United States of America: Innovation Specialist


Title Innovation Specialist
Location Washington DC
Department Name Program Delivery
Pact Overview
Pact Overview
At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. The promise of a healthy life. Of a decent livelihood. Of sustainable natural resources that benefit communities. Now more than ever in its 42-year history, Pact is helping millions of people who are poor and marginalized discover and build their own solutions and take ownership over their future.
Pact enables systemic solutions that allow those who are poor and marginalized to earn a dignified living, be healthy, and take part in the benefits that nature provides. Pact accomplishes this by strengthening local capacity, forging effective governance systems, and transforming markets into a force for development.
Department Overview
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 purpose by:
Empowering Pact to cultivate, harvest and monetize innovation in international development
Creating an enabling internal culture and environment for innovation, creativity and risk
Defining Pact as a thought-leader in innovative thinking
Creating dynamic, unprecedented partnerships leading to groundbreaking discovery
Institutionalizing Human-Centered Design as a core tenant in Pact’s signature methodology
Position Purpose
Strive to cultivate, harvest and monetize innovation throughout the organization. Provide support for Pact’s Innovation Marketplace, champion the use of Human-Centered Design, serve as the technical lead for Pact’s annual Innovation competition and provide program management support to ongoing innovation initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
Human Centered Design
Host internal HCD events to promote and socialize the methodology
Explore external partnerships
Design and develop HCD training materials for Pact staff
Look for opportunities to externally publish Pact’s HCD work and write such articles
Participate in facilitating the Human-Centered Design methodology
Represent the organization at external events
Other activities as discussed
Innovation Marketplace:
Blog on a weekly basis to raise awareness and socialize innovation concepts
Support initiatives that utilizes the marketplace platform
Facilitate and moderate conversation on the marketplace
Update the Marketplace as needed
Annual Innovation Competition:
The Innovation Specialist will manage all aspects of the annual competition including:
Identify an appropriate theme and evaluation criteria
Developing a marketing and communication strategy
Hosting Q&A with COs
Completing an After Action Final report including identifying lessons learned and recommendations for iteration
Survey both competition and participants for quality control purposes
Select a qualified judging panel and coordinate all aspects of the judges participation
Innovation Support:
Flag appropriate funding opportunities
Partner with OD to advise, research, write, edit and submit innovation funding opportunities
Provide program management for developing innovation ideas
Develop a strategy for offering Innovation Grants
Support development and piloting of new innovation methodologies
Other Support:
Work closely with Knowledge Management Team
Work closely with our Program Advancement Team (technical departments) and country offices as appropriate;
Provide strategic counsel to the Innovation Lead for overall strength and growth of Pact’s innovation portfolio;
Track impact and results of aggregated portfolio of innovation projects;
Basic Requirements
Bachelor’s Degree;
At least 4 years of relevant work experience;
Demonstrated knowledge of development domain (and different types of donors);
Demonstrated knowledge of social innovation;
Demonstrated excellence in writing ability;
Proven ability to craft and polish and finalize grant proposals (or similarly complex assignments);
Proven team-oriented, shared-success-oriented professional character;
Strong interpersonal, collaboration, and team building skills
Ability to work independently or in teams
Compliance with policy and procedures and ability to promote compliance
Strong planning and time management skills, ability to handle high-volume, fast-paced work environment and ability to multi-task with ease
Strong written and oral communication skills
Strong customer service skills
Solid research and analytical skills
Attention to detail
Creativity, flexibility, and ability to adapt to change
Good negotiating and conflict resolution/ problem-solving skills
Highest standards of ethics and integrity
Good judgment
Solid understanding of budgets
Competence using common desktop applications
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in the field of knowledge management; advanced organizational innovation practices; networking theory; partnership excellence practices; technology; organizational change management; impact investing and social entrepreneurship;
Fluent English;
Ability to travel internationally;
Tech-savvy professional; versed in various social media platforms
*** Please note that all applicants must apply August 3,2016.
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, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.





EmoticonEmoticon