Innovative Finance Portfolio Lead

World Food Programme; München; Vor Ort; EUR 70.000 - 90.000; Teilzeit

Zusammenfassung

A leading humanitarian organization is seeking an Innovative Finance Portfolio Lead in Munich, Germany. This role requires extensive experience in driving innovative finance and impact investing initiatives. The ideal candidate will develop financing models and lead a team, contributing to impactful humanitarian efforts globally. An attractive compensation package includes opportunities for personal and professional development within a diverse and inclusive environment. Apply by December 24, 2023.

Leistungen

Competitive compensation package

Training and professional development opportunities

Qualifikationen

• 7+ years of international experience in innovative finance or start-up leadership.
• Experience in impact investing and microfinance is a plus.
• Fluent in English with knowledge of another UN language preferred.

Aufgaben

• Lead innovative financing model development for the Accelerator.
• Manage impact measurement and reporting processes.
• Guide and develop a team of Innovative Finance Consultants.

Kenntnisse

Fintech project management

Innovative finance venture building

Impact investing

Financial inclusion

Cross-functional leadership

Ausbildung

Bachelor's degree in Finance or Business Administration

Master's degree

Tools

Digital payment systems

Project management tools

Jobbeschreibung

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

24 December : 59-GMT+01 : 00 Central European Time (Berlin)

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 is the world's largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website : and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news : YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP?

WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.

WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.

A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.

We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

JOB TITLE

Innovative Finance Portfolio Lead

TYPE OF CONTRACT

Consultancy

UNIT / DIVISION

WFP Innovation Accelerator (INNA)

DUTY STATION

Munich, Germany

DURATION

6 months extendable

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

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 2022, Accelerator supported innovations that positively impacted the lives of 37 million people globally. Most recently, the Accelerator runs programmes for external partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others.

More information here : and

ACCOUNTABILITIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

The Innovative Finance Portfolio Lead, reporting to the Head of Innovative Finance, Frontier Innovations and Venture Launchpad, is expected to :

Lead the development and implementation of the Accelerator's innovative financing models, with a particular focus on building the Accelerator's and WFP's impact investing mechanisms to fund impact at scale :

Drive to the development and implementation of new impact investing mechanisms to attract additional funding towards investable and scalable innovations creating social impact at scale.

Orchestrate the development, implementation and management of processes and tools for the impact investing mechanisms, including impact measurement and management, reporting and monitoring of investments facilitated by WFP. Develop a robust pipeline of investable and scalable innovations in the Accelerator and beyond, covering all aspects of deal origination from market research to investment proposal. Foster the development of the Innovative Finance Strategy and its implementation across WFP, as required.

Conduct landscape mapping to further inform WFP impact investing activities and support relationship building with external investor funding partners to help with fundraising efforts for the WFP funding mechanisms as well as direct capital raising by WFP and the innovations.

Drive the adoption of the investment readiness toolkit by the innovations and other WFP Innovation Accelerator teams, to accelerate their path to scale advancing towards Zero Hunger and other Sustainable Development Goals :

Guide the development of all the necessary investment readiness toolkit, processes, and documentation, as appropriate.

Provide investment readiness expert advice and thought leadership and lead continuous refinement of a toolkit to be used across the Accelerator.

Provide innovations with capital raising advice to secure most suitable funding either through WFP impact investing mechanisms or external donors and investor partners.

Share impact investing knowledge and best practices with the Accelerator and other WFP teams to promote and showcase the value of investment readiness activities.

Lead a team of Innovative Finance Consultants to reach the goals of the Innovative Finance, Frontier Innovations and Venture Launchpad unit :

Guide and grow a team of Innovative Finance Consultants and / or other disciplines by establishing priorities, providing coaching and making sure people are engaged in the right value‑creation activities.

Coach innovative finance / impact investing team from ideation to implementation (as applicable), with a focus on innovative finance and impact investing while using methodologies such as human‑centered design, lean start‑up, project management, venture building, and business modelling.

Engage in creative leadership methods to foster the right conditions for collective and individual learning and growth.

Cultivate a collaborative and high‑performing innovative finance team culture to help the team thrive in constantly changing environments.

Conduct performance feedback and development sessions.

Support the business growth of the WFP Innovation Accelerator and the Innovative Finance, Frontier Innovations and Venture Launchpad unit to realise external and internal resource mobilisation opportunities :

Build up a network of public, private and philanthropic donors, multilateral agencies and impact investors to identify and realise resource mobilisation opportunities for innovative finance ventures and instruments.

Engage and collaborate with all necessary internal and external stakeholders (including WFP programme units, regional bureaux, country and field offices, finance, partnerships, legal) to gather needed input, secure internal support and approval, and launch, develop and scale innovative finance ventures and instruments.

Actively support the building of strong external partnerships within the Innovative Finance and venture‑building ecosystem globally.

Define and implement outreach campaigns and communication plans to amplify the scope and impact of the innovative finance ventures.

Contribute to the strategic and organsitional development of the Innovation Accelerator's strategy deployment and operations :

Contribute to the establishment of strategic objectives and ensure work plans are in place to meet key results.

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 product management products to amplify the scope and impact of the Acceleration Programs.

Build up a network of public, private, and philanthropic donors and impact investors to identify opportunities for the Accelerator Programs and its participants, taking an active role in the leading generation, proposal presentation, and negotiation of new contracts and potential agreements.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT

• New Innovative Financing and Impact Investing Mechanisms, including all supporting documentations and underlying partnerships.
• Investment Readiness Toolkit and engagement approaches.
• Resource mobilisation opportunities successfully realised and delivered.
• Team of Innovative Finance Consultants successfully led.
• Ensure that all work and materials developed during the contract well documented and available to the WFP Innovation Accelerator team.
• Effective support of operations of the WFP Innovation Accelerator.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business Administration or equivalent. Master's degree is a plus.

Experience

At least 7 years of progressively responsible international experience in a start‑up leadership role, start‑up accelerator, innovations in private businesses, or innovative finance ventures in the humanitarian or international development sector. Experience in innovative finance and in microfinance are a plus as also experience leading a team.

Knowledge & Skills

• A proven track record building fintech projects and / or driving and implementing innovative finance venture building projects, preferably in an impact, humanitarian, and / or development context.
• Experience in microfinance, crowdfunding platforms, preferably in crowdlending.
• Experience and interest in initiatives focused on financial inclusion, microfinance and resilience programmes.
• Passion and understanding of technology innovations (e.g. digital payments, crypto assets) and business model innovations (e.g. innovative finance, venture capital, impact bonds).
• Experience in innovation project life cycle — from ideation, minimum viable product, testing, prototyping and implementation.
• Worked or led cross‑functionally and get things done in an agile and hands‑on way.
• Experience working in a large scale‑organisation or with a client / in partnership with a large‑scale organisation.
• 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.
• Strong conceptual thinking to develop new strategies & innovative projects and able to interact with a broad range of stakeholders.
• Excellent communication / presentation skills, with the ability to write strategy and partnership 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.
• Fully committed and motivated to achieve the aims of the UN World Food Programme.

Languages

Fluency in oral and written English mandatory. Intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP's working languages) is a plus.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact :

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).

Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language.

Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter.

Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time.

Please contact us at in case you face any challenges with submitting your application.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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.