Program Officer, Scaling Innovation Practice

Program Officer, Scaling Innovation Practice

Results for Development (R4D) is a global nonprofit organization working with partners in more than 55 countries to find new ways to help people escape poverty and reach their full potential. We apply fresh thinking and rigor to emerging and stubborn development challenges-particularly within the fields of health, education and governance-and we pioneer and ...

Program Officer, Scaling Innovation Practice

• Job Type Full Time
• Qualification BA/BSc/HND , MBA/MSc/MA
• Experience 3 years
• Location Abuja
• Job Field Project and Program Management
• The Scaling Innovation Practice operates a matrixed resourcing structure, with team members contributing across different programmes and projects in line with their expertise. As an integral member of the Innovation team, the Program Officer may also contribute technical expertise in innovation scaling, innovation ecosystems, and innovation policy and practice across other programmes the portfolio, while leading significant components of the Nigeria programme. The role reports to the Senior Programme Officer based in Abuja
• This position offers the opportunity to work within a highly collaborative and entrepreneurial team, taking ownership of high-profile partnerships and contributing directly to the design and delivery of globally relevant innovation initiatives. Operationally, it is a fast-paced environment, where we deliver high-quality work whilst moving at speed.
• The right person for this role will be entrepreneurial, strategic, and highly organised, with a strong track record of managing multiple projects involving detailed work planning, collaboration across geographically dispersed teams, funder engagement, management of multiple contracts and partnerships, risk management, and production of high-quality deliverables. Experience working in the fields of technology innovation, innovation ecosystems strengthening, responsible AI, or science and technology policy is required.

Responsibilities

• Project / programme management

• Participates fully as a member of R4D by contributing, assisting, and participating in projects, activities, and initiatives as requested by management

• Lead significant components of UK-Nigeria S&T Cluster Partnership and Research-to-Enterprise Pilot, including research into priority sectors, review of international good practice on cluster and research-to-enterprise models, and support to the ecosystem diagnostic process

• Develop and execute personal workplans aligned to overall program delivery timelines. Ensuring the high-quality and timely delivery of innovation activities implemented as agreed in the program workplan.

• Produce high-quality deliverables with light-touch support and guidance from the Senior Program Manager.

• Support data collection for the MEL strategy across all three workstreams, including collection of relevant stakeholder and ecosystem data.

• Proactively manage risks and issues as they arise, proposing next steps and options for resolution.

• Contribute and own the development of funder progress reports and updates.

• Contribute to operational processes such as procurement, budgeting, and resourcing.

• Contribute to internal evaluation of how work is progressing on programmes / projects.

• Technical input

• Conduct rapid research and stakeholder mapping into priority sectors under consideration for the UK-Nigeria S&T Cluster, producing well-evidenced briefs on potential sector rationale and mutual benefit for UK and Nigeria.

• Review draft ecosystem diagnostics and provide