Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer (N-22-122)

The International Potato Center (CIP) is searching an outstanding and experienced candidate as Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer for our hosted organization, the Wyss Academy for Nature.

The Wyss Academy for Nature (WA) at the University of Bern s vision is to achieve a just and sustainable world in which nature conservation and human wellbeing reinforce each other. We are a place of innovation, where research, business, policymakers, practitioners and communities come together to co-design solutions for sustainable futures. Our goal is to research, develop, and implement innovative solutions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, land use change and rising inequality by connecting technical, social, economic, institutional and policy innovations at the interface of nature and people. The WA comprises four regional hubs, one each in Europe (Switzerland), South America (Peru), East Africa (Kenya), and Southeast Asia (Laos).

About the role: the selected candidate will support each of the Wyss Academy SAM hub s projects to incorporate the entrepreneurial dimension and contribute to the development of innovative solutions for sustainable futures. The Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer will be based in Lima, Peru and report to the Regional Stewardship Hub South America Director.

Key responsibilities:

• Contribute to the ideation of new solutions for identified people and nature challenges in the existing and future South America Hub s programmes.
  
• Support the preparation of project deliverables linked with social entrepreneurship activities, including, when is relevant, the development of business plans and financial analysis.
  
• Monitor and identify suitable innovation trends and business opportunities within the market related with the Wyss Academy s portfolio in the South America Hub.
  
• Support SAM Hub s projects in the implementation of the innovation and entrepreneurship activities.
  
• Recognize promising ideas and find creative ways to introduce them into the future project planning; At the same time discard ideas that are ineffective, costly or beyond the scope of the Wyss Academy s mission or abilities to develop.
  
• Conduct due diligence on the capabilities of partners and evaluate the various alternatives for venture, adoption, and/or growth.
  
• Assist the Hub Director and Senior Advisor in mapping opportunities for start-up creation derived from the Hub s programme portfolio.
  
• Analyze and document innovations and scaling outcomes derived from Wyss Academy work in the region.
  
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to enhance innovative thinking around the Wyss Academy in South America and globally.
  
• Contribute to the expansion on Wyss Academy s long-term innovation capabilities.
  
• Comply with applicable health and safety CIP policies and procedures.
  
  

Requirements

What are we looking for?

• Master Degree or PhD (desirable) in business, management, social entrepreneurship, environmental entrepreneurship, innovation science or other related fields.
  
• 8 years of professional experience in similar positions.
  
• High proficiency and prior experience in design and delivery of entrepreneurship support.
  
• Strong experience working with universities and private sector for identifying and promoting innovations and young talent.
  
• Experience working across disciplines, cultures and with stakeholders at all levels.
  
• Experience on innovation systems analysis and leading co-creating processes is an asset.
  
• Experience with stakeholder engagement and policy dialogue is an asset.
  
• Studies on participatory and agile design methodologies.
  
• Knowledge on patenting process or other forms of IP protection in the region is an asset.
  
• Competences: An outstanding listener and communicator, strong teamworking skills and independence, proactivity, creativity, self-motivation with excellent interpersonal communication skills.
  
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in Spanish and English both written and oral.
  

Benefits

What are we offering?

• Great career opportunity in an international organization.
  
• Generous compensation package commensurate with experience.
  
• One-year term contract with the possibility of renewal.
  
• Work in an equal and diverse workplace.