Business innovation manager
Pubblicato il 27-10-2026 - World Food Programme in Roma
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS 14 January 2027-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome) ABOUT WFP The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of extreme weather shocks. At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP’s values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves. To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok. WHY JOIN WFP?
* WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
* WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
* WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
* A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
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We offer
an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement). JOB TITLE: Business Innovation Manager DUTY STATION (City, Country): Rome, Italy/Munich, Germany DURATION:
6-11 months BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT: Over the past years the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has responded to an unprecedented level of emergencies, while maintaining ongoing operations. This increased demand stretches the organization which means WFP has to find new approaches and ways of working to ensure we are channeling every available resource to the people we serve. The Business Innovation Unit (BIU)/UN Advisory Alliance (UNAA) was established in 2015 to manage change and to promote innovation as part of WFP’s Innovation division:
* BIU/UNAA acts as the “management consulting arm” of WFP
* BIU/UNAA is composed of staff with top-tier management consulting backgrounds as well as UN experience We execute projects on behalf of Executive Directors, Assistant Secretary Generals, and Directors across the UN system, and have become a trusted advisor to WFP and other entities (e.g. UN Women, UNFPA, UN Secretariat,..). Our focus is on end-to-end solutions, including problem assessment, data analysis, operational model design, change plan and implementation monitoring. ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES: Execution of Business Innovation projects Overall BIU/UNAA priorities Other activities DELIVERABLES: Depending on time of joining, the candidate’s specific experience and current corporate priorities, the candidate will be responsible for the full delivery of a project work stream or a small project.
Examples of specific deliverables are:
* WFP/UN System Senior Leadership Support o Support senior leadership on prioritization of key organizational initiatives o Guide cross-functional discussions to align on objectives, activities, timelines and outputs o Guide analytical and project management support o Act as an advisory to the initiative sponsor and driving implementation
* UN Reform/UN80: Guide UN Reform/UN80 implementation and be part of an inter‑agency project team o Support delivery of key interagency UN Reform initiatives (e.g., Business Operations Strategy, Common Back Office, Global Shared Services), engaging with entity and Secretariat stakeholders as required o Perform key data analyses to drive high-priority UN80 work packages (e.g., UNCT reconfiguration, entity merger assessments, etc.) o Contribute to the communication efforts on UN Reform/UN80
* Additional BIU/UNAA needs o Support knowledge management reviews and best practices sharing o Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with more complex analysis and queries o Additional project support based on pipeline and new projects contracted during time of contract, as required QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
Preference for a degree in business, economics or engineering
Experience:
About 7 years of progressively responsible national and/or international experience in a business or international relations related position. At least 7 years experience in management consulting or innovative finance required. Additional work experience desirable. Knowledge &
Skills:
* Ability to contribute to developing new strategies and innovative projects
* Good analytical abilities, both quantitat