Innovation Hub Coordinator for Eastern Africa

Organizational Context

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Office of Innovation (OIN), supports the transformation to sustainable agrifood systems and strengthens member countries' innovation capacities. OIN drives innovation across FAO programs, fostering cross-collaboration and transformative partnerships. The MAINSTREAM project, managed by OIN in collaboration with regional offices, aims to enhance mission-oriented agrifood innovation systems in sub-Saharan Africa to scale gender-responsive and transformative innovations for sustainability through agroecology.

Job Purpose

The Innovation Hub Coordinator for Eastern Africa will orchestrate regional innovation ecosystem development focused on agroecological transitions. This role involves coordinating Partner Hub Organizations, ensuring alignment between country and regional project activities, and building robust networks among diverse innovation actors. These actors include research institutions, development partners, the private sector, and community-driven initiatives. The incumbent will work closely with national counterparts and other key stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery and impact of the project, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange within the innovation ecosystem.

Responsibilities

The role encompasses comprehensive project management and coordination, including planning and implementing inception phase activities, developing work plans and budgets, and coordinating Partner Hub Organizations through regular meetings and workshops. Responsibilities include preparing project documentation and reports, supporting the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) system, and managing affiliate personnel and service providers. Technical leadership involves ensuring the quality and methodological compliance of Innovation Policy Labs and national roadmaps, supporting agricultural innovation system assessments, and co-designing and marketing hub services. Stakeholder engagement includes building relationships with government, civil society, and private sector entities, organizing multi-stakeholder platforms, and facilitating engagement with development partners and regional organizations. Knowledge management involves coordinating the development of regional hub guidebooks, supporting outreach materials, and contributing to regional technical content for knowledge platforms.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of proven experience is required in project management within an international context, facilitation and coordination of multi-stakeholder innovation processes, engagement with policymakers, working with regional-level programs or networks, and capacity development and training delivery.

Skills

Key competencies include Results Focus, Teamwork, Communication, Building Effective Relationships, and Knowledge Sharing. Technical skills encompass innovation scaling approaches, ecosystem-based strategies, agroecological transitions, policy engagement, participatory co-creation methodologies, partnership building, facilitation, stakeholder management, and MEL systems. Demonstrated experience working in sub-Saharan Africa and familiarity with agricultural innovation systems and agroecology in the region are essential. Experience with FAO and proficiency in regional languages or French are considered assets.

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