Innovation Specialist (Open Innovation)

Organizational Context

The Office of Innovation (OIN) drives and coordinates innovation across FAO, consolidating its innovative spirit and fostering new approaches and cooperation models. OIN supports Programme Priority Areas, ensuring innovation is mainstreamed, facilitating cross-collaboration between units, and forging transformative partnerships. This call aims to build a roster of Innovation Specialists to support FAO's global, regional, and country-level work. Assignments may be home-based with travel as required.

Job Purpose

The role involves providing strategic support in innovation methodologies and tools, focusing on the design, management, and implementation of innovation challenges, hackathons, and prize competitions. It includes developing and applying open innovation frameworks and ecosystem engagement strategies to identify external solutions for agrifood system transformation. Key activities involve scouting and mapping startups, social entrepreneurs, and innovative technologies, alongside employing methodologies for problem framing, solution validation, and accelerating high-potential innovations to drive impactful change within the agrifood sector.

Responsibilities

The incumbent will lead or participate in designing and implementing innovation challenges and open innovation calls to address agrifood system bottlenecks. Responsibilities include coordinating scouting processes to identify innovative solutions from external sources, developing problem statements and challenge briefs in collaboration with technical units, and managing innovation challenge platforms. Facilitating selection processes, coordinating expert juries, and providing support to selected innovators through acceleration and mentoring are crucial. Additionally, the role involves developing training materials for staff and partners, preparing analytical reports and impact assessments, contributing to partnerships with innovation hubs, and performing other related duties as required.

Work Experience

A minimum of 1 year of relevant experience for Category C or 5 years for Category B is required in managing innovation challenges, open innovation programs, accelerators, or startup scouting initiatives. This experience should demonstrate a strong understanding of innovation processes and ecosystem engagement.

Skills

Key skills include proficiency in designing and executing innovation competitions (hackathons, grand challenges), framing complex problems into actionable briefs, and using innovation management software. Experience in ecosystem mapping, building networks with non-traditional partners like startups and tech hubs, and working with diverse institutions is essential. Familiarity with different geographical and cultural contexts is beneficial. Fluency in English is required, with knowledge of another FAO official language being an asset.

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