Head of Office CST Level 2 | Bunia | DRC

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JOB TITLE:	Head of Office, Bunia – DRC
TYPE OF CONTRACT:	International consultancy
GRADE:	Level 2
DUTY STATION (City, Country):	Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo
DURATION:	11 months
NUMBER OF POSITION:	1

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.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) 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 nutrition food they need.

DRC is one of the largest hunger crisis in the world. Hunger and conflict fuel one another, with armed conflict and widespread displacement prevailing for the past 25 years and multiple other crises compounding DRC’s humanitarian challenges. North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri are the provinces where war and unrest have been the most protracted. Three out of every four internally displaced people live with host families, many of whom were already just scraping by before taking in strangers in need. The number of acutely food-insecure people stands at 27 million, making access to food a daily struggle for a significant part of the Congolese population. An estimated 3.4 million children are acutely malnourished.

The escalating insecurity situation in Eastern DRC is worsening the humanitarian situation in the region. Information compiled by OCHA and its partners indicates that increased fighting in Ituri, Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu has resulted into millions of people being in urgent need of life-saving food assistance.

Considering these challenging circumstances, WFP is using various approaches/modalities and methods to be able to provide food assistance to the displaced persons. These modalities include CBT, capacity strengthening as well as general food distribution, school feeding, resilience activities etc..

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Country Director, the Head of Office in Bunia will 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.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES (not all inclusive):

The incumbent will be responsible for the following key duties:

1. Manage and lead WFP field operations within the area of assignment to ensure timely and effective deployment of food assistance programmes.
2. Hold accountability for the deployment of CO initiatives, policies and strategies.
3. Effectively manage the Field Office to ensure transparent and efficient people management and the continued development of a cohesive and high performing team.
4. Ensure efficient use of financial resources for achievement of set objectives and are in line with agreed plans, and any deviations are reported to the Country Office.
5. Hold accountability for the 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. Collaborate with governments and other partners in identifying where food assistance can be usefully deployed at the local level and provide 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. Develop and coordinate data gathering and monitoring systems and conduct timely monitoring and evaluation activities.
8. Hold accountability and/or prepare accurate and comprehensive analysis and reports on WFP operations and performance with regular and timely submission for Country Office review to identify programme support requirements and inform operational planning and decisions.
9. Forge and nurture external partnerships to improve assistance packages and support complementary strategies; identify potential areas for collaborative approaches and initiatives.
10. Develop and sustain liaison with local government authorities, international and local NGOs, UN agencies, donors, civil society, beneficiaries and other partners and media engaged in the field of food security.
11. 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.
12. Other as required.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

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
Professional Experience:	5 years or more of postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience (both in the field and Headquarters) in nutrition, public health management, development projects, emergency assistance, and/ or operational aspects of national, bilateral or multilateral food security and nutrition assistance.
Knowledge & Skills:	Has developed, or supported in the development of, multi-discipline work plans to support the achievement of WFP strategic aims within a defined area. Has gained experience in 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 analyzing political situations, assessing risk accurately and supporting managers and leaders in decision making that is sensitive to this. Gained broader exposure across areas within a function (i.e., policy, programme etc.) Has gained experience managing mid-size financial budgets, balancing multiple priorities effectively. Has experience leading a mid-size to large team to ensure the effective delivery of objectives. Participated in a vendor/government/ partner negotiation in support of broad function or Country Office requirements. Participated in a moderately complex emergency operation/ development programme. Has experience with security co-ordination and compound management within a mid-size area.
Languages:	Fluent in French Language oral and written (Level C) Fluent in English Language oral and written (Level B)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

04/12/2022

Ref.: VA (178401)

Kindly note the only documents you 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.

For candidates who experience problems accessing WFP E-recruitment platform and need accommodations in applying, please contact [email protected] mentioning the VA number in the subject line.

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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