Head of Grants Management
WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.
Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.
Job Title: Head of Grants Management
Division: PPF – Private Partnerships and Fundraising Division
Duty Station: Rome
Type of Contract: full-time regular Consultant
Level: 3
Duration: 11 months
Deadline for applications: 12.07.2023
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency working to create a world with zero hunger. WFP and its partners believe that no child should go to bed hungry and that individual and collective wellbeing can only be achieved if all children, women and men get the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, dignified lives. Each year, WFP assists 90 million people in 83 countries. Every day, some 5,600 WFP-chartered trucks are on the road, 92 planes are in the air and 20 ships are at sea. These numbers speak to WFP’s unparalleled reputation as an emergency responder, one that is often the first on the scene in the most difficult environments. WFP also works with partners to strengthen the resilience of communities most vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition through long-term development programmes aimed at boosting food security, local economies, education, employment and gender equality. While hunger and malnutrition are the world’s largest solvable issues, the needs are still immense and growing. 821 million people in the world suffer from chronic hunger.
The Private Partnerships & Fundraising Division (PPF) is responsible for working with the private sector to achieve greater impact in WFP’s work. PPF has embarked on an exceptionally ambitious new strategy to raise an additional one billion dollars for hungry or malnourished people in the next five years and to expand the contribution to WFP from the business sector through effective and sustainable long-term partnerships as well as from private individual supporters around the world. This includes securing new high impact technical partnerships, signing significant new corporate deals and growing existing relationships as well as building a base of one million individual supporters.
PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
Currently, PPF is in the 4th year of implementing a new Partnerships and Fundraising Strategy that emphasizes on fundraising from the public for fully flexible giving, and on “technical” corporate partners, primarily for their dedicated expertise, capability, and advocacy support. Moreover, PPF is expanding its portfolio of partners with contributions becoming more complex in their nature.
To that end, PPF requires a Head of Grants Management to govern and lead the Grants Management workstream which includes taking ownership of the PPF GM process, ensuring that donor contribution negotiations, legal agreements, and the subsequent grant confirmations are compliant with WFP rules and regulations and established PPF processes. In addition, the incumbent will represent the division in organizational discussions and projects related to and/or having an impact on contributions management, to ensure that processes related to private sector contributions management are taken into account with no adverse impact, and to lead initiatives aimed at streamlining the GM process and the management of the grant lifecycle.
Moreover, the incumbent will provide expert guidance and feedback to PPF leadership and other relevant HQ divisions, RBs, and COs on the private sector Grants management and contribution confirmation processes and procedures, as well as on navigating complex donor legal agreements, restrictions, and conditions.
ACCOUNTABILITIES / RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manage the PPF Grants Management team and lead the coaching, growth & development, and performance evaluation of the team, among other management functions.
- Lead the development of the annual performance plan governing the Grants Management workstream in consultation with senior leadership.
- Provide expert guidance and feedback on donor legal agreements and provide the appropriate GM clearance prior to signature circulation, ensuring compliance with WFP’s rules and regulations. This also includes locally negotiated agreements at the RB and CO level.
- Develop a new framework and approaches to allow WFP to enter complex agreements with PS donors not currently covered under the current Legal framework. Develop and enhance policies and guidance to set corporate standards which include, for example, recovering management cost from donors specifically Foundations and entering bilateral agreements, specifically to allow WFP to expand this critical area of work (i.e. partnerships and fundraising) that usually sits outside of WFP’s core activities.
- Develop and guide the entire processes of the Private Sector division’s Grants Management function in compliance with IPSAS accounting standards, including but not limited to processes linked to contribution management, outstanding receivables, cash management, allocations, invoicing, retention, database maintenance, and reporting.
- Represent PPF in organizational discussions, meetings, and workshops related to contributions management. This includes ensuring PPF’s needs and requirements are properly represented in the ongoing WFP-wide Grants Management harmonization project.
- Lead initiatives related to streamlining Grants Management processes, such as standardized donor legal agreements, PS twinning & advance financing, and Individual Fundraising contribution flow, in coordination with other functional teams and divisions.
- Set standards and provide specialized guidance and training materials on the registration of private sector contributions, including expert guidance to account managers and/or other stakeholders (internal & external) regarding the grant confirmation process, project/ contribution budgets, agreement preparation, and other related financial aspects for all contribution types.
- Lead the year-end closure exercise with the various functional teams in the division.
DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT
- Effective management of the Grants Management team; performance evaluations of the team are completed in a timely manner
- All PS donor contribution agreements signed are compliant with WFP rules & regulations and PPF processes.
- Contribution management, compliance and process improvements in the area of grants registration, donor receivables, and allocations.
- No gaps in processes related to the effective management of the grant lifecycle
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
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Terms and Conditions
Short-listed candidates can be subject to written assessment.
WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by role’s responsibilities and deliverables, please acknowledge the level of this consultancy offer and be aware that as per UN policy any negotiation based merely on personal cv is not allowed.
This consultancy assignment is renewable upon funding.
Visit the website for detailed information on working with WFP: http://www.wfp.org – Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about our operations.
Qualified female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply.
WFP is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the Organisation. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the selection & recruitment process, and for work-related needs upon joining the Programme.
WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status. WFP has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority or discrimination. 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.
We greatly appreciate your interest in WFP and joining our mission to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030
Saving Lives, Changing Lives!
