Head, Operational Access Support P4, EME, Rome, Italy

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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.

Do you have experience in programme and operation management and you are interested in further developing your professional experience while contributing to ending global hunger? Are you passionate about helping those in need? Would you like to join a global organisation investing in its people?

If so, an exciting & fulfilling career awaits you!!! Join our diverse and passionate team that works on varied and international projects directly contributing to saving & changing millions of lives around the globe.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications must be submitted by Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023 (11:59 PM CET)

WHO WE ARE

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) , a highly prestigious, reputable & world’s largest humanitarian organization, operating in more than 120 countries and territories, bringing life-saving assistance in emergencies, building pathways to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change and supporting sustainable and resilient livelihoods for a world with zero hunger.

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 US?

• 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 trainings, 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 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 attractive compensation package (please refer to Terms and Conditions section)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Humanitarian access is critical in the effective response to food security and nutrition crises in complex and conflict affected environments. The current humanitarian operational environment is characterized by more frequent natural disasters, increasingly protracted conflicts, and a rising number of episodic instabilities. Due to its mandate and expansive operational footprint, WFP regularly operates in complex contexts where conflict driven food insecurity is proliferating, and where natural disasters and pandemics are devastating, contributing to an increasingly complex operational environment. These drivers of increasing food security and nutritional crises also contribute to humanitarian access constraints.

As crises multiply, the demands on humanitarian actors to strengthen corporate and field level capacities to obtain, expand and maintain access is increasing. WFP has adopted the Corporate Approach to Access (CAA) which formalizes and strengthens the practice and implementation of Humanitarian Access across its operations. The Emergencies Operations (EME) Division amplifies the CCA through the Operational Access Support function which takes a focused role in building and sustaining operational access capacities at Regional Bureaux (RB) and Country Office (CO) level and providing direct and tailored operational access support to WFP operations. It collaborates with, and complements the efforts of, other functional Divisions such as Supply Chain, Security, Legal and Programme, as well as WFP Partners and sister Agencies.

THE ROLE

The Operational Access function aims to ensure that there is a principled, coordinated, coherent, innovative, and predictable humanitarian access that enables the implementation of WFP programmes, with the aim of maximizing access to humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable populations in complex contexts where WFP operates.

The Head of Operational Access provides leadership to the Operational Access team with the aim of supporting RBs and COs to enhance understanding of, and capacity for, Humanitarian Access. The position will contribute to building and sustaining operational access capacities at RBs and COs in addition to overseeing the provision of support to WFP Operations through surge deployments, development of access strategies, contextual analysis and information management, provision of normative guidance, and promoting inter-agency coordination to enhance collective humanitarian access.

The position is based in Rome, Italy and reports to the Chief, Operational Access & Humanitarian-Military Interaction.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Provide guidance and support to Regional Bureaux (RBx) and Country Offices (COs) in the establishment, development, and maintenance of a sustained operational access capacity.
• Lead the development of a valid and reliable analytical framework and methodology to enable efficient monitoring, reporting, and tracking of the humanitarian access environment.
• Actively engage with RBx and COs for the establishment of the operational access monitoring tool.
• Lead the regularly monitoring, contextual analysis and reporting on humanitarian access situation, including an assessment and projection of factors affecting humanitarian access in WFP areas of operation.
• Participate in joint EME preparedness and response planning and exercises, providing input into scenarios, possible access challenges/ dilemmas as well as operational access options.
• Prepare and/ or provide presentations and briefings to WFP personnel, donors, and partners on operational and access issues.
• Conduct and/ or coordinate research studies on operational access, dilemmas, and other relevant areas which will deepen understanding of humanitarian access/ operations issues and contribute towards enabling operational access.
• Promote effective coordination between the Operational Access function and other units within EME, particularly with Humanitarian Military Interaction (HMI), Analysis and Early Warning (AEW), Information management (IM), Geospatial Support Unit (GIS), Preparedness (EPR), Operation Support (OSS) to include
• Nurture effective collaboration with the Programme and Policy Division (PRO), Logistics, Supply Chain, Legal and other divisions to tackle operational access issues.
• In coordination with PRO, develop access guidelines, manuals, and toolboxes to promote the understanding and implementation of operational access in enabling WFP operations.
• Collaborate with PRO, SC, Legal and other relevant Divisions in the development of an operational access learning pathway leading to in-house capacity development and professionalization of the humanitarian access function within the organization.

• Identify, cultivate, and manage technical relationships with research institutions, academia, and private analytical entities.
• Proactively build and maintain relevant networks within and outside the humanitarian system to ensure WFP is positioned to obtain the best information regarding access situations and can respond in a principled and effective manner in situations of crises.
• Provide tailored operational access support to WFP operations through the contextual analysis, evaluation of access needs, assessing evolving access risks and constraints; identify gaps in access capacity and provide recommendations and support in addressing these gaps. This should be followed with recommendations and support with the implementation of these recommendations.
• Support access related knowledge generation by elaborating relevant strategies and technical notes supporting the systematization of lessons learned and tested approaches.
• Contribute to internal and external reporting on humanitarian access supporting national, regional, and global advocacy and political efforts in preservation of humanitarian access.
• Document good practices and learning from across the regions and ensure that it is systematically disseminated to feed the corporate development of guidance and tools and among WFP country offices.
• Deploy as first-wave response in sudden onset crises to support the roll-out or scale-up of WFP operations; and develop in-location capacity along with a transition plan that allows in-location capacity to take over, with the incumbent taking a remote supporting role.
• Provide input to Strategic and Operational planning processes as required.
• Any other duties are required.

QUALIFICATIONS & KEY REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• Advanced academic degree in International Relations, International Law, Development Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, or another relevant discipline

Experience:

• At least eight (8) years of postgraduate progressively responsible, relevant professional experience in the international humanitarian and/or development fields
• Substantial exposure & experience in programme and operation management
• Proven field references of facilitating and negotiating humanitarian access. Experience in developing monitoring mechanisms
• Solid knowledge of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and its application
• Experience in legal protection and conflict sensitivity programme design
• Widespread experience in integrating conflict sensitivity into both humanitarian and development programming

Language:

• Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese (a WFP working language)

MORE ABOUT YOU

• Commitment to WFP’s mission and values
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong communication skills
• Strong influencing and networking skills
• Ability to work independently under minimal supervision
• Proficiency in Window MS office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook)

• Experience in supporting strategic planning processes
• Experience in conflict analysis
• Experience in capacity building (training, accompaniment
• Functional knowledge of logistics, security, and programming

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

These are the common standards of behaviour that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Leads by Example with Integrity – Lives the WFP values and shows humanity and integrity by role modelling care for others

Drives Results and Delivers on Commitments – Delivers on commitments and adapts readily to change

Fosters Inclusive and Collaborative Teamwork – Is inclusive and collaborative, and contributes to a culture of learning and personal growth

Applies Strategic Thinking – Demonstrates commitment to gather perspectives, analyse options and risks, and propose new ways of doing things

Builds and Maintains Sustainable Partnerships – Builds and nurtures external partnerships and collaborates with partners to deliver common objectives

Different expectations of behaviour are defined depending on your grade and role/responsibilities within WFP.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This is an International Professional position and is open to all nationalities.

Limited Fixed-Term Appointment (LFT) position is a non-mobile staff appointment in the international professional category for a limited period for up to 2 years. Incumbents of LFT positions are not eligible to apply for other mobile positions advertised internally through the Reassignment.

WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package in line with ICSC standards (http://icsc.un.org) including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, visa, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance.

The selected candidate will be required to relocate to Rome, Italy to take up this assignment.

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 [email protected] in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

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WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment

WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.

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