WFP seeks to recruit a Head of Field Office STP P4 – Dollo Addo, Ethiopia 

Abou WFP :

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

Standard minimum qualifications :

Education: Advanced University degree in Economics, International Development, Social Sciences or other related field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.
Language: Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or WFP’s working language, Portuguese.

Organizational context :

These jobs are found in the large Field Offices with operations of high complexity. Job holders report to the Country or Deputy Country Director, or Head of Area Office P5.

Job purpose :

To lead and manage a large WFP Field Office to ensure the effective and efficient management of human and financial resources and delivery of WFP programs and activities. A large emphasis is placed upon building and maintaining relationships with local governments, UN agencies, donors and other partners in the area to reinforce WFP’s visibility.

Key Accountabilities (not all-inclusive) :

1. Contribute to the development of Country strategies, policies and programmes to ensure that local needs inform country-wide planning ;
2. Support promotion and deployment of WFP’s corporate/CO initiatives, strategies and directions ;
3. Hold accountability for effective management of WFP operations within the area of assignment to ensure timely and effective deployment of food assistance programmes ;
4. Effectively manage the Field Office to ensure transparent and efficient people management and the continued development of a cohesive and high performing team ;
5. Ensure efficient use of financial resources for achievement of set objectives ;
   6. Hold accountability for security of WFP staff, operations, premises and assets in the Field Office to ensure that WFP security and safety standards are locally set and followed. Actively participate and contribute to the Area Security Management Team (ASMT) ;
6. Hold accountability for close collaboration with governments and other partners in identifying where  assistance can be usefully employed at the local level and ensure provision of support and technical expertise for the planning, formulation and implementation of food assistance programmes, including advice on the context-specific transfer modalities (food, cash or vouchers) ;
7.  Hold accountability for timely monitoring and evaluation activities and for accurate and comprehensive analysis and reports on WFP operations and performance to inform operational planning and decisions ;
8. Forge and nurture external partnerships to improve assistance packages, develop and sustain liaison with local government authorities, international and local NGOs, civil societies, UN agencies, donors, beneficiaries and other partners and media engaged in the field of food security ;
9. Engage with beneficiaries, inspect storage places and points where WFP commodities are received, in order to ensure compliance with WFP policies and that progress is made in the achievement of project objectives ;
10. Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men ;
11. Other as required.

4Ps Core organisational capabilities :

Purpose :

• Utilizes understanding of WFP’s Strategic Objectives to communicate linkages to team objectives and work ;
• Proactively identifies and develops new methods or improvements for self and immediate team to address work challenges within own work area ;
• Identifies opportunities to further align individual contributions with WFP’s mission of making an impact on local communities ;
• Helps colleagues to see the link between their individual tasks and the contributions of their unit’s goals to the broader context of WFP’s mission.

People :

• Is able to identify, support and encourage focused on-the-job learning opportunities to address gaps between current skillsets and needed future skillsets for WFP ;
• Recognizes the contributions of teammates, and encourages contributions from culturally different team mates to recognise the value of diversity above and beyond just including it in programming for beneficiaries ;
• Provides and solicits ongoing constructive feedback on strengths and development opportunities to help develop individual skills, whilst also helping others identify areas for improvement ;
• Sets clear targets for self and others to focus team efforts in ambiguous situations (e.g., unprecedented issues and/or scenarios).

Performance :

• Thinks beyond team’s conventional approaches to formulate creative methods for delivering food aid and assistance to beneficiaries ;
• Maintains focus on achieving individual results in the face of obstacles such as volatile or fragile environments and/or organizational roadblocks ;
• Takes personal accountability for upholding and delivering upon team’s commitments and provides assurance to stakeholders ;
• Demonstrates ability to adjust to team’s plans and priorities to optimize outcomes in light of evolving directives, while also responding quickly in high-pressure environments, such as in emergency settings.

Partnership :

• Connect and share across WFP units: Demonstrates an understanding of when and how to tactfully engage other units in conversations on impact, timing, or planning ;
•  Build strong external partnerships: Networks regularly with key external partners using formal and informal opportunities to understand each partner’s unique value proposition, and to build and strengthen relationships ;
•  Be politically agile & adaptable: Demonstrates ability to adapt engagement approach in the context of evolving partner circumstances and expectations. Effectively serves as the public face of WFP by building personal connections and rapport with strategic external partners and proactively identifying and seizing opportunity to constantly re-align partnership with evolving internal and external environments ;
•  Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Demonstrates ability to articulate to internal and external audiences the value that individual contributions and immediate teams bring to partnerships. Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships Expertly illustrates WFP’s unique ability to build resilience and strengthen the capacity of governments and communities in order to influence and negotiate with strategic partners.

 

Functional capabilities :

Capability Name	Description of the behaviour expected for the proficiency level
Strategy & Planning	Demonstrates advanced knowledge of national and international socio-political issues, WFP programmes and overall country strategic objectives. Plans, directs and expertly manages the implementation of programmes in area of responsibility to ensure effective and timely delivery of aid to beneficiaries.
Operations	Utilises understanding of country operations and supply chain network in the local area to address WFP’s operational challenges (e.g., dangerous transportation conditions, supplier scarcities, changing tax laws). Proactively manages work streams across functions and ensures their effective operational delivery. Ensures optimal operational processes and procedures are in place within country operations that support broader inter-agency efforts.
Resource	Advocates for WFP’s fundraising initiatives, taking ownership of the achievement of organisation wide targets, innovating new approaches and coaching other leaders.  Applies knowledge of financial planning, budgeting and forecasting to contribute to the development of budget setting parameters, overseeing and holding ultimate accountability for delivery of budgets within area of responsibility.
Diplomacy	Leverages expert negotiation, networking and diplomacy skills to build relationships with other agencies, donors and local government officials to drive operational activities which are of strategic importance to WFP’s mission, within their area of operation. Maintains and strategically builds contacts with key stakeholders providing quantifiable evidence of WFP’s impact in building sustainable food programmes. Uses formal and informal opportunities to leverage networks to influence outcomes that are aligned with WFP’s mandate.
People Management	Engages with and manages people so that they are highly effective in their roles and teams. Uses human resource strategy, processes and practices and open communication, to create a culture of high-performance, accountability and empowerment. Is able to resolve conflicts between people, influence other’s behaviour and align people toward a common vision. Upholds WFP’s values and approaches to the effective management of people, and uses human resources support to continuously improve their people management practices.

Other specific job requirements :

This section is optional to describe additional responsibilities & knowledge required for the specific job.

Desired experiences for entry into the role :

• Has developed, or supported in the development of, complex and multi-discipline work plans to support the achievement of WFP strategic aims within a broad area ;
• Has gained substantial experience in complex field operations, preferably in a hardship duty station or emergency situation ;
• Has field experience via field rotations or working in a sub-office, and through field postings ;
• Gained experience of extensively analysing complex political situations, assessing risk accurately and inputting assessments into Area or Country Office risk assessments ;
• Gained broader exposure across areas within a function (i.e. policy, programme etc.) ;
• Has gained experience managing large financial budgets, balancing multiple complex priorities effectively.
• Has experience leading a large, multi-discipline team to ensure the effective delivery of objectives ;
• Participated in a complex vendor/government/ partner negotiation in support of Country, Regional or Functional level strategic plans ;
• Participated in a large-scale emergency operation/ development programme ;
•  Has broad experience with security co-ordination and compound management within a larger area.

 

Applly here