Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Technical Solutions Consultant

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and / or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. We are currently seeking to fill an Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Technical Solutions Consultant position in the Innovation Division, based in Munich, Germany.

Brief description of WFP Innovation Accelerator, INNA :

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline agency fighting hunger. WFP reaches more than 100 million people every day - delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with smallholder farmers, communities, and governments to improve nutrition and build resilience.

The WFP Innovation Accelerator was named by Fast Company as Most Innovative Non-Profit Organization 2021 for its work in identifying, nurturing, and scaling disruptive start-ups and innovations to end global hunger. Based in Munich, Germany, the Innovation Accelerator provides WFP employees and start-ups with funding, hands-on support, and access to WFP’s global operations. Through the Accelerator, WFP is leveraging unprecedented advances in digital innovation - such as mobile technology, artificial intelligence, and blockchain - and new business models to transform the way it serves vulnerable communities across the world. In 2023, Accelerator supported innovations that positively impacted the lives of more than 60.7 million people globally. The Accelerator runs programmes with external partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Austrian Development Agency, and others.

More information here : and

The Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Technical Solutions Consultant will join the Frontier Innovations team, which is part of the Innovative Finance, Frontier Innovations and Venture Launchpad at the WFP Innovation Accelerator. The Frontier Innovations team actively seeks new ways of delivering humanitarian assistance by exploring cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and others.

The incumbent will both develop own solutions as well as support the technical aspects of pilot delivery which will put to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies to catalyze maximum impact at WFP. The role demands the ability to both assess and communicate the technical value of AI technologies to business stakeholders, while applying them to solve complex problems in the field. Lastly, the consultant will be supporting the scouting for and building collaborations with AI thought leaders and organizations. The role is based in Munich but may require travel to the Headquarters (HQ), to work and liaise with the WFP Technology Division (TEC), and other units, based out of the WFP Headquarters in Rome as well as colleagues in Country Offices (COs) and Regional Bureaus (RBs) around the world.

General Information :

Job title :  Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Technical Solutions Consultant

Unit :  WFP Innovation Accelerator (INNA)

Country :  Germany

Duty Station :  Munich

Initial contract duration :  5 months (extendable)

Expected Start Date :  01.08.2024 (estimated)

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

The incumbent, reporting to the AI Portfolio Tech Lead, is expected to :

1. Drive the responsible development of selected AI & ML based software solutions from ideation to pilot implementation (Technology Readiness Level 5-6) via the WFP AI Sandbox :

• Use available tools and expertise to develop lightweight technology prototypes to test research hypotheses.
• Develop architecture standards, templates, and principles for WFP Innovation Accelerator AI projects in line with corporate standards and present them to the WFP IT Architectural Board for endorsement.
• Map solution design to WFP Enterprise Architecture standards and reference architectures.
• Collaborate with all necessary stakeholders, including business and IT roles, to gather needed input to derive, develop and document an agreed upon solution.
• Drive the project team in applicable operational and procurement processes linked to the projects, as needed.
• Provide guidance on applying agile project management methods (e.g., Scrum, Kanban) in projects, as required.
• Provide effort estimations for software development and appropriate project delivery.
• Liaise with the TEC Division to provide WFP Innovation Accelerator, internal and external stakeholders and vendors with appropriate software-development infrastructure and access to WFP.

2. Present and provide technical insights linked to AI & ML concepts to WFP AI Sandbox, peers across WFP (HQ, RBs and COs) and external stakeholders in order to introduce and explain the technology and foster appropriate use-case ideas :

3. Support the overall Innovation Accelerator operations :

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education : Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, (Applied) Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning or equivalent. Master’s degree is a plus. Certifications in software architecture (CITA-P, SOA, or alike) is also a plus.

Experience : At least 5 years of experience in a technical role such as software development of which 3 years in Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning product management role or equivalent.

Languages : Fluency in oral and written English is mandatory. Intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages) is considered advantageous.

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Technical skills and expertise

Specific AI frameworks and libraries experience

AI-related software engineering skills

AI deployment and productization familiarity

Knowledge of AI ethics and responsible AI practices

REQUIRED SKILLS | WFP COMPETENCIES