Employment Opportunity: A1 Head of Innovation Hub

Job Description – A1 Head of Innovation Hub

Background

An excellent opportunity for someone who is passionate about innovation and wants to drive cultural change in the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) to lead a high profile agenda across the whole organisation, playing a prominent role engaging with the centre of Government, Ministers and leading international partners.

Job Description/ Duties

The Head of the Innovation Hub will lead an effort to: (i) better define and advance DFID’s innovation agenda, (ii) establish and manage the Innovation Hub, (iii) build a sustainable innovation capability, (iv) advise departments and country offices on techniques for designing and implementing innovation initiatives; and (v) develop external partnerships and networks nationally and internationally.

The post holder will provide a focal point for Whitehall interaction on Innovation. S/he will work closely with the Director-General Policy and Global Programmes, the Directors of Policy Division and Research and Evidence Division, and the Chief Innovation Officer.  The post will be line managed by the Head of Cabinet for Policy and Research Divisions. 

Candidates must be nationals of member states of the European Economic Area (EEA), Swiss or Turkish Nationals or Commonwealth citizens.

An early task will be to complete the definition of DFID’s innovation strategy.  The successful applicant will then need to establish the Hub’s team which will include recruiting from within the civil service but also developing placement partnerships with private sector organisations that might have expertise to lend to DFID. In carrying out the following activities, the post holder will build upon and support efforts of the Chief Innovation Officer.

Objective 1: Manage DFID’s strategy for innovation and resources required to deliver it.          

Objective 2: Establish the Innovation Hub 

Objective 3: Lead effort to build a capability and culture of innovation in DFID 

Objective 4: Lead effort to strengthen existing innovation projects and initiatives at DFID 

Objective 5: Lead DFID’s external representation on innovation

Relevant job specific skills and/or technical competencies required

We are looking for a highly energetic and creative individual who can inspire confidence across DFID and motivate diverse stakeholders. This is a unique opportunity to establish a new entity within DFID which will drive changes that transform lives. This new post suits someone with proven experience in developing and taking to scale innovative approaches to social challenges and/or someone with proven innovation management experience from industry, non-profit, R&D spaces, or other sectors. The successful candidate will have the ability to translate this experience into practical changes to ways of working across DFID, and to apply concepts and techniques of innovation in the context of international development.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Strong and demonstrable interest and experience in innovation, preferably public and social innovation.
• Experience establishing new initiatives or organizations and/or leading innovation management and organizational change efforts.
• Experience building relationships and networks and achieving results using such networks.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with an ability to explain complex concepts (including scientific concepts) in a simple manner and to tailor outputs to different audiences.
• Strong analytical skills with a proven ability to interpret and critique primary research papers on innovation and reports.
• Good awareness of development issues and challenges.
• Personal credibility, excellent strategic and political awareness, strong policy development skills and a proven ability to represent organisations at the highest levels, including with Governments.
• Commitment to DFID’s development objectives. 
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with others inside and outside the organisation.

Desirable

Masters degree or higher in a relevant discipline.

• A clear understanding of the role of innovation in international development, including an appreciation of how knowledge is generated, and the various pathways whereby innovation is used for impact in international development.
• A network of external contacts on innovation is desirable.
• Experience of working with DFID or other Government departments, at country and HQ level.

Go to our website for the full job description and application instructions www.dfid.gov.uk under jobs.