Career Opportunities: Head of Innovation Network (826998)

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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 Innovation Network 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://youtu.be/OnKkQlRdh2c.

General Information: 

Title of Post: Head of Innovation Network

Unit: Innovation Accelerator, Innovation and Knowledge Management Division (INKA) 

Country:  Germany 

Duty Station: Munich 

Initial contract duration: 11 months 

Expected Start Date: 01.08.2023

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

The incumbent, reporting to the Head of Innovation Accelerator, is expected to:

1. Strategically lead the Innovation Network of the World Food Programme, identify and activate the WFP Innovation Network, and engage in cultural transformation:

• Represent and promote the WFP Innovation Network across the organization (Headquarters, Country Offices and Regional Bureaus);
• Build strategic relationships and gather insights and requirements from different stakeholders within the organization to design best practice sharing towards the achievement of the Innovation Network’s vision, including generating business, allyship, sponsorship and overall support to Innovation Network projects and vision;
• Advise on best practice sharing structure and the setup of innovation community within WFP including involvement of Headquarters, Country Offices and Regional Bureaus;
• Act as an advisor and thought partner in the establishment and set up of regional and local innovation hubs to support innovation coordination, innovation knowledge management and scaling of projects across the regions;
• Create awareness on innovation, scale-up enablement by dedicated campaigns and ongoing activities;
• Act as an advisor and thought partner to the Regional Bureaus and Country Offices to integrate innovation into their Country Strategic Plans and activities, as applicable and develop toolkit;
• Establish and lead regular meetups to engage innovation network through newly defined programs;
• Contribute to fundraising activities and allocating the budget for WFP Innovation Network team and build outcome based projects, in close collaboration with Accelerator Partnerships team.

2. Lead the Innovation Network team of the Accelerator:

• Communicate with the Innovation Network Team on all insights, information, and implications on the organization, outcomes, and opportunities that impact their work, focus, and commitment;
• Organize and collaboratively lead the trimester Strategy Operating Rhythm cadence and rigorous tactical rhythm with the circle to prioritize, curate, and deliver on trimester, outcome-based Innovation Network projects in the direction of the Accelerator’s 2025 vision;
• Build an Innovation Network team culture that models high-effectiveness, high autonomy, and a collaborative brain trust;
• Mentor the Innovation Network Team members in their explicitly articulated roles and accountabilities for them to deliver on articulated, measurable, material business outcomes.

3. Actively support the Accelerator’s development through effective management and act as a member of its management team:

• Lead efforts with the overall goal of making the Accelerator a more effective platform in mind;
• Work across different teams and articulate project manager/venture consultant role effectively within the Accelerator;
• Provide analysis & content preparation for corporate priority topics and executive management meetings.
• Take up lead roles in running workshops and events, core processes of the Accelerator;
• Support the Head of the Innovation Accelerator and the Director of Innovation and Knowledge Management with any other activities and tasks as required.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree is a plus. 

Experience: At least 8 years of progressively responsible national and/or international experience in a start-up, businesses/corporations, or in the humanitarian or development sector, of which at least 3 years in a leadership capacity. Experience in managing an innovation network/communities, scale-up of social impact projects, business development and/or project management is a plus.

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).

REQUIRED SOFT SKILLS | WFP COMPETENCIES

• Experience in project management within a global organization and start-up experience required.
• Demonstrated experience in cultural diversity and how it influences the design needs of the technical solutions to meet local requirements.
• Strong conceptual thinking to develop new business areas, new strategies and support innovative projects.
• Experience in leading teams, incl. work planning, operational management and team development.
• Ability to interact with senior stakeholders, leaders and external audiences with maturity and tact.
• Collaborative spirit able to liaise with a wide range of people at all levels and across different cultures and to act with credibility and diplomacy.
• Excellent communication/presentation skills.
• Strong time management skills with an ability to plan ahead, anticipate requirements, problems and obstacles, and an ability to juggle competing priorities successfully, and to work to tight deadlines.
• 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.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Closing Date: 23 May 2023

VA Reference number: 826998

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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.