Innovation Scaling Product Manager

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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 Innovation Scaling Product Manager position in the INKA division, based in Berlin, 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: Innovation Scaling Product Manager
• Unit: Innovation Accelerator, Innovation and Knowledge Management Division (INKA)
• Country: Germany
• Duty Station: Berlin
• Initial contract duration: 5 months (extendable)
• Expected Start Date: 01.10.2023

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

The incumbent will report to the Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) Project Manager, and is expected to:

1. Provide project management services in support of the development of iCheck Modular - for example:

• Monitor progress to ensure the project is progressing in line with the agreed budget and timelines;
• Facilitate regular project status reporting in line with the agreed reporting and governance framework;
• Support the identification of risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies;
• Provide coaching and knowledge transfer of ‘best practice’ project management methods and tools;
• Manage relationships with key stakeholder groups (e.g. donors));
• Ongoing management and continuous improvement of the project management approach.

2. Support the execution of BioAnalyt’s organizational growth strategy – for example:

• Support the development and execution of growth strategy deliverables;
• Provide project management support to track progress;
• Coordinate reporting and governance forums;
• Ongoing management and continuous improvement of the growth strategy approach.

3. 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 Innovation Accelerator (e.g. innovation sourcing; innovation bootcamps; sprint programme; thought leadership; scale-up enablement; innovation services; knowledge management) as required;
• Support the WFP leadership team with any other activities, as required.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

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

Experience: At least 5 years of 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 product management is a must. Experience in scaling digital health products and/or innovations in multiple locations and settings is a plus.

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

• Passion and understanding of technology innovations (e.g. mobile apps, blockchain, artificial intelligence) and business model innovations (e.g. innovative finance, sharing economy);
• Experience in product and innovation project life cycle - from ideation, minimum viable product, testing, prototyping and implementation;
• 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;
• 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 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: 09 August 2023

VA Reference number: 828531

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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.