Panda Lab Taskforce recruits an innovation catalyst to work with LAC
Posted on February, 05 2021
Panda Labs Taskforce is looking to recruit an e-volunteer as innovation catalyst to work closely with the Regional Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) office.
Position: Innovation Catalyst (Panda Labs Taskforce - Volunteer) – Regional Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)Duration:3-6 months
Reporting To: LAC Program Officer
Base: Virtual / Remote
Responsibilities:
- Support the organization and coordination of the Regional A-Team by articulating innovation goals and identifying key needs; ensure these connect to the regional and its country office’s strategy and contribute to broader WWF conservation goals.
- Develop a regional actionable plan to build the skills needed to achieve local innovation goals, including accessing internal capacity building opportunities, tailored coaching, and connecting with partners.
- Support the replication of Innovation efforts that have been carried out by offices to support the actionable plan in building capacity.
- Guide and assist regional hubs to ‘map’ a regional innovation ecosystem; identify key potential partners and facilitate connections.
- Help develop resources and materials that describe local Panda Labs work and opportunities, that can be used to attract additional resources and/or form new partnerships.
- As needed, connect the team to available relevant resources on innovation and processes such as Design Thinking, and other tools that can be used to guide the development of innovative solutions.
- Understand and support regional ‘solution’ development goals, and provide coaching to assist the team to co-create solution(s), including: ideation with the ‘right’ partners at the table, conducting empathy work, developing and testing ‘minimum viable product’ (MVP) and prototypes, validating solutions and business plans.
- Backstop: help ‘think through’ solution development goals, articulate needs, and seek support.
- Promote a ‘networking’ and ‘partnership’ approach to solving challenges and seeking support; forming strategic alliances with key allies.
- Support in networking and pursuing opportunities to connect with potential partners in the local innovation ecosystem, and/or around the particular solution-challenge topic area.
- Catalyze local innovation to develop solutions, with your enthusiasm, fresh perspective and support - help the local team as they launch their local innovation journey, to develop solutions to top local conservation challenges!
- Degree in relevant field (e.g.: entrepreneurship, innovation, business, technology, marketing, conservation, design or other related field)
- Innovation background / experience with Design Thinking and Partnership Development, action-based learning and innovation processes, rapid prototyping, emerging technologies, market research, business modelling, project management, lean startup or social entrepreneurship;
- Ability to inspire, excite and engage people in experimentation and unleashing their potential to innovate. This is your next mission.
- Networking and partnership mindset and demonstrated ability to support collaborative action.
- Open to work in a virtual, global team that is still locally rooted; working on specific problems but still connecting the dots.
- Interest to work with entrepreneurs, partners, NGOs and other stakeholders, understanding their needs and creating opportunities for collaboration.
- Flexibility - able to adapt, operate with uncertainty, and ‘do what it takes’ to get work done.
- Self-reliant + passionate to tackle environmental challenges; and excited to do so!
- Basic computer skills and technical ability to use Word / Excel / Gdrive programs.
- Excellent written and verbal communication in English and Spanish.
- Professional communication styles; excellent writer and communicator, able to adapt to audiences
- (Virtual) public speaking skills and presentations may be required;
- Enthusiastic and a self-starter, enjoys working with people, positive and flexible attitude,
and problem-solving/ critical thinking skills; - Able to work remotely with different cultures and on simultaneous projects;
- Time management and task prioritization is required
PANDA LABS - VIRTUAL, VOLUNTEER TASKFORCE
ROUND 3 (2021) - ROLE DESCRIPTIONS
Be a part of the exciting start-up phase of an ambitious, global innovation initiative that aims to accelerate and scale community-driven innovative solutions to protect the future of people and the planet.
Panda Labs is WWF’s decentralized innovation lab. It is part of one of the largest conservation NGOs in the world, and has been developed closely with the Impact Hub Global team to build up an innovation ecosystem for impact. This is a unique opportunity to truly support global collaboration on the most urgent environmental challenges using innovation as the main tool in your tool kit.
Imagine waking up every morning, ready to take on important work in an organization that has the potential to change the world. You will be part of a global team working with WWF offices in Europe, East-Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America and Internationally, and with external partners at multiple levels.
This role offers lots of freedom and room for creativity to design and run innovative processes and to help build your career protecting the future of nature and people.
Especially at this transitional time for the world, with so many people ‘stuck’ at home and wondering about next steps - this role is an excellent opportunity to share your time and skills in support of meaningful conservation work, while also building your own skill-set and gaining valuable experience that will help you in your next chapter of professional growth!
Location: Virtual Opportunity: Volunteer Start: end March / early April)
Commitment: 3-6 months (ideally 6 months); full-time or close (flexible timing negotiable)
Commitment: Full-Time preferred (flexible timing can be negotiable)
2021 Roles: There are 8 exciting Panda Labs - Virtual Volunteer Taskforce Roles, open:
- Innovation Catalyst - Romania
- Innovation Catalyst - Bulgaria
- Innovation Catalyst - Myanmar
- Innovation Catalyst - Ecuador
- Innovation Catalyst - Regional Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
- Communications Support Officer
- Community Builder
- Wildlife Credits - Innovation Support (3 months)
Panda Labs is WWF’s decentralized innovation community for social and environmental impact
The scale of global environmental and social challenges continues to increase, while global megatrends continue to create opportunities for new, scalable solutions. WWF has responded to these challenges and trends by launching Panda Labs, positioning WWF as a key player harnessing technology and innovation for impact, and redesigning our ways of working to create impact at scale. We must recognise that historical approaches have won some battles, but ultimately we must do more to ‘win the war’ against global environmental and social challenges we face today. This means we must be prepared to take risks, to innovate, and to embrace technology in order to bend the curve on some of the greatest environmental and social challenges humanity has ever faced.
Panda Labs is a global community that connects and supports innovators around the world, aggregates and promotes WWFs transformative innovation capabilities and projects to influential partners and funders. We have developed an innovation methodology focused on Design Thinking and collaboration to enable ambitious and scalable solutions for WWF’s conservation priorities. We follow a process to build the capabilities of WWF network offices, linking innovation projects where applicable and avoiding unnecessary duplication and scale successful solutions leveraging WWF’s unique assets.
Why apply?
- Gain valuable practical experience with a global leading conservation organization;
- Learn valuable skills (around communications, fundraising, partnerships and/or
innovation, as well as environmental conservation work and community engagement); - Apply your skills and enthusiasm to make a meaningful difference in the world - we
need your help, now, to bring change and impacts that help people and the planet!
- Opportunity to participate in a team of virtual volunteers, linked to a wider global network, putting your skills and energy towards tasks that help local teams around the world develop innovative solutions to top conservation challenges!
- Opportunity to create impact through innovation and collaborate globally with different country offices to scale environmental impact;
- Gain an in-depth understanding of integrating innovation within an organization;
- Working in an inclusive and diverse environment that offers multiple learning opportunities;
- Familiarize yourself in topics of innovation, design thinking, impact investment, partnership development, conservation finance, etc.