DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

18 September 2024-23:59-GMT+03:00 East Africa Time (Mogadishu)

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 is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP’s values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

WHY JOIN WFP?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger.

worldwide. The Office of the Country Director (“CD”) provides strategic guidance, policy/technical.

support and direction to WFP operations and activities in the country.

The Somalia Country Office is seeking a highly qualified candidate for the position of Special Assistant to support the Country Director and Deputy Country Directors. Reporting directly to the CD, the Special Assistant will be responsible for providing comprehensive support to ensure the effective management and operations of the Office of the Country Director. This role will also serve as a central point of contact, playing a critical role in facilitating the efficient management of the Office of the CD, facilitating seamless coordination between the CD and all internal and external stakeholders connected to the Country Office.

KEY ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES: Including and not limited to:

Coordination of Activities & Operational Management of the Country Director (CD)’s Office

• Act as key focal point for critical projects led by RB or HQ, such as engaging with the Regional Director’s office ahead of Executive Board or high-level diplomacy meetings.
• Provide operational, planning, managerial and coordination support to the CD on all aspects of the work of the Country Office.
• Review and respond to or draft as appropriate, management reports and correspondence documents and bring matters that need decision to CD’s attention.
• Coordinate, review and/or prepare as appropriate high-quality strategic background documents, talking points and briefs to the CD to ensure availability of all required information for meetings and engagements.
• Attend interagency, governmental, and internal meetings with the CD as required and coordinate follow up actions.

Strategic Plan Alignment & Execution Support: Contribute to the implementation of key strategic initiatives and activities related to operationalization of the Country Strategic Plan (“CSP”) 2022-2025, including: –

• Leading strategic programmatic projects such as school feeding programme redesign, and institutional capacity strengthening scale-up that will strategically position WFP and enhance program quality. This includes developing strategies to revise program design, engaging high-level partners, and coordinating execution across functional areas.
• Provide guidance and change management support for Area Offices to address high priority issues for the Country Office, such as the mitigation of Post-Distribution Aid Diversion and the development of practical implementation initiatives for the Assurance strategies. Facilitate partnership growth, by exploring opportunities to expand existing partnerships and scope of new partners with key interagency, donor, NGO and Government partners that will improve the sustainability of WFP’s activities in Somalia.
• Coordinate activities with functional units to develop and deliver strategies that will advance CSP objectives (i.e. design and implementation of the Nairobi Liaison Office closure and transition plan.
• Proactively develop insights and make recommendations to the Country Director that challenge the status quo based on private sector and NGO experience, including benchmarking activities versus other regions and organizations.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

A wide range of high level technical, professional, and managerial support on strategic and operational support is provided to the Country Director in order to advance the achievement of the CSP.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Advanced University degree in International Relations, Political Science/Economy, International Development, Development Economics, International Relations, or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years of professional experience, including multiple years working with strategy consulting firm(s) and experience in complex emergency contexts.

Knowledge & Skills:

Candidates should have knowledge and skills in the following areas:

• Strategy implementation in partnership with senior leaders,
• Project/initiative design and implementation, including change mgmt., initiative prioritization, and supervising cross-functional teams.
• Quickly conceptualizing and solving complex business problems
• Challenging the status quo with creative solutions
• Strong verbal, written and presentation skills
• A robust analytical skillset (including advanced Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word capabilities)
• Passionate about the humanitarian sector

Languages:

Fluency in oral and written English (Level C) is essential, including strong writing skills

This position is open to qualified international candidates. The candidates must be nationals of a country other than the country of assignment. Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our recruitment process is inclusively crafted to welcome candidates of all backgrounds, celebrating diversity and ensuring a respectful environment for all. We aim for an accessible and fair recruitment journey. Should you need any reasonable accommodations or have accessibility concerns, please reach out to us confidentially at global.inclusion@wfp.org. Our DEI team is here to ensure your full participation in our recruitment process.

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
• Please contact us at wfprecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.