Innovation Scaling Venture Project 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 an Innovation Scaling Venture Project Manager position in the INKA division, based in Munich, Germany.

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, entrepreneurs and start-ups with funding, hands-on support, and access to WFP’s global operations. Through the Innovation 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 programmes 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:

Job title: Innovation Scaling Venture Project Manager

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

Country: Germany

Duty Station: Munich

Initial contract duration: 5 months (extendable)

Expected Start Date: 01.01.2023

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

The incumbent, reporting to the Head of Scale Up Enablement, is expected to:

1. Drive Scale-up Enablement innovations/new ventures (internal and external) to potentially scale and to advance towards Zero Hunger:

• Advise and support innovation teams on key decisions regarding product features, business model and technology elements;
• Mentor and coach project teams to grow their projects at scale using methodologies such as human-centred design, lean start-up, project management and business modelling;
• Define key performance indicators and milestones for the innovation projects and assure their implementation, impact measurement, and reporting;
• Guide the innovation team throughout the Scale-up Enablement programme curriculum;
• Guide piloting with and/or integration within WFP operations or within other organizations (as applicable), while liaising with country offices and internal units such as procurement and legal, as required;
• Carry out discussions with WFP colleagues in other divisions or in WFP operations to align on project scope and objectives;

2. Support the strategic and organizational development of the relevant accelerator unit:

• Contribute to the establishment of strategic objectives and ensure work plans are in place to meet key results.
• Provide expertise in one WFP focal area (e.g: Nutrition, Smallholder Farmers, School Based Programmes, Supply Chain, CBT) or Sustainable Development Goal (Healthcare, Climate action, Gender equality, Peace, etc) to identify opportunities for innovation in alignment with the strategic objectives of WFP;
• Drive the innovation programs (e.g. Grant Management, Funding Strategy, Support programme) of the relevant Acceleration Unit to deliver effective support for ventures and to ensure appropriate spend of donations;
• Ensure the building up of capabilities and skills across the unit and that resources are adequately deployed to the right projects and activities.
• Contribute to a high-performing team culture driving results while promoting a collaborative and agile team spirit;
• Create communication and knowledge management products to amplify the scope and impact of the Acceleration Programs;
• Build up a network of public, private, and philanthropic donors to realize sales opportunities for Acceleration Programs, taking an active role in the lead generation, proposal preparation and negotiations of new contracts and funding agreements.

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 boot camps; sprint programme; thought leadership; scale-up enablement; innovation services; knowledge 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 5 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 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 considered advantageous.

REQUIRED 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.
• Knowledge and experience of funding models of start-ups and impact innovations.
• 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 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 projects.
• Able to interact with a broad range of stakeholders and external audiences with maturity and tact.
• Excellent communication/presentation skills, with the ability to write strategy documents, develop business plans, and 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.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Closing Date: 13 December 2022

VA Reference number: 177641

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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.