Head of Scale-Up Enablement

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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 Scale-Up Enablement 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 one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2023 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:

• Job title: Head of Scale-Up Enablement
• 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 incumbent, reporting to the Head of Innovation Accelerator, is expected to:

1. Lead the Scale-Up Enablement team, including the management strategic projects and overall strategic and operational planning:

• Lead the development of the Scale-Up Enablement Programme and Portfolio;
• Lead the building and delivery of strategic plans for the scale-up innovation portfolio, ensuring internal WFP alignment and staying ahead of the curve in WFP and the global market as a leading social impact Innovation Accelerator business;
• Lead, in collaboration with the other Innovation Accelerator Circle Leads, the engagement with Headquarters’ divisions and other key WFP regional and country stakeholders to align on strategy, plans and gaps to ensure a clear path to scale for innovation projects;
• Lead the strategy for Scale-Up Enablement, developing the value proposition for the Scale-Up Enablement and Alumni Programmes, providing thought leadership on how to bring projects to scale;
• Identify, cultivate, and drive partnerships to fundraise and increase Innovation Accelerator brand and portfolio product exposure for scaling innovation projects;
• Advice on the design and refresh of the Scale-Up operating processes, systems and tools, enabling the Scale-Up team to deliver its objectives with less friction, more tidy communication, and stealth functioning;
• Advice on new opportunities within the entrepreneurial ecosystem/landscape to continuously deliver up-to-date and modern scale-up programme strategies;
• Deliver exponential people reached measures as an outcome of comprehensive, collaborative, and tangible annual Innovation Accelerator Portfolio and WFP need-based strategies;

• Provide thought leadership on scale-up projects using methodologies such as human centered design, lean start-up, project management and business modelling;

• Lead, motivate, and coach the Scale-Up Enablement team to enable continued development and high performance;

• Advice and define key performance indicators and milestones for the innovation projects and assure their implementation, impact measurement, and reporting;
• Secure and foster new strategic partnerships with key actors and stakeholders to achieve key organizational results;
• Oversee the overall monitoring and evaluation of the Scale-Up Enablement function, including by setting up of relevant systems and controls to ensure accurate reporting;
• Support the cross-functional process of strategy development and Objectives and Key Results (OKR) process across the Accelerator to drive visibility, stakeholder alignment, and decision making;
• Partner with appropriate functions to develop, align and present key assessments to support executive-level strategic decisions across the scale-up portfolio.

2. Actively lead the Innovation Accelerator’s development through effective management and act as a member of its leadership team:

• Lead efforts with the overall goal of making the Accelerator a more effective platform in mind, while ensuring compliance with WFP policies in operations including facets such as the use of vendors and subcontractors, partnerships, contracts and reporting;
• Advise the Head of Innovation Accelerator on multi-sector best practices for innovation products, processes, and organizational development relevant to scale-up projects;
• Lead other core processes of the Innovation Accelerator, linked to the areas of expertise;
• Provide analysis & content preparation for corporate priority topics and executive management meetings;
• Drive high-priority strategic initiatives and ad-hoc projects as required.
• Take up lead roles in running workshops and events, core processes of the WFP Innovation 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: University degree in Business, Management, Project Management, Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science, or related fields. Master’s degree is a plus.

Experience: At least 8 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. Experience in scaling projects and/or innovations in multiple locations and settings is beneficial.

Languages: 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 beneficial.

REQUIRED SKILLS | WFP COMPETENCIES

• Experience in leading international teams (at least of 5 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 entity - either hands-on as a leader or as an advisor/consultant.
• Experience in innovation project life cycle - from ideation, minimum viable product, testing, prototyping and implementation.
• Demonstrated by a track record in driving product growth, solution deployment, product optimization and scaling innovations or startups.
• Advanced experience in the development and scaling of programmes in multiple countries or settings.
• Knowledge and experience of funding models of start-ups and impact innovations.
• 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: 23 August 2023

VA Reference number: 828622

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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.