Jobs at World Food Programme (WFP)

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Innovation, the Senior Programme Associate (County Innovation Centers Manager) will manage the design, set up and establishment of county innovation centers and work with county governments and relevant stakeholders to accelerate the adoption and scaling of innovations and innovative methodologies aimed at strengthening the resilience of vulnerable population in the ASAL regions. The main tasks will be as follows:

• Leverage successful partnership between the Government and WFP to support the design, set up and running of innovation centers within the counties
• Pilot and test the innovation centers in select counties within the ASAL regions of Kenya
• Strengthen the capacity of communities to become innovators through the application of human centered design approaches
• Create partnerships with already existing local innovation centers in the counties or support the establishment of collaborative partnerships with various actors within the innovation ecosystem
• Support training of communities, innovators and county government counterparts on innovation methodologies that seek to help them identify, frame challenges and develop solutions to problems faced at field level, in the counties and beyond
• In partnership with the Government and other external partners, support the adoption of innovative projects at field level -
• Support fundraising and resource mobilization efforts through the development of strategies and proposals; identify funding opportunities for start ups that can be incubated
• Promote the use of innovation centers to academia, private sector, investors and other innovators as a space and avenue to collaborate, co-create and innovate for social good
• Manage engagements with different players within the innovation ecosystem with the aim of identifying strategic partnerships and collaborations that contribute to the work in the innovation centers

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: Completion of secondary education. University degree in business administration, project management or related field. Master’s degree a plus.
• Experience: At least five years of progressively responsible experience in the humanitarian or international development sector.
• Language: In addition to a high proficiency in written and spoken English, knowledge of a second UN language is a plus. Knowledge of Kiswahili is of value.

Knowledge & Skills:

• 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 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 communities we serve

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

• Successful design, set up and roll out of innovation centers within the ASAL counties
• Strengthened engagement with government and partners both at national and county level instrumental to growth of innovation centers - Leverage local partnerships to develop and expand the concept of innovation centers
• Identify and accelerate adoption of highly scalable projects within the ASAL counties
• Strong linkages established within the Kenyan innovation ecosystem
• Well maintained relationships with current and identified potential partners
• New funding streams identified in support of the work at the innovation centers

WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• 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.
• Strategic Thinkers. You demonstrate big picture thinking and resourcefulness in engaging in the right partnerships - Ability to multitask. You like variety in your work and are willing to tackle different challenges when the opportunity arises. 
• An organizer with great attention to detail. You are a meticulous planner but are flexible enough to change course when the situation requires you to do so.
• Driven by impact. Achieving impact through your job is important to you, and you are passionate about working towards achieving zero hunger.

go to method of application »

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the overall supervision of the Head of Innovation, the Innovation Project Manager will manage projects in the innovation unit portfolio. The main tasks will be as follows:

• Manage innovation project lifecycles from start to end using agile project management methodologies.
• Apply lean start-up techniques to rapidly prototype early-stage solutions.
• Work with different stakeholders internal and external to implement innovative projects.
• Support project team to define, track and report on project milestones.
• Develop and manage project budgets.
• Develop and update communication plans for innovation projects.
• In collaboration with M&E, build monitoring and evaluation frameworks for innovation projects.
• In collaboration with the Innovation Community Manager, develop and disseminate information packages on the innovation projects.
• In collaboration with field office teams, oversee implementation of innovation projects in the field.
• Prepare weekly, monthly, and other periodic reports as may be required to update Innovation team and CO team management on the progress of innovation projects.
• Prepare talking points and presentations for various innovation stakeholder meetings

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS REQUIRED

• Passion and deep understanding of technology innovations (e.g., mobile apps, blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning) and business model innovations (e.g., innovative finance, crowdsourcing).
• Sound understanding of Agile Project Management, HCD and Lean Start-up methodologies.
• Experience working on projects focused on youth, women, climate change adaptation and mitigation.
• Experience with business development in emerging markets and or social impact start-ups.
• Strong business writing and professional verbal communication skills.
• Highly organized with the ability to multitask and prioritize. Microsoft Office Suite knowledge.

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS (LANGUAGE)

• Fluency in oral and written English. Knowledge of Kiswahili is of value.

DELIVERABLES

• Up-to-date project management dashboards, workplans, communication plans and budgets.
• Well-defined M&E framework for innovation projects.
• Lessons learned documented for each innovation project managed.
• Up-to-date innovation talking points and presentations for various audiences.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education

• Completion of secondary education. University degree in related field or equivalent an added advantage.

Years of experience

•  At least 3 years of progressively responsible national or international experience in a start-up, innovations in private businesses or innovations in the humanitarian or international development sector. 2 years of experience working with startups/innovations in developing countries (WFP or external) preferred.

Competencies

• 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.
• Ability to multitask. You like variety in your work and are willing to tackle different challenges when the opportunity arises.
• Able to generate new and original solutions to complex problems and to design new products ideas.
• Excellent communication/presentation skills, with the ability to write strategy documents, to develop business plans and to write and deliver presentations.
• An organizer with great attention to detail. You are a meticulous planner but are flexible enough to change course when the situation requires you to do so.
• Driven by impact. Achieving impact through your job is important to you, and you are passionate about working towards achieving zero hunger.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills: ability to bring others behind objectives and drive projects to meet targets despite competing priorities and additional challenges, planned or unplanned.
• 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.

go to method of application »

JOB PURPOSE

To perform and apply appropriate processes, procedures and policies that support the efficient and effective procurement services.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Perform administrative procurement activities in a timely and efficient manner, to support Professional staff in the acquisition of goods and services for efficient field operations.
• Compile data, prepare and distribute documents, to support successful procurement programs and operational activities, (e.g. issue tenders, evaluate offers and negotiate/award contracts), ensuring standard processes are followed.
• Review, record and prioritise purchasing requests, ensuring all supporting documentation is received, and funding is available, in order to enable the procurement of goods and services.
• Coordinate and monitor the delivery of procurement requisitions, verifying receipt and inspection of deliverables, and performing follow up actions to ensure supplies reach HQ and field operations.
• Research, collate and present information in standard formats, to enable informed decision-making and consistency of information presented to the stakeholders.
• Update, manage and maintain relevant databases and records, to ensure the information is accurate, organised, and available for others to access, and supports reporting requirements.
• Liaise with internal counterparts to support the alignment of procurement activities with wider programmes and ensure a coherent approach to meeting food assistance needs.
• Provide technical support and/or allocate work to other support staff, in order to assist them in completing standard tasks to agreed standards and deadlines.
• Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to support WFP to quickly respond and deploy food and needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis.
• Coordinate all procurement processes for field offices ensuring timely delivery of the right goods and services.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in the related functional area is desirable. Level 2 CIPS certification (certificate in procurement & supplies).
• Experience: At least 3 years of progressive experience in Procurement of Goods and Services with specific experience in vendor management.
• Language:  Fluency in both oral and written communication in English is a requirement.
• Knowledge: Demonstrated knowledge of UN Procurement Processes.  Demonstrated analytical capacity and communication skills. 

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Demonstrate capability to work in partnership with other functional units.
• Strong understanding of procurement systems.
• Strong research and data analysis skills.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
• Proficiency in utilizing computers, including proficiency in using MS Excel

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Has worked on procurement activities.
• Experience conducting analyses and developing reports.
• Experience working with suppliers or other third party on day to day basis.