CIFOR-ICRAF
The Innovation Manager will lead the day-to-day operations of the Innovation Facility under the Knowledge for Great Green Wall Action (K4GGWA) initiative and report to the Head of the Facility. The Innovation Facility supports promising, scalable innovations that accelerate sustainable land management and livelihood strategies within the Great Green Wall area.
This part-time position (50%) has three objectives: ensuring effective administration, innovation support, and granted engagement to achieve the facility’s objectives.
The successful candidate will be a highly organized, bilingual professional (English and French) with a proven track record in innovation management, entrepreneurship, and administration. They will collaborate with a diverse network of stakeholders and drive the operational excellence needed to support transformative initiatives in the Great Green Wall Area and, eventually, across Africa’s drylands.
Duties and responsibilities
- Operational Management
- Oversee
the day-to-day operations of the Innovation Facility, including managing
timelines, budgets, and administrative processes. - Organize
and facilitate biannual innovation competitions, ensuring seamless application
processes and adherence to selection criteria. - Manage
the transfer of awards in strict accordance with EU and recipient country
guidelines. - Liaise
with the Project Management Unit (PMU) and the Innovation Facility Advisory
Council to implement recommendations and secure appropriate support mechanisms
for grantees. - Develop
and implement communication and publicity initiatives in collaboration with the
communications consultant of K4GGWA, where appropriate, the delegations of the
European Union in Great Green Wall countries.
- Innovation Support
- Provide
tailored support to grantees, including coordinating trainings, mentorship,
arrangements for eventual consultancy services, and other targeted
interventions. - Develop
and maintain relationships with innovators and field agents, ensuring
continuous engagement and capacity building. - Identify
challenges faced by grantees and work collaboratively to propose solutions and
growth strategies.
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Expand
and manage a robust network of field agents, advisors, and partners, ensuring
strong ties with the private sector, NGOs, governments, and international
organizations. - Foster
collaboration with other innovation support projects by helping to build and
operationalize the Green African Drylands Innovation Hub (GADIH). - Engage
organisations federating and/or promoting the interests of rural youths and
women
- Monitoring and Reporting
- Track
progress of supported innovations. - Under
the guidance of the Head of the Innovation Facility, prepare detailed reports,
presentations, and updates for the PMU, the EU and its Delegations, other
stakeholders, and the advisory councils. - Collect
and analyze data to assess the impact of funded initiatives, help successful
grantees secure additional support,and inform future programming.
- Resource Mobilization
- Contributing
to resource mobilization efforts to support innovators and the Facility.
Requirements
Qualifications and Experience
- Bilingual
Proficiency: Fluency in English and French is essential. - Educational
Background: A degree in a relevant field such as innovation management,
entrepreneurship, business administration, environmental management, or a
related discipline.
Professional
Experience:
- At least 5 years
of experience in innovation support, entrepreneurship, business development, or
environmental program management. - Demonstrated
ability to manage complex projects with diverse stakeholders. - Familiarity with
innovation ecosystems in Africa.
Skills:
- Strong
administrative and organizational skills. - Excellent
interpersonal and communication abilities. - Proficiency in
designing and implementing support mechanisms for innovators (e.g., training,
mentorship, funding structures). - Experience with
monitoring, evaluation, and impact assessment frameworks
Desirable Attributes
- A passion for
sustainable development, particularly in the context of the Great Green Wall
initiative. - Knowledge of
sociopolitical and cultural dynamics in the Sahel and /or African dryland
areas. - Experience of
working with donor-funded projects and international organizations. - Familiarity with
land restoration and land regeneration principles in cropping and/or pastoral
contexts greatly preferred. - Familiarity with
gender dynamics, value chains, natural resource management challenges in rural
settings are an advantage.
Education, knowledge and experience
Qualifications and Experience
?Bilingual Proficiency: Fluency in English and French is essential.
?Educational Background: A degree in a relevant field such as innovation management, entrepreneurship, business administration, environmental management, or a related discipline.
Professional Experience:
oAt least 5 years of experience in innovation support, entrepreneurship, business development, or environmental program management.
oDemonstrated ability to manage complex projects with diverse stakeholders.
oFamiliarity with innovation ecosystems in Africa.
Skills:
oStrong administrative and organizational skills.
oExcellent interpersonal and communication abilities.
oProficiency in designing and implementing support mechanisms for innovators (e.g., training, mentorship, funding structures).
oExperience with monitoring, evaluation, and impact assessment frameworks
Desirable Attributes
?A passion for sustainable development, particularly in the context of the Great Green Wall initiative.
?Knowledge of sociopolitical and cultural dynamics in the Sahel and /or African dryland areas.
?Experience of working with donor-funded projects and international organizations.
?Familiarity with land restoration and land regeneration principles in cropping and/or pastoral contexts greatly preferred.
?Familiarity with gender dynamics, value chains, natural resource management challenges in rural settings are an advantage.
Terms and conditions
The Innovation Manager can be based in Africa or Europe. Remote work is fine, but regular travel within Africa will be required.
?Position: Part-Time (50%)
?Duration: Initial contract of 12 months, renewable based on performance and funding.
?Compensation: Competitive and commensurate with experience.