The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

BACKGROUND

WFP Tanzania is implementing its Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2017-2021, which focuses on supporting the Government of Tanzania in its effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and in particular the Zero Hunger 2030 agenda.

As part of Strategic Outcome 5 of the CSP (WFP and its partners in Tanzania and beyond are facilitated to foster, test, refine and scale up innovation that contributes to the achievement of the SDGs by 2030), Tanzania works in close collaboration with the WFP Innovation Accelerator in Munich (INCA) to test, refine and scale up innovations.

The Tanzania field innovation hub has been in place since May 2017 with promising results. During this time, the field hub has helped source, test, refine and look to scale relevant global innovations that can further Tanzania’s strategic objectives. Additional to the international focus, the field hub aims to intensify it’s engagement with the local innovation eco-system as of 2019.To learn more about the Hub kindly visit: https://innovation.wfp.org/tanzania 

Therefore WFP Tanzania Country Office is seeking an Innovation Advisor to serve as a fundamental part of the WFP Tanzania innovation team to identify, facilitate, pilot and scale relevant innovations in Tanzania.

This post is initially limited to 12 months; an extension may be possible.

JOB PURPOSE AND CONTRACT TYPE:

To initiate, manage and provide support to policy and programme activities related to innovation projects and ventures; e.g. scouting, designing, managing and advising innovation projects. Service Contract (SC) at NOA Equivalent Level. 

1. Identify and facilitate the internal selection of projects for the WFP CO innovation portfolio: local ventures and international pilots, in close collaboration with the global WFP innovation accelerator
2. Own a portion of the WFP CO innovation portfolio and lead these projects towards success, including coaching through product/service design and testing phases.
3. Scope, design, advise and conduct pilot innovation projects with third parties (local or international startups, foundations or private sector players)
4. Represent the WFP Field Innovation hub at public events and towards partners and donors
5. Deliver general and specific innovation trainings and coaching to aspiring and successful entrepreneurs (human centered design, lean startup, leadership development, etc)
6. Support WFP innovation hub growth by designing and building Innovation Hub processes and capabilities
7. Support WFP innovation hub growth by identifying, closing and managing potential partners
8. Provide guidance to support staff and other CO colleagues, acting as internal champion for innovation
9. Support other Innovation Hub projects and activities on an as-need basis.
10. The candidate will be based in Dar es Salaam, with travel to the field when needed.

• You have a high affinity with the Tanzanian innovation space and have worked as an entrepreneur, business advisor, or project leader yourself
• You are a self-starter. You are full of initiative and great ideas. You need little guidance, are comfortable working independently but are also a great team player
• You can clearly formulate a vision and inspire people around you, on a daily basis
• You are able to quickly assess the quality of project proposals and ventures and can quickly formulate recommendations for improvements.
• You have some domain knowledge in one of WFP’s focus areas such as agriculture, nutrition, emergency response or social protection.
• You are good with numbers, and can quickly put together a high level business model for a new idea
• You are able to successfully run projects in multi-stakeholder environments: manage scope, budgets, impact and stakeholder satisfaction
• You are able to represent WFP innovation at senior partners, donors and other stakeholders
• You connect easily with people and get them excited about innovation (online & offline)
• You are driven by impact. Making a difference through your job is important to you, and you are passionate about working towards achieving zero hunger

EDUCATION:Advanced University degree in Business, Economics, Computer Science, Agriculture, Social Sciences or other relevant field, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

Familiar with human-centered design and lean methodologies. Strong business writing and professional verbal communication skills. Highly organized with the ability to multitask and prioritize. Microsoft Office and Google suite knowledge.

At least five years of relevant, progressively responsible, professional experience in relevant fields such as innovation, startup advisory, business development or humanitarian/development work.

Language: Fluency (level C) in English language and the duty station’s language, if different.

The application deadline: 22 May 2020.

WFP agency standards and guidance: Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

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.