted the lives of more than 37 million people globally. The Accelerator runs programmes with external partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Austrian Development Agency, and others.
More information here: http://innovation.wfp.org and https://www.ted.com/talks/bernhard_kowatsch_the_mindset_shift_needed_to_tackle_big_global_challenges
General Information:
Title of Post: Head of Innovative Finance, Frontier Innovations, and Venture Launchpad
Unit: Innovation Accelerator, Innovation and Knowledge Management Division (INKA)
Country: Germany
Duty Station: Munich
Initial contract duration: 11 months
Expected Start Date: 01.10.2023
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
The Head of Innovative Finance, Frontier Innovations and Venture Launchpad, reporting to the Head of WFP Innovation Accelerator, is expected to:
1. Lead the Innovative Finance team:
- Lead the development of the Innovation Accelerator global innovative finance strategy, including new impact investments, innovative finance ventures, towards the promotion of financial inclusion of the people WFP serves, accelerating their path to advance towards Zero Hunger and the Sustainable Development Goals;
- Provide thought leadership necessary to direct and manage key activities involving the team, including conducting research, preparing written reports, and moderating workshop sessions;
- Lead, motivate, and coach the Innovative Finance team to enable continued development and high performance;
- Act as advisor, provide capacity building, knowledge management, and requisite support to Headquarters, Regional Offices and Country Offices on the feasible field application of innovative finance instruments;
- Facilitate cross-divisional collaboration and mobilization required for the WFP Innovation Accelerator to strategically harness and leverage opportunities to advance the organization’s agenda in line with the SDGs;
- Secure and foster new strategic partnerships with key actors and stakeholders in the innovative finance space;
- Lead or contribute to the development of the innovative finance strategy across WFP and advice on key initiatives relating to innovative finance as required;
- Represent the Innovation Accelerator and promote collaboration and information exchange with other UN organizations on innovative finance including in global United Nations platforms as appropriate;
- Oversee the overall monitoring and evaluation of innovative finance function, including by setting up of relevant systems and controls to ensure accurate reporting.
2. Lead the Frontier Innovations and Venture Launchpad function for the accelerator:
- Provide thought leadership on key strategic initiatives involving Frontier Innovations such as Blockchain, Web3, Artificial intelligence, Robotics and Venture Building;
- Lead and develop a diverse, inclusive team in the Frontier Innovations and Venture Launchpad function;
- Effectively navigate technology, analytical, regulatory, legal, and privacy complexities to achieve operational objectives;
- Advise the Head of Innovation Accelerator on multi-sector best practices for innovation products, processes, and organizational development Venture Fund, Venture platform, and Frontier Innovations as required;
- Participate in cross-functional collaborations with both internal and external stakeholders to build and foster strategic partnerships to improve and increase organizational outcomes;
- Represent the Frontier innovation portfolio or Venture Launchpad at internal or external events as required.
3. Support the Head of Innovation Accelerator in further development across all the leadership team and other activities:
- Support or lead efforts with the overall goal of making the Accelerator a more effective platform;
- Lead other core processes of the Innovation Accelerator as required;
- Provide analysis & content preparation for corporate priority topics and executive management meetings as required;
- Take up lead roles in running workshops and events, core processes of the WFP Innovation Accelerator as required;
- Support the Head of the Innovation Accelerator and the Director of Innovation and Knowledge Management with any other activities and tasks as required;
- Drive high-priority strategic initiatives and ad-hoc projects as required.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Advanced University degree in Business, Management, Entrepreneurship, Engineering, Computer Science, or relevant fields.
Experience: Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible international leadership experience in a growth-stage start-up, start-up accelerator, innovations in private businesses or innovations in the humanitarian or international development sector. Experience in Innovative Finance, Venture Investing and technologies such as web3, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence are essential for this role.
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
- At least 5 years experience in leading teams of 10+ team members, including work planning, operational management, and team development.
- Expert experience in strategic projects and organizational development work for growth stage start-ups with corporate linkages or similar entities – either hands-on as a leader or as an advisor/consultant.
- Expertise in Innovative Finance, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), and Sustainable Finance, including the structuring of new models and platforms that use new opportunities, proposals and business models combining social and financial impact.
- Proven track record of thought leadership in the innovative finance space, including the implementation of projects in multiple countries and settings.
- Leadership experience with technology innovations (e.g. mobile apps, blockchain, artificial intelligence) and business model innovations (e.g. innovative finance, sharing economy).
- Strong conceptual thinking to develop new business areas, new strategies and support innovative projects.
- 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.
- A proven track record of driving projects – effectively delivering impactful elements of projects in a fast-moving environment, ideally for new businesses, new business models, start-ups etc.
- Able to interact with a broad range of executives, 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 hungry 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.
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
Closing Date: 28 July 2023
VA Reference number: 828391
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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.
