Organizational Context
The IFRC Solferino Academy aims to challenge and inspire the way people work, think, act and connect. It supports the IFRC network in transforming to be more fit for future and capable of thriving through the complex and dynamic changes occurring throughout the world in order to more effectively meet humanitarian and development challenges.
We do this in alignment with the transformation priorities of the IFRC Strategy 2030 and the IFRC Agenda for Renewal. The Academy is composed of three pillars: Leadership, a Think Tank and Innovation. While each of these areas is presented as distinct components, in reality all Solferino Academy initiatives address each of these three areas and are deeply interconnected. Our three areas of focus are;
We help leaders transform for the future
We support leadership in all its forms to develop the capabilities and insights needed to lead transformation, adaptation and to build systems and cultures for change.
We are a Think Tank for the IFRC Network
We provide platforms for new thinking and approaches where National Societies can learn from others and strengthen their own strategies and transformation processes.
We catalyse and promote Innovation
We develop initiatives that help promote innovation and the enabling environments necessary for it to thrive in our network.
The Consultant Global Innovation Initiatives will work within the Solferino Academy initiative and is remote-based, with some travel anticipated for the role.
Job Purpose
In 2026 the IFRC Solferino Academy is continuing to support National Societies to develop approaches to leadership systems and capabilities, innovation and strategic foresight that will lead to greater anticipation, agility and capacity for transformation. This role will work with National Societies, particularly their leadership, strategy and policy experts as well as middle management responsible for youth and volunteers, through a variety of forums and initiatives.
The role will act as the global coordinator for the IFRC Limitless initiative, a major youth leadership and innovation initiative of the IFRC. This involves significant program coordination tasks and the management of a large range of partners, volunteers and staff, and significant collaboration with National Societies and other IFRC teams.
The role will provide training, coaching and advisory services through the Innovation Support Systems initiative to help NSs develop their tools, methodologies and organisational culture that will enable greater innovation particularly in youth and volunteers. The program particularly targets middle management and some senior management alongside volunteer and youth leaders.
The role also provides advisory and capability building support for a small number of National Societies to adopt and utilise strategic foresight approaches to strategy, planning and policy formulation to ensure their approaches are more resilient to volatile and uncertain environments. The role will provide training, coaching and support identifying and using tools.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
Limitless and the Innovation Support System
- With project partners and Solferino Academy and IFRC staff, ensure the implementation of the Limitless program incorporating priorities and initiatives of the donors into the program where appropriate.
- Alongside the wider Solferino Academy team and wider IFRC teams, mobilise technical and content partners to assist in the development of content for the Limitless program, ensuring diversity of content and partners and high-quality inputs to the program delivery. In particular ensure that the content for the WhatsApp micro learning education initiative continues to be developed and deployed successfully for young people participating in the program. Mobilising technical experts to create the content, adapt it to digital formats and testing it with audiences to ensure effective engagement.
- Coordinate closely with computer science professors and students within our university partners to ensure that digital platforms are continuously iterated and deployed for the program. Support them to develop automated elements that provide greater efficiency in program management, greater user experience, and more sophisticated intelligence and insights into participants needs and experiences.
- Manage the overall partnerships with the universities alongside the head of the solferino academy.
- Following established processes and with the support of team members, manage a pool of volunteers (at least 400) that will ensure effective mentoring and coaching support for young people within the program, that is tailored to each of their individual needs and supports them in delivery of their projects. Coordinate also a small but dedicated pool of approximately 50 volunteer-based coordinators to support the work of these coaches and mentors and to provide overall guidance to the initiative.
- Coordinate and lead the work of any additional staff/consultants (2-3) working on the program.
- Support the communications team in the Solferino Academy to promote the limitless projects and the young people implementing them, ensuring appropriate recognition of donors, but also strong engagement within the IFRC network of the videos produced by youth.
- Along with colleagues in the Solferino Academy and following established procedures, ensure that monitoring processes are effectively implemented to enable effective evaluation and reporting.
- Provide coaching and expert guidance to a small number (1-3) of National Societies in establishing youth and volunteer innovation programs, drawing on the experiences of Limitless and other youth innovation initiatives. Ensure these NSs have access to the tools they need to test and implement new approaches including developing existing solferino academy tools.
- Source and engage external experts who can provide specialised innovation support to the NSs.
Global Think Tanks
- Drawing on the materials, design and tools established by the Solferino Academy, lead the implementation of innovation elements of the program if required, for senior leaders participating in leadership initiatives with solferino academy.
- Ensure robust evaluation of the initiative that draws insights and areas for improvement for subsequent initiatives and provide a report advising the solferino academy of these recommendations.
- Provide specialist innovation and foresight advice to solferino academy team members developing and leading additional think tank initiatives, particularly the Coordinator of Leadership Development.
Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)
Strategic Foresight
- In response to requests support the team to develop and implement a plan of support that will assist NSs to embed strategic foresight approaches in their strategy development and planning approaches, and where possible in their policy formulation.
- Ensure the support is tailored to the specific context of the NSs, taking into account their contexts, aims, objectives and current capacities and strengths and that aligns with the approaches of other IFRC teams.
- As required, advise and provide ongoing coaching for the NS during the design and implementation stages of their strategy or planning processes, assisting them to effectively explore foresight scenarios, source data and insights on potential futures and to robustly explore implications for the organisations strategies and the communities they support.
Reporting to
Innovation Lead and Head of Solferino Academy.
Time period
05 August 2026 to 23 December 2026 (95 days).
Experience
Required
- Experience managing and leading major global programs specifically in the humanitarian sector.
- Substantial expertise and experience in humanitarian innovation programs that support youth/volunteer ideas, particularly through grant and peer-based support mechanisms.
- Experience working at global scale and familiarity with the complexity of supporting highly diverse youth and program managers working with youth across multiple languages and regions.
- Experience with futures and foresight methodologies, particularly workshops and training programs to help leaders consider strategic foresight approaches in their own organisations.
- Experience advising organisations on utilising and embedding strategic foresight approaches for strategy development, operational planning and policy formulation.
- Experience with learning, insights and experimentation with innovation accelerators, incubators and social entrepreneurship approaches.
- Experience and strong capability in managing, leading and inspiring staff to work collaboratively on projects with demanding deliverables.
Knowledge, Skills and Languages
Required
- Deep understanding of and ability to connect well into the RCRC network across all regions, in particular with senior leaders such as Secretaries General and Presidents.
- Very strong capacity to liaise with multiple stakeholders and manage relationships and formal partnerships effectively
- Strong external innovation/social entrepreneurship/youth/Foresight networks
- Ability to communicate effectively in English and at least one other language of the IFRC
- Able to start immediately and work according to tight timelines on multiple projects.
- Excellent written and oral communication, organizational and presentation skills.
- Strong marketing, communications and community engagement skills.
- Proactive attitude to problem solving. “Can do attitude”.
- Highly creative, dynamic and flexible.
- Knowledge of and ability to keep up with trends and practices in innovation and all technical aspects related to this.
- Ability to work as a part of a team and with multiple stakeholders and partners.
- Excellent cross-cultural knowledge and understanding.
Competencies, Values and Comments
Application Instruction
Please submit your application in English only.
