Innovation Manager

CONFIDENTIAL - INTERNAL VACANCY ONLY

Scope: Global

Hours: Fulltime

Reports to: CEO

Team: Directors’Office

Office: All Hivos locations

Provisional grade: ZIM 6,7, KEN 12,13 TUN: 12 CR: 7, NL: 12,13

About the role 

The Innovation Manager works to enhance organizational competitiveness through innovation, technological absorption, and digital transformation. The role promotes a culture of creativity and collaboration across the organization, supports innovation and strategy development, and contributes to feasibility studies and business case preparation as agreed year on year with the CEO and the CLT.

Purpose of the role

The Innovation Manager plays a central role in enabling Hivos’ Ten for Ten strategy by translating strategic priorities into actionable innovation, organizational transformation, and new ways of working. Positioned in the Director’s Office and reporting to the CEO, the role drives and manages cross‑functional initiatives that enhance organizational processes, systems, and strategic decision‑making. This includes leading or supporting high‑impact, cross‑organizational efforts—such as assisting the CEO in strategic processes, integrating financial, programmatic, business development, and communications data into comprehensive strategic monitoring frameworks, enabling the startup of work in new areas, and managing special strategic initiatives, including partnerships. Through these responsibilities, the Innovation Manager helps Hivos test, scale, and institutionalize new approaches, strengthens organizational coherence, fosters creativity, and contributes to continuous improvement and digital transformation across the organization.

Responsibilities and duties

• Support the CEO and CLT in implementing Ten for Ten, translating strategic choices into pilots, roadmaps, and organizational change initiatives.


• Drive cross-functional innovation by collaborating with Programs, BD, External Engagement, Finance/IS, and P&C to test and embed new operating models.


• Lead or support strategic pilots on new funding models, digital engagement, and new forms of partnership or structural alliances.


• Develop and maintain integrated strategic intelligence, including dashboards and monitoring frameworks combining financial, programmatic, BD, and engagement data.


• Coordinate and manage corporate-level innovation projects, ensuring a coherent pipeline and roadmap aligned with strategic goals.


• Promote a culture of innovation by designing and facilitating platforms, sessions, and events that foster creativity and cross-team collaboration.


• Prepare business cases and feasibility studies for new strategic initiatives, mergers, digital transformation projects, and cross-organizational efforts.


• Identify organizational inefficiencies and lead or support change management initiatives to strengthen effectiveness and enable new strategic capabilities.


• Conduct internal and external assessments, including competitor and benchmark analyses, to inform strategic decision-making.


• Recommend updates to organizational policies, standards, and processes to enhance innovation, integration, and continuous improvement.

Skills and competencies

• Strong capability in business case development, feasibility analysis, and strategic justification of new initiatives.


• Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data to support strategic insights and integrated monitoring frameworks.


• Proficiency in strategic planning, organizational development, and cross departmental alignment.


• Expertise in innovation methodologies, digital transformation tools, and change management practices.


• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and complex organizational dynamics.


• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, enabling collaboration with leadership, cross functional teams, and external partners.


• Ability to manage multiple priorities, resources, and stakeholders in fastmoving strategic projects.


• Competence in knowledge management, systems thinking, and leveraging digital tools to support organizational innovation.


• Language skills: Fluent in English. A second language (Dutch, Spanish, Arabic, French) is an asset. 

Education and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in innovation, business, management, development, or related field.


• Demonstrated experience (typically 4–6 years) in innovation, strategy, organizational transformation, or complex change processes, ideally in mission-driven or international organizations.

How to apply

Please submit a cover letter (maximum 1 page) and CV (maximum 2 pages) as soon as possible by clicking the ‘Apply here’ button. Applications are being received until February 3rd 2026 midnight UTC.