Jobs at World Food Programme (WFP)

JOB PURPOSE

Partner with the business to understand their vision, mission, needs and operating environment in order to transform business objectives into solutions exploiting IT capabilities. 

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: Advanced university degree in Computer Science, engineering or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience or trainings/course.
• Language: International Professional: 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.
• National Professional: Fluency (level C) in English language and the duty station’s language, if different.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Support the development of functional work plans, ensuring compliance with wider WFP policies, standards and strategies.
• Continuously improve guidelines, processes and procedures of Business Relationship Management, Business Analysis and IT Project Management functions.
• Build and nurture relationships with the business counterparts to understand and anticipate the direction of the business and ensure alignment of provider’s solutions with changing business requirements and priorities.
• Participate in identifying business needs and propose well-researched ideas for new or improved systems, tools and processes that assist meeting WFP objectives.
• Manage business expectations in servicing business needs and oversee success of solutions, seeking ongoing opportunities to support or increase the business value from those solutions.
• Propose change and continuous operational improvement that supports business capabilities, by defining needs, modeling the business and recommending solutions that deliver value for business priorities.
• Communicate business objectives, requirements and process flows, to ensure common understanding and prioritization between stakeholders for their smooth implementation.
• Test and perform in-depth analysis of IT solutions to ensure they address business objectives, needs, requirements and process flows efficiently and effectively.
• Manage estimates, business cases, planning, and risk identification to ensure the delivery of IT solutions into the business to agreed time, budget, scope and quality.
• Manage a team of staff, providing coaching, training and guidance to ensure appropriate development and enable high performance.

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Utilizes understanding of WFP’s Strategic Objectives to communicate linkages to team objectives and work.
•  Be a force for positive change: Proactively identifies and develops new methods or improvements for self and immediate team to address work challenges within own work area.
•  Make the mission inspiring to our team: Identifies opportunities to further align individual contributions with WFP’s mission of making an impact on local communities.
•  Make our mission visible in everyday actions: 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

• Look for ways to strengthen people's skills: 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.
•  Create an inclusive culture: 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.
•  Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Provides and solicits ongoing constructive feedback on strengths and development opportunities to help develop individual skills, whilst also helping others identify areas for improvement.
•  Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Sets clear targets for self and others to focus team efforts in ambiguous situations (e.g., unprecedented issues and/or scenarios)

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Thinks beyond team’s conventional approaches to formulate creative methods for delivering food aid and assistance to beneficiaries.
•  Focus on getting results: Maintains focus on achieving individual results in the face of obstacles such as volatile or fragile environments and/or organizational roadblocks.
•  Make commitments and make good on commitments: Takes personal accountability for upholding and delivering upon team’s commitments and provides assurance to stakeholders.
•  Be Decisive: 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
•  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.

Closing date: 4 May 2022

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THE ROLE

The incumbent will manage a small team of employees to deliver IT solutions. They work independently, using technical knowledge and expertise to provide recommendations on development or procurement of IT solutions. They conduct complex analysis, develop, and propose creative solutions to business requirements or problems, and identify opportunities for improvements.  They may be involved in strategic planning and policy development.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Conduct the analysis and manage the design, procurement, development, implementation, installation, configuration, maintenance, and evolution of healthy, secure, and robust IT solutions performant in high latency and low bandwidth environments. 
• Design the software architecture and the data model of IT solutions.
•  Maintain the high technical quality of IT solutions, covering all aspects such as: functionality, user experience, and compliance with applicable guidelines (architecture, security, technology stack, user interface, etc.).
• Actively sustain IT solutions’ compliance with all relevant technological and organisational regulatory requirements and procedures, as outlined in the Directives on IT Solutions Management (TEC2020/001) and Field Software Development Network (TEC2020/002).
• Provide pro-active support for IT solutions’ coherent integration with other corporate technology platforms.
• Undertake continuous quality assurance of IT solutions and their environment, considering  security, testing and back-ups within the required requirements.
• Contribute to the development of IT solutions delivery plans, resourcing plans, and budgets to ensure an effective and efficient outcome.
• Contribute to technical specifications and tender evaluations supporting the procurement of IT solutions and services following WFP rules and regulations.
• Develop and continuously update relevant documentation (both technical and non-technical) that is adequate to ensure continued operations, maintenance and hand-over.
• Define the procedures to decommission and archive IT solutions and all the associated data.
• Manage the preparation of test plans and writing of unit and integrated tests of new, enhanced, or fixed code to ensure sufficient coverage of code and adherence to technical specifications.
• Coordinate and provide direction, instructions, and guidance to junior IT Solution Developers.
• Manage the provision of technical support and training to facilitate proper use of the IT solution, troubleshooting, fixing problems, and making recommendations for improvements as necessary.
• Interact with WFP’s global software development community to stay up to date with best practices and contribute to strengthening WFP’s shared software development knowledge.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of IT Policies and Standards at WFP.
• Cooperate on all relevant audits, reviews, and implementation of extraordinary measures, promptly addressing any concerns raised.
• Maintain effective partnerships within WFP and with partner organisations to exchange technical information. 
• Ensure effective coordination with other UN agencies to align activities and maximize possibilities of inter-agency collaboration in the field of technology.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
 
Education:    

• Advanced University Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience or trainings/course.

Experience:    

• Typically five years or more of postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience in IT.
• Experience of managing small teams of staff with related areas of expertise.
• Has contributed to the review and communication of IT governance and architecture principles.
• Has provided recommendations and planned the analysis, design, development, implementation, installation, configuration, maintenance, and/or evolution of healthy, secure and robust IT solutions.
• Has documented complex business requirements and user needs, and applied techniques to trace them throughout the solution development.
• Has proven experience in software development and DevOps activities in complex and challenging integration environments (knowledge of Django/Python and CD/CI tool such as Jenkins, Gitlab, Azure DevOps is an asset)
• Has some experience in data analysis and data transformation (knowledge of PySpark, Python Spark, Apache AirFlow is an asset).

Knowledge & Skills:    

• Experience in working with teams and team processes. 
• Ability to work in multi-cultural and multi-ethic environments. 
• Ability to think strategically and create points-of-view, propositions, and solutions to help clients gain value and solve complex.
• Conceptualizing of technology-based solutions.
• Ability to operate in distributed / decentralized teams, engage with and support partners
• Ability to perform under pressure, to multi-task, to navigate through multiple priorities and conflicting requests
• Ability to work independently through appropriate personal initiative and regular follow-ups
• Proficient in written and oral communications with the ability to influence and adapt communication styles to different situations and individuals
• Collaborative hands-on team member and relationship-builder with a facilitative nature and strong business partnering skills towards colleagues and stakeholders
• Positive and resilient, passionate about change and driven to exceeding client’s expectations through exceptional delivery

Closing date: 12 May 2022