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INNOVATION PORTFOLIO MANAGER

Geneva

  • Organization: ICRC - International Committee of the Red Cross
  • Location: Geneva
  • Grade: Mid/Senior level - Mid/Senior - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Operations and Administrations
    • Innovations for Sustainable Development
    • Managerial positions
  • Closing Date: Closed

Background

To accelerate the adaptation of the humanitarian needs of people affected by crises and to changes in its environment, the ICRC has adopted a series of measures to support and lead innovation.

The ICRC approaches innovation as a shared responsibility distributed across the organization and is taking concrete steps to strengthen related practice at three distinct levels:

  • First level innovation: reinforced and mainstreamed across the entire organization in the spirit of continous improvement, so as to become a reflex, and part of ICRC’s practice and culture;
  • Second level innovation:  bottom-up innovative ideas and solutions, originating at the point of needs, whether field or HQ, are to be better captured, tested and supported, with a view to being rapidly adopted and scaled when and where appropriate;
  • Third level innovation: strategic challenges are to be addressed purposely, in a top-down manner, through dedicated Research&Developement (R&D) efforts.

    To that purpose, it has created an Innovation Board (InnoBoard), and an Innovation Facilitation Team. Chaired by the Director-General, the InnoBoard drives the organization’s overall innovation agenda. The Innovation Facilitation Team, a three-person team led by the Head of Innovation supports the InnoBoard in the implementation of its mandate. Ad hoc Challenge Teams are set up by the InnoBoard as needed, with specifically defined ToRs and timeframes, to address strategic innovation challenges in an “out-of-the-box” mode.

Purpose of the post

The Portfolio Manager reports to the Head of the Innovation and supports him/her in driving the innovation agenda and more specifically in coordinating innovation efforts across the organization. This includes ensuring proper alignment between different initiatives, the timely implementation of action plans, the efficient flow of information between key stakeholders, as well as supporting and mobilizing colleagues across HQ and the field.

Main tasks and responsibilities

Planning and monitoring

  • Maintains an updated overview of the portfolio of innovation initiatives by consolidating and monitoring the action plans of the different innovation pilots and challenges
  • Ensures the optimal sequencing of activities and allocation of resources between different initiatives
  • Identifies and leverages potential synergies between initiatives
  • Helps develops and monitors key metrics and milestones and address bottlenecks as  needed
  • Contributes to defining and updating lean organizational processes to streamline innovation

Initiative selection and implementation

  • Guides and supports staff in submitting pilots and challenges to the innovation board
  • Contributes and regularly leads in researching, analyzing, and screening potential innovation initiatives
  • Supports teams to take forward the development and testing of their initiatives, and facilitates their outreach to internal and external stakeholders where needed  
  • Contributes to identifying and hiring external consultants to support specific initiatives where relevant. 

Communication

  • Harmonizes internal communication related to innovation and ensures proper dissemination of lessons learnt and best practices at field and HQ level
  • Creates written content and supports the production of video content to inform, inspire, and catalyze innovation at both HQ and field level
  • Contributes to the external positioning of the ICRC related to innovation
  • Develops and maintains network of internal and external innovation champions

Desired Profile

  • Proven project management skills;
  • Facilitator and enabler that is at ease with a transversal modus operandi;
  • Proactive communicator with a can-do attitude and strong solution-orientation;
  • Principled, detail oriented, and at ease with the implementation of innovation processes;
  • Ability to function autonomously within the limits of responsibilities granted;
  • Ability to facilitate and motivate teams to work across traditional boundaries;
  • Strategic and creative thinking with  problem-solving skills;
  • Demonstrated ability to mobilize internal and external stakeholders;
  • Able to travel to the field, sometime under basic living conditions and/or unstable security environment (10-15%);
  • Capacity to work under pressure in a multicultural team, and in complex environments.
  • Intellectually curious
  • Strong analytical skills

Background and experience

  • Advanced university degree in international development, social sciences or business. 
  • At least 7 to 10 years of professional experience, with progressive responsibilities, ideally in project management and innovation
  • Proven experience working on innovation in a field related to humanitarian response or development;
  • Strong people and project management skills; proven track-record in accompanying staff
  • Strong capacity to originate, organise and deliver compelling communications on innovation.

Additional information

Starting date: ASAP

Location: Geneva

Deadline for application: 21.01.2018

Contract: open ended

 
 
This vacancy is now closed.
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