WFP Rome – Business Support Roster – Call for applications

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, physical or mental disability.

Please note this Call for applications will remain open for continuous application; screening and testing will be ongoing.

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.

Powered by the passion, dedication and professionalism of more than 22,000 employees worldwide, the WFP works in over 120 countries and territories to bring life-saving food to people displaced by conflict and made destitute by disasters, and help individuals and communities find life-changing solutions to the multiple challenges they face in building better futures.

Please visit http://www.wfp.org to learn more about WFP's operations.

What is WFP looking for?

WFP is recruiting local administrative/business support staff in the General Service category for short-term assignments up to a maximum of 11 months, after which candidates can receive further contracts after having served a break of at least one month from the organization.

• The Business Support Function at WFP is an essential part of the organisation which provides valued support and assistance to the Programme’s many different divisions.
• The Business Support Roster is a pool of qualified candidates who are available for short-term assignments at WFP Headquarters in Rome, Italy.
• Inclusion into the Roster is for a two-year period, after which candidates need to re-confirm their interest to be re-included. Candidates who are already accepted in the Roster don’t need to apply again.
• Candidates must demonstrate flexibility, and ability to pick up new tasks and procedures quickly, possess a proactive attitude, and be able to handle competing deadlines with a desire to learn.
• Candidates are expected to produce work of a high standard.
• We are looking for candidates who have personal qualities to bring to the organisation which complement and enhance our dynamic and multicultural work environment.
• The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following competencies: client orientation and teamwork, cultural sensitivity, action management, and attention to detail.
• This is an excellent channel through which to enter the organisation on a short-term contract, which will allow you to apply to longer-term opportunities.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Collect, sort, and disseminate correspondence, reports, and other materials to meet the required demands of staff to time standards.
• Respond to simple routine queries with readily available support by senior staff, and escalate where appropriate, to provide a timely and accurate response to enquiries.
• Support the maintenance of office files, documents, and records in accordance with established systems and processes, so that information is current and readily available for staff.
• Undertake standard data entry tasks in accordance with defined systems, to ensure information is organised and readily available.
• Assist in creating simple images or information using standardised templates, such as graphs or tables to support the drafting of reports for staff.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK: COMMON STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOUR

WFP’s work environment is a diverse, dynamic, and satisfying one in which to expand your career. All WFP employees are expected to demonstrate the standards of behaviour described in the WFP Leadership Framework. The framework is made up of five elements, each of which has been further broken down into detailed behaviours that are relevant to all WFP employees, regardless of their position, grade, or location. Candidates’ alignment with these behaviours is assessed in our selection process.

If you are strong at these behaviours, you are likely a good fit with our workplace culture:

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Experience:

• At least two years of relevant business support / administrative work experience.
• Each employment record in the CV should contain a detailed description of the duties performed, including period of the experience (Month/Year) for each, as well as the type of contract (i.e., internship, volunteering, employment, full time/part time etc.).
• Please note that the following kinds of work experience are not considered relevant business support experience:
  • Managerial or consultant experience
  • Marketing, Retail, Sales experience
  • Teaching, Interpretation, Translation experience
  • Internship experience
  • Volunteer experience

Education:

• Completion of secondary school education.

Language:

• Fluency in oral and written English (the English proficiency level will be tested; language requirement is level C).
• Intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages) highly desirable.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Ability to use standard office equipment.
• Ability to follow standard business support processes and procedures.
• Knowledge of standard office software packages, e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Computer knowledge and skills should be recorded under the CV.
• Ability to handle a large volume of work quickly and accurately under time constraints.
• Courtesy, tact, and ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds in a team environment.

Eligibility: Candidates should:

• Live within commuting distance of the office (Via Cesare Giulio Viola, 68/70, 00148 Roma RM) at the time of application. Commuting distance is considered to be: within a 100-kilometer radius or distance that can be covered within 1.5 hours by car or public transport under average conditions of traffic, weather, and roads; and

• Be allowed to work in Italy, i.e., be Italian nationals with a valid passport or identity card; or EU citizens with a valid passport or identity card AND confirmation of registration from the Italian police authorities or Registrar’s Office (Anagrafe); or Non-EU citizens with a valid Italian Resident Permit (renewal slips will not be accepted). For more information on Italian protocol requirements, please refer to http://www.poliziadistato.it/articolo/10930/

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Only candidates who have the profile that WFP is looking for will be contacted.

Successful candidates who move forward to the next stage in the selection process will be invited to for the assessment stage composed of:

• A computer-based assessment administered in a proctored environment aimed to assess the verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, and situational judgment skills; and if successful:
• An English Language exam to evaluate the proficiency level. The English Language requirements is level C. Candidates may be required to undertake one of these English examinations if they don’t have already one of the following English language certificates: UN FAO Exam (level C, 6 skills), TOEIC (level C1, 4 skills), TOEFL (level C1, 4 skills), IELTS (score 7, 4 skills), C1 Advanced or ESOL CAE (level C1, 4 skills), C2 Proficiency or ESOL CPE (level C2, 4 skills), ECPE (level C2, 4 skills) and UNLPE (level C, 4 skills).
• WFP will conduct background checks for successful candidates before confirming the inclusion into the Roster.

Please note:

• Applications should be submitted only through the WFP Career Portal (Ref. 160260).
• Only applications submitted in English will be considered.
• For additional information on the WFP Business Support Roster, please contact wfp.gsbsr@wfp.org.

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.

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