AT OXFAM, WE WON’T LIVE WITH POVERTY.
Together we can end extreme poverty for good. Will you join us?
IRAQ RESPONSE INNOVATION LAB MANAGER
Innovation Lab TEAM
Closing date: - 04 December 2021 (Mid night)
Interview date: - TBC
Vacancy reference: - INT8041 Iraq Response Innovation Lab.
Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaiour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.*
Shaping a stronger Oxfam for people living in poverty.
Oxfam is a global movement of people who won’t live with the injustice of poverty. Together we save and rebuild lives in disasters. We help people build better lives for themselves. We speak out on the big issues that keep people poor, like inequality, discrimination against women and climate change. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can live without poverty.
Oxfam GB is a member of the international confederation Oxfam.
The Iraq response Innovation Lab is led by Oxfam in Iraq. The Lab in Iraq is part of a Global initiative of 4 other innovation Labs in 4 other countries. The global initiative is managed by a consortium of organization including Oxfam, World Vision and Save the Children.
The invective of the Iraq Lab is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian and development programming by supporting the development, testing, piloting and scaling of innovations which are addressing locally identified challenges.
The Lab offers 3 interrelated services:
1.Provision of seed funding, through a dedicated funding mechanism the Iraq Innovation Fund to support the development, testing and piloting of innovative projects. Funding is supplemented with technical assistance, incubation of projects and advisory services to innovators, including access to the Innovation Lab facilities to help them design and implement solutions for Iraq.
2.Act as a central hub for innovations in Iraq: Bring diverse actors together to collaborate on identifying humanitarian challenges ripe for innovation, convene and connect innovators and humanitarian actors, set-up regular innovation forums.
3.Pairing challenges with innovations: provide access to a network and database of existing proven solutions; pairing humanitarian actors with tested global or local innovations that meet their challenges
Core Details
Location: Erbil
Our package: As per Oxfam Salary Scale
Internal Grade: C2 National & International
Contract type: Fixed Term Contract
Hours of work: 40 hours per week. This is a full-time role; however, Oxfam offers various flexible arrangements which candidates can discuss with the Recruiting Manager at interview stage
This role reports to: Country Director
Staff reporting to this post: Project Manager, Innovation Lab Coordinator, Innovation Program Assistant
Annual budget for the post: N/A
All successful candidates will be screened through Refinitiv World-Check One to comply with counter terrorism and financial sanctions regulations.
Key Responsibilities
Technical
Lab Management
· Work with Oxfam Country Director to define and implement innovation strategy, projects and methodologies that envision, develop and incubate innovative ideas. This includes collaborating on new product design, social business ideas and types of response programming, designing and leading research and other ideas which improve humanitarian and early recovery works in Iraq.
· Provide full project management oversight to ensure excellence in execution of all Iraq Lab plans and programmes. Lead in project planning and coordination to ensure timely and quality implementation of all program activities. This will include identifying and placing skilled personnel who are able to effectively advise and manage Iraq Lab programmes and aligning partner engagements with Lab objectives.
· Focus on acceleration or scale up of innovative projects that succeed in the lab and documentation and sharing of those which fail.
· Lead on the delivery, management, and coordination of the IRIL business start-up incubator in different sector
· Lead and facilitate the promotion of the digital transformations in the humanitarian and development programs of the Oxfam programming.
· Develop and implement a young people engagement strategy to effectively ensure their participation in all the Innovation Lab activities.
· Lead and coordinate the development of the communication strategy of the Innovation lab and manage the lab communications materials and platforms.
· Ensuring all administrative, logistical, and technological needs are met
· In conjunction with the finance team, develop and monitor the project budget and ensure regular reporting to the donor
· Work with the technical leads of Oxfam and other consortium member when relevant to provide adequate HR oversight to the project team and partners as relevant
· Fundraise both for the Iraq Lab and the successful lab projects, including participating in calls for proposals and identifying key partnerships and donors in country.
· Serve as the main point of contact and ambassador for the Iraq Lab
· Manage risks for the Iraq Lab, discussing and mitigating these with the Oxfam Country Director.
· Facilitate entrenchment of a culture of innovation through effective cultivation of ideas, best Practices, pivoting and harnessing of lessons.
· Lead and facilitate the development of business opportunity feedback study for innovative approaches in Iraq such as green energy, green jobs, and other friendly environmental solutions.
· Support on the monitoring and evaluation framework & systems and processes along with the partners.
Leadership
Partnership Management
· Develop partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders involving technology, commerce, innovation, humanitarian and government in Iraq
· Lead in ensuring effective management of resources. This will include providing leadership to effective management of sub grantee agreements or contracts with partners.
· Ensure effective partnership to bring in staff capacity and support from a range of public and private organizations to promote new types of thinking and implementation of quality programs with support from people who have the appropriate skill set.
· Lead and facilitate innovation events.
· Support the process of developing strong, strategic partnerships, coalitions and networks; Provide leadership in coordinating and managing those specific partnerships to ensure that their outputs are aligned with the objectives of the Iraq Lab.
Management
Learning & Reporting
· Maintain accurate documentation of best practices, results, learning and impact of programs.
· Document strategic thinking, dashboard reports, status of innovation implementation and matters of partnership, leadership or management concern of the Iraq Lab.
· Regularly share the lessons learned as the lab progresses, to become a resource for others in and out of the RIL network
Other
· Required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values as well as the promotion of gender justice and women's rights
· Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles
Essential
· Advanced university degree in innovation, international development and management, business administration, social policy, entrepreneurships, information technology, communications or related fields is desirable.
· 3-5 years’ experience in Humanitarian or Development sector, working on innovation, start-up incubation etc. with at least 2 in management positions.
· A team player and self-starter with good networking skills and project management skills
· Good analytical and problem-solving skills
· Capable of working independently and with demonstrated experience engaging a wide range of stakeholders.
· Excellent commination and writing skill, able to synthetize information from various sources and produce high quality reports/papers.
· Excellent project management skills.
· Experience in building and managing partnerships. Strong leadership skills; experience in leading consortiums
· Ability to solve complex problems and to exercise independent judgment.
· Ability to influence and liaise effectively with key stakeholders and representation in high profile environments.
· Fluency in written and spoken English, Arabic would be an advantage.
· Ability to represent the lab to a variety of stakeholders in a range of forums
· Able to travel in all regions of Iraq and on a short notice
· High organizational skills and ability to priorities workload and meet deadlines. Ability to work under pressure
· Able to work on a cross-cultural environment and with people from all backgrounds, and is aware and supportive of inclusiveness principles
· Good knowledge of Microsoft office tools ( PPT, Excel, word, etc.)
· Strong interested in Innovations
Desirable
· Experience working with and managing Innovation projects
· Good understanding of innovation and the issues and challenges around it.
· Strong Entrepreneurship skills
· Experience working in the private sector and with start-ups
· Familiar with new technology-based innovation and innovative approaches/methodologies
· Has already an existing network of diverse actors operating in Iraq
· Out of the Box thinker
· Knowledge of the Iraqi and Middle Eastern context is desirable
Key Attributes
· Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities
· Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work
· Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible
Organisational Values
· Accountability – Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions
· Empowerment – Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen
· Inclusiveness – We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences
This vacancy is archived.