Action Against Hunger-USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network, which provides humanitarian relief in over 40 countries worldwide in the sectors of nutrition, health, water/sanitation, and food security. Action Against Hunger-USA, an independent NGO, currently manages operations in 7 countries: Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Action Against Hunger-USA has over $60 million in programs, and approximately 1,600 permanent staff based in New York City, Washington D.C, Nairobi, and country offices. Additional growth is anticipated.
Summary of Position
As a member of the Action Against Hunger Horn and Eastern Africa Regional Team, the inaugural Knowledge and Innovation Hub Director will establish the first generation design of the Knowledge and Innovation Hub. This includes determining the business model and vetting the initial years of operation. The Director is responsible for the business accounting and innovation protections which may include intellectual property negotiations, patents, and other measures of innovation. S/he provides overall leadership, strategic guidance in the Hub, located in Nairobi servicing the African continent. This is a position that requires both strategic executive level acumen, as well as hands-on implementation. This role is a kin to a start-up, where the director must be part sales, part doer, part finance, part evaluator.
Working in collaboration with the Impact and Resource Mobilization Department at the Headquarters, the director will advance Action Against Hunger’s evidence generation and uptake; boost the organization’s positioning and brand awareness through public private partnerships, external representation, and knowledge products generation and utilization; and mobilize resources to support our country office’s ability to implement impactful, lifesaving and long-term actions at-scale to eliminate hunger and undernutrition
Purpose
The Director as an entrepreneur, and an innovation scout, will build strategic partnerships to facilitate thought leadership, contribute to knowledge and enhance human and institutional capacities of key participants in the humanitarian and the development sector.
Engagement
S/he will engage with academia, other learning institutions, and private sector with a focus on identifying and deepening partnerships at local and regional levels and enabling global North-South collaborations. Internally, S/he will represent Action Against Hunger in relevant regional forums and facilitate linkages across all levels of the organization.
Delivery
S/he will develop and operationalize the vision for the Knowledge and Innovation Hub in a way that (a) aligns with the strategic directions of the organization and (b) comprehensively builds on the strengths of Action Against Hunger. The position holder will develop and implement a self-sustaining business model for operating the Hub.
Specific job roles
Strategically advance Action Against Hunger's evidence generation and uptake by:
Lead/support the acquisition of awards to strengthen country offices to implement impactful, life-saving and long-term actions at-scale