Innovation Manager

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. A nonprofit international development organization founded in 1971, Pact works on the ground in nearly 40 countries to improve the lives of those who are challenged by poverty and marginalization. We serve these communities because we envision a world where everyone owns their future. To do this, we build systemic solutions in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and governments that create sustainable and resilient communities where those we serve are heard, capable, and vibrant. Pact is a recognized global leader in international development. Our staff have a range of expertise in areas including public health, capacity development, governance and civil society, natural resource management, poverty, fragile states, monitoring and evaluation, small-scale and artisanal mining, microfinance and more. This expertise is combined in Pact’s unique integrated approach, which focuses on systemic changes needed to improve people’s lives.

Department

Innovation – Pact has a dedicated innovation practice for finding and scaling solutions to social problems in the form of products, processes, and wider business models with a focus on human centered design. Pact has several methods to facilitate idea generation from an online Innovation Marketplace on its social intranet system called Mosaic to an in-country innovation workshop that uses Human-Centered Design (HCD) to tease out new ideas. Pact exists to help create a world where those who are poor and marginalized exercise their voice, build their own solutions and take ownership of their future. The Innovation team contributes to realizing this by: • Creating enabling environments for innovation to thrive in Pact’s country offices and HQ. • Providing technical assistance to internal departments, country offices, and projects through project development and innovation methodologies. • Building internal innovation assets: capacity building in country offices through curriculum development and implementation; sourcing internal innovations and seeking innovation funding opportunities; facilitating knowledge sharing across Mosaic and other platforms. • Business Development: contributing to pre-positioning and proposal development with the Opportunity Development team and building external innovation partnerships. • Thought-leadership; participating in the innovation in development conversation by attending events, hosting meetings, and making relationships with potential partners and donors.

Position Overview

The Innovation Manager will provide strategic leadership for the Innovation part of the Capacity Development and Innovation team. The Innovation Manager will be responsible for the design, implementation and management of current and new work streams under the Innovation team such as the online Human-Centered Design course and/or exploring engaged community as Pact’s guiding star. The Innovation Manager will also provide direct team supervision as well as lead or provide innovation guidance to expand business development. They will create learning materials and resources for both internal and external audiences and in service of Pact’s thought leadership. They will coordinate with the Global Director in preparing long-term strategies to achieve organizational goals ensuring that these goals are met through Pact’s available resources. Additionally, the Innovation Manager will oversee a portfolio of innovation projects and manages, mentors, and supports staff and interns in successfully meeting team and individual performance objectives and professional development goals.

Key Responsibilities

Thought Leadership

• Lead the development of cutting-edge materials around flagship approaches and tools for high-quality Innovation programming.
• Lead and coordinates thought leadership increase the visibility of the Innovation work through hosting internal events, representing the Innovation practice at external events, and exploring opportunities for Pact to publish work externally.
• Lead the development of innovation-focused external partnerships and opportunities
• Drive advocacy for utilization of the HCD Course to increase number of learners
• Research and further develop use cases for Engaged Communities and integration of HCD within Pact
• Engage with diverse stakeholders to scale the impact and integration of the innovation thinking internally and in external projects

Quality Programming

• Lead the institutionalization and promotion of Innovation across Pact including through the development of internal innovation assets; design and curriculum development, managing technical implementation and advising regional/technical departments on Innovation integration, and designing project activities and budgets for opportunity/proposal development
• Lead the development of strong internal collaboration between Innovation and the various departments, teams, and country offices
• Lead in collaboration with the Results and Measurement Team Pact’s Engaged Communities roll out in service of strategy
• Foster a culture of flexibility, innovation, inclusion, learning, support, diversity, and risk-taking within the Innovation team and across Pact. Promote Pact’s core values through all work and interactions.
• Provide ongoing management of the innovation focused projects
• Lead the implementation of Pact’s online Human-Centered Design (HCD) course across all Pact offices and with partner organizations and communities.
• Lead the monitoring and evaluation efforts for the HCD Course, including the creating of impact metrics and tools on the use and outcomes of the platform
• Provide technical support for Innovation across the Pact’s portfolio of projects and oversee the Innovation staff to provide technical assistance in the areas of HCD, Systems Practice, Incubation, and open innovation.

Innovative Program Design, Measurement

• Determine critical new business goals for the fiscal year and manages their exploration, execution and completion.
• development, including but not limited to, strategic prepositioning, proposal management, technical research, writing, thought leadership, and pricing.
• Ensure ongoing management and execution of the innovation team’s portfolio of projects.
• In coordination with the global director, lead the budgeting process (pipeline analysis, reviewing and developing budgets, and budget revisions/realignments) across all of the projects that the Innovation team leads.

Staff Supervision

• Provide supervision, and mentorship to supervisee/s in successfully meeting team and individual performance objectives and professional development goals.
• Lead a team of Innovation project staff, ensuring that results and deliverables are met timely, within scope and of the highest quality.
• In coordination with the global director CD and innovation, lead and support the recruitment of new Innovation team members.

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor’s with at least seven (7+) years of work experience in international development, innovation, or a related field; or Master’s with at least five (5+) years of work experience.
• At least five years of work experience applying and leading human-centered design (HCD) methodologies.
• Skills in sales and/or marketing, particularly for innovation products and services
• Experience coordinating with international field offices.
• Fluency in English.
• Strong writing and analytical skills.
• Knowledge of social innovation landscape and leading methods.

Preferred Qualifications

• A passion for and deep understanding in practice of community-led development
• A flexible, entrepreneurial mindset; Strong interpersonal and social skills.
• Proactive, independent, go-getter attitude.
• Previous experience building external relationships through innovation partnerships.
• Previous experience delivering technical assistance to social entrepreneurs, innovators, and mission-driven international organizations.
• Previous experience in developing and implementing innovation curriculum.
• Previous experience in workshop design and facilitation in a developing context.
• Previous project management experience specifically related to early-stage social impact projects.

Pact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, citizenship status, genetic information, matriculation, family responsibilities, personal appearance, credit information, tobacco use (except in the workplace), membership in an employee organization, or other protected classifications or non-merit factors.