Innovation Ventures Consultant (SDGx)

Programa Mundial de Alimentos; München; Vor Ort; EUR 60.000 - 90.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

The World Food Programme (WFP) seeks an Innovation Venture Consultant in Munich, Germany to support core accelerator activities, drive innovations towards the Sustainable Development Goals, and collaborate with diverse stakeholders. Candidates should possess a bachelor's degree, relevant experience, and exemplary communication skills. Join WFP’s mission to end hunger by leveraging technology and innovative solutions across global operations.

Qualifikationen

• Bachelor’s degree required; preferred in business or international development.
• At least 3 years in a start-up leadership or accelerator role.
• Fluency in English mandatory, advantage for knowledge of another UN language.

Aufgaben

• Support planning and implementation of accelerator activities.
• Drive innovations to scale for Zero Hunger and SDGs.
• Provide analysis and content preparation for corporate meetings.

Kenntnisse

Conceptual Thinking

Communication

Collaboration

Innovation

Project Management

Ausbildung

Bachelor's degree

Degree in business or international development

Jobbeschreibung

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 Venture Consultant (SDGx) position in the Innovation Division, based in Munich, Germany.

Brief description of WFP Innovation Accelerator, INNA :

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 2023, Accelerator supported innovations that positively impacted the lives of more than 60.7 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 : and

General Information :

Job title : Innovation Venture Consultant (SDGx)

Unit : WFP Innovation Accelerator (INNA)

Country : Germany

Expected Start Date : 01.09.2024 (estimated)

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

The incumbent, reporting to the Head of SDGx Acceleration, is expected to :

1. Support the planning and implementation of core accelerator activities :

• Ensure the development and improvement of the following activities and processes - content design, operational coordination and planning, and / or facilitation of boot camps, workshops, and other innovation support activities.
• Coordinate the start-up / innovation sourcing process (innovation challenges, pipeline sharing, active scouting, etc.) as applicable.
• Match start-ups / projects with WFP Country Offices, HQ units or Regional Bureaux and vice versa, and external organizations, as needed.
• Ensure that all innovation support activities are planned and implemented effectively and efficiently, with all relevant internal and external clients and stakeholders.
• Support building strong collaborations and partnerships within the Munich ecosystem and with the external innovation community globally, as applicable.

2. Drive innovations / new ventures (internal and external) to potentially scale and to advance towards Zero Hunger and the other Sustainable Development Goals :

• Support and coach project teams from ideation to implementation (as applicable), using methodologies such as human-centered design, lean start-up, project management, and business modeling.
• Advise and support innovation teams on key decisions regarding product features and technology elements.
• Define key performance indicators and milestones for the innovation projects and innovation programs, and assure their implementation, impact measurement, and reporting.
• Guide the innovation team throughout the innovation program curriculum, as required.
• Support piloting with and / or integration within WFP operations or other organizations (as applicable), while liaising with internal units such as country offices, procurement, and legal, as required.
• Participate in and carry out discussions with our partners, key stakeholders or WFP colleagues, to align on project scope and objectives, and execute any other task as required.

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 Head of the Innovation Accelerator and the Director of Innovation and Knowledge Management with any other activities as required.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education : The candidate must have a bachelor’s degree; a degree in business, or international development is preferred.

Experience : At least 3 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.

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.

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• In-depth knowledge of supply chain management, particularly within humanitarian and international development contexts, ensuring efficient and effective deliery of services.
• Passion and understanding of technology innovations (e.g. mobile apps, blockchain, artificial intelligence) and business model innovations.
• Experience in innovation project life cycle - from ideation, minimum viable product, testing, prototyping, and implementation.
• Experience working cross-functionally and getting things done in a scrappy and hands-on way.
• Worked in a large-scale organization or with a client / in partnership with a large-scale organization.
• Proven track record of driving and implementing 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 product ideas.

REQUIRED SKILLS | WFP COMPETENCIES

• Strong conceptual thinking to develop new strategies & innovative projects.
• Able to interact with a broad range of stakeholders and external audiences.
• 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 a high level of ambition for the project and own work to achieve impact for the hungry people we serve.