AI Project Manager

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

29 December 2024-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Berlin)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

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 climate change.

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.

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.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

JOB TITLE: AI Project Manager
TYPE OF CONTRACT: Consultancy
UNIT/DIVISION: WFP Innovation Accelerator (INNA)
DUTY STATION (City, Country): WFP Munich, Germany
DURATION: 6 months (Extendable)

ABOUT WFP INNOVATION ACCELERATOR, INNA
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline agency fighting hunger. WFP reaches more than 100 million people every day - delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with smallholder farmers, communities, and governments to improve nutrition and build resilience.

The WFP Innovation Accelerator was named by Fast Company as Most Innovative Non-Profit Organization 2021 for its work in identifying, nurturing, and scaling disruptive start-ups and innovations to end global hunger. Based in Munich, Germany, the Innovation Accelerator provides WFP employees and start-ups with funding, hands-on support, and access to WFP’s global operations. Through the Accelerator, WFP is leveraging unprecedented advances in digital innovation - such as mobile technology, artificial intelligence, and blockchain - and new business models to transform the way it serves vulnerable communities across the world.

The Business Intelligence & Data Analyst will join the Frontier Innovations team, which is part of the Innovative Finance, Frontier Innovations and Venture Launchpad unit at the WFP Innovation Accelerator. The Frontier Innovations team actively seeks new ways of delivering humanitarian assistance by exploring cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, web3, blockchain, autonomous vehicles, and others.

The incumbent will oversee the development and implementation of AI-driven solutions while supporting the managerial aspects of AI initiatives to maximize impact at WFP. This role requires the ability to assess and communicate the value of AI solutions to business stakeholders, applying insights to address complex challenges in the field. Additionally, the AI Project Manager will actively scout for and cultivate partnerships with AI thought leaders and organizations to enhance WFP’s capabilities. The role is based in Munich but may require travel to the Headquarters (HQ) to work and liaise with the WFP Technology Division (TEC) and other units, based out of the WFP Headquarters in Rome, as well as colleagues in Country Offices (COs) and Regional Bureaus (RBs) around the world.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
The incumbent, reporting to the Head of Innovative Finance, Frontier Innovations and Venture Launchpad, is expected to:

• Lead AI projects from conception to delivery, ensuring alignment with WFP’s strategic goals in addressing humanitarian and food security challenges while applying project management best practices for impactful outcomes.
• Facilitate discussions and collaboration with WFP colleagues across divisions and external partners to identify opportunities for AI applications in humanitarian contexts, building stakeholder buy-in and support for projects.
• Provide insights and technical inputs to the Frontier Innovation and Accelerator strategy, helping to shape AI initiatives that advance innovative humanitarian responses.
• Prepare analysis and content for various corporate priority topics, including project updates, PowerPoint presentations, and briefs for management meetings, ensuring the information is accurate, clear, and impactful.
• Support the Innovation Accelerator’s core processes, including innovation sourcing, bootcamps, and scale-up initiatives, while contributing to the overall enhancement of WFP’s innovation ecosystem.
• Track project progress using Agile/Scrum methodologies by setting clear objectives, leading regular sprints and stand-ups, and ensuring timely, within-scope delivery for each AI initiative.
• Provide training and mentorship on AI applications to project teams and stakeholders, fostering a knowledge-sharing culture that enhances skills and confidence in AI-driven projects across the organization.
• Collaborate with project teams to identify and secure funding sources for AI initiatives, developing proposals and business cases to support funding requests, and establishing relationships with potential supporters.
• Support the change management process, identifying key stakeholders, assessing the impact of AI projects, and creating strategies to address potential resistance and ensure adoption of AI solutions.
• Conduct risk assessments throughout project cycles, identifying potential barriers, developing mitigation strategies, and regularly evaluating outcomes to optimize future projects. Document successes, challenges, and lessons learned to continuously improve project management practices.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

• Comprehensive project reports detailing progress, outcomes, and lessons learned from AI initiatives, including documentation of methodologies and frameworks.
• Successfully delivered AI solutions that address specific humanitarian challenges, with clear impact assessments and documentation of results.
• Collected and analyzed stakeholder feedback on project effectiveness, with actionable recommendations for future initiatives.
• Facilitated training sessions or workshops to enhance team capacity and promote understanding of AI applications within WFP.
• Developed funding proposals and secured resources for ongoing and future AI projects, ensuring sustainability and scalability of initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Computer Science, Data Science, Economics, Engineering, or a related field; MBA degree is preferred. PMP or Agile/Scrum certifications are a plus.
Experience:
3 to 5 years of project management experience, with at least 3 years focused on humanitarian projects, AI, or data science-related initiatives.
Skills And Expertise:

• Proven track record in successfully driving and delivering projects in fast-paced environments, particularly focused on new business models, start-ups, and innovative initiatives within humanitarian contexts.
• Good understanding of AI technologies and their applications in humanitarian contexts, including data analytics and machine learning.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication abilities, capable of effectively conveying technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, demonstrating a proactive approach to project challenges and opportunities.
• Excellent relationship-building skills, fostering collaboration among stakeholders and team members.
• Ability to navigate rapidly changing environments and effectively manage project scope and objectives.
• Awareness of ethical considerations in AI development, including bias mitigation, fairness, and privacy protection. Basic understanding of responsible AI practices, including data governance and transparency in AI decision-making.
• Sets high standards for project performance and personal work, with a strong focus on achieving meaningful impact for vulnerable populations served by the UN World Food Programme, demonstrating full commitment to the organization's mission and goals.
• Self-motivated and able to work with a high degree of autonomy.
• Sets a high-level of ambition for the project and own work to achieve impact for the vulnerable people we serve.
• Fully committed and motivated to achieve the aims of the UN World Food Programme.
• Mature judgement and experience in working in a multicultural environment.

Languages:
Fluency in oral and written English is mandatory. Intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages) is a plus.