Summary
Date Posted: Sunday, January 07 2024, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
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 AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
WFP Tanzania is implementing its new Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for 2022-2027, focusing on supporting the Government of Tanzania in its efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the Zero Hunger 2030 agenda. The Tanzania CSP aims to progressively shift the focus of its work from direct implementation of food assistance programs toward capacity strengthening and technical assistance for national partners.

As part of the new CSP, WFP Tanzania is mainstreaming innovation by identifying, conceptualizing, testing, and piloting new solutions across all operations to achieve the SDGs by 2030. The Tanzania Country Office works in close collaboration with the WFP Innovation Accelerator in Munich (INCA) and other country offices involved in innovation activities. The Tanzania Innovation Unit has been operational since May 2017 and has shown promising results. Since its inception, the unit has successfully sourced, tested, refined, and aimed to scale up relevant local and global innovations that align with and further Tanzania’s strategic objectives.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
• Education: Completion of secondary school education plus a post-secondary certificate or diploma in the related functional area. Having a bachelor’s degree in a related field or an equivalent qualification will be an added advantage.
• Experience: Five years’ experience in innovation services, preferably with at least two years of professional experience in startup advisory, the food system ecosystem, agriculture, emerging technologies, engineering, or a related field.
• Knowledge & Skills: Familiarity with human-centered design methodologies, digital tools, and emerging technologies. Possesses strong business writing and professional verbal communication skills. Highly organized, capable of multitasking and prioritizing effectively. Proficient in the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Languages: Fluency in both spoken and written English is required. Additionally, proficiency in Kiswahili is essential.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The Tanzania Country Office (CO) is seeking an Innovation Associate to support the growth of the Innovation Unit and assist in identifying and managing innovation projects and related activities.

JOB PURPOSE
Under the direct supervision of the Programme Policy Officer for Innovation (Head of Innovation), the innovation Associate will support the Country Office in managing innovation projects and innovation services offered by the Innovation Unit.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
The main tasks will be as follows:
New Concept Design and Project Management:
• Provide support for innovation scoping in coordination with internal units and external stakeholders.
• Identify, design, and develop new concepts related to emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), drone applications, and digitalization, according to the operational needs of WFP. This includes conducting background research, designing concepts, and collecting feedback.
• Assist in managing innovation projects and related activities in coordination with other units including Refugee operations, Nutrition, and Smallholder Agriculture Market Support (SAMS)
• Capacity Building and Communication:
• Assist in organizing and managing training sessions and workshops focused on various innovation methodologies and emerging technologies, such as Human-Centric Design, Design Thinking, etc.
• Document and compile best practices from both internal and external ecosystems, and regularly share these insights with teams.
• Contribute to the preparation of monthly reports, development of case studies, documentation of projects, and knowledge management initiatives.
• Support for Partner Engagement:
• Mapping and networking within the country-level food system innovation ecosystem, including startups, innovation hubs, universities, and innovation labs in the food systems domain.
• Engaging potential partners from the innovation ecosystem to accelerate innovation initiatives at the country level.
• Coordinating with existing and new partners for innovation project management.
• Coordination & Event Management:
• Regularly coordinate with internal units and external innovation stakeholders to foster an innovation ecosystem.
• Assist in planning, coordinating, and executing WFP innovation-related events and workshops.
• Liaise with internal units, including administration and procurement, to ensure the smooth functioning of the innovation unit and its related activities.

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
We are looking for.
• Start-up Mindset: You possess a strong affinity for the Tanzanian innovation space and ideally have some experience in start-up.
• Food System Expertise: You have knowledge of and familiarity with the innovation ecosystem in the food system.
• Technologically Proficient: You have hands-on experience with digitalization and are well-versed in the latest market technologies.
• Self-Starter: Full of initiative and innovative ideas, you require minimal guidance and excel at working independently, yet you are also an effective team player.
• Multi-tasker: You enjoy diverse tasks in your work and are eager to take on various challenges as they arise.
• Organized: You excel at arranging things methodically, with meticulous attention to detail. Vigilant and Adaptable: You are a meticulous planner who remains flexible enough to adjust plans as required by changing situations.
• Impact-Driven: Making a positive impact through your work is vital to you, and you are dedicated to contributing towards the goal of achieving zero hunger.



Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Level of Education: High School

Job application procedure
Interested and qualified? Click here to apply

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