DEADLINE 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 or disability.

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 extreme weather shocks.

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, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP? 

• 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 training, 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 the 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 an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

JOB TITLE : Programme Policy Officer – Identity Management (IDM) and Delivery Team Lead

TYPE OF CONTRACT : Regular International Consultant Level 2 (CST-II)

UNIT/DIVISION : Programme

DUTY STATION (City, Country) : Juba, South Sudan

DURATION : 11 months (renewable subject to performance and budget availability)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

WFP South Sudan operates in a conflict-affected and fragile environment where insecurity, displacement, climatic shocks and economic instability create overlapping needs and disrupt access, markets and assistance. Constrained resources require sharper prioritization and a stronger understanding of the people WFP serves. Across humanitarian food assistance, nutrition, school feeding and food systems programmes, identity management and delivery must connect programme choices with safe, inclusive and accountable assistance.

The Country Office Identity Management and Delivery Team is a strategic programme function, bringing together beneficiary knowledge, identity management, cash and voucher programming, digital innovation and delivery assurance across cash and in-kind assistance. Its role extends beyond processing registrations and transfers: it enables the Country Office to understand who is being assisted, adapt support to different population groups, connect interventions and strengthen programme quality, efficiency and transparency.

The assignment will lead IDM and Delivery as an integrated programme portfolio aligned with Country Strategic Plan priorities and the Country Office’s shift towards integrated, area-based programming. Priorities include strengthening beneficiary analysis and profiling, advancing SCOPE 2.0 for in-kind assistance, expanding appropriate digital delivery options, and embedding assurance throughout programme design and implementation. Decisions must reflect location-specific access, market and service-provider conditions, including liquidity, connectivity and barriers to identification and financial access.

The Team Lead will provide strategic advice to Programme management, lead the team’s workplan and change agenda, and bring together programme teams, Field Offices and enabling functions to deliver results. The role combines specialist programme leadership, team management and cross-functional coordination within delegated authority. It will advance practical, sustainable improvements while safeguarding humanitarian principles, personal data and affected people’s rights and choices.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the IDM and Delivery programme portfolio. Define and implement a coherent country-level strategy, prioritized workplan and results framework linking identity management, beneficiary knowledge, cash and voucher programming and digital delivery to Country Strategic Plan (CSP) outcomes. Advise Programme management on strategic choices, investment priorities and resource requirements, positioning the portfolio as a driver of integrated programming rather than a transactional service.
• Lead identity management and KYC analysis to inform programme decisions. Establish a stronger understanding of WFP beneficiaries through Know Your Customer (KYC) analysis, including vulnerability, demographic and socioeconomic profiling. Work with VAM, monitoring, protection and programme teams to translate responsibly managed beneficiary data into evidence for targeting, prioritization, differentiated assistance and the layering and sequencing of interventions. Maintain strategic oversight of identity-data quality and SCOPE (digital assistance platform) use across cash and in-kind programmes, while distinguishing programme profiling from financial-service-provider KYC requirements.
• Advance digital innovation and inclusive delivery solutions. Lead a context-sensitive roadmap for expanding mobile money, e-vouchers and innovative IDM solutions where feasible and appropriate. Build the programme case for investment and scale-up with TEC, Finance, Supply Chain and service providers, using evidence on user experience, costs, reliability and protection risks. Address barriers related to identification, connectivity, digital literacy, liquidity and safe access, retaining suitable alternatives for people who cannot use digital channels.
• Lead portfolio assurance, accountability and responsible data use. Embed risk-based assurance in portfolio planning and delivery, driving follow-up to the augmented reassurance action plan and relevant oversight recommendations. Set expectations for identity integrity, traceability, segregation of duties and timely resolution of exceptions without duplicating independent assurance functions. Use management evidence and community feedback to address exclusion, diversion and delivery risks, strengthen transparency and ensure that data protection and accountability to affected populations inform decisions.
• Shape integrated and adaptive assistance delivery. Guide delivery-model and modality choices across programme portfolios in partnership with Field Offices and functional teams. Connect beneficiary evidence, market analysis and operational feasibility to programme design, including emergency preparedness and continuity arrangements for conflict, displacement and seasonal disruption. Provide oversight of delivery performance, service-provider effectiveness and portfolio resources, ensuring that technical processes and controls support timely, quality assistance and value for money.
• Build strategic partnerships and cross-functional alignment. Represent the IDM and Delivery portfolio in relevant country-level and inter-agency forums within delegated authority. Develop collaboration with government counterparts, UN agencies, cooperating partners, financial service providers and mobile operators to improve inclusive access, responsible interoperability and coordinated assistance. Draw on experience from other WFP operations.
• Lead and develop a results-oriented team. Translate portfolio priorities into clear roles, delegated responsibilities and accountable workplans across IDM and delivery workstreams. Supervise, coach and develop team members, strengthen national capacity and provide coherent technical support to Field Offices and partners. Foster inclusion, collaboration and staff wellbeing; manage competing demands with sound judgement and resilience; and lead change while escalating strategic risks and decisions to Programme management.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

 Advanced university degree in International Development, Public Policy, Economics, Social Sciences, Statistics, Information Management, Computer Science, Engineering or another field relevant to programme management, identity management and digital assistance; or a first university degree in a relevant field with two additional years of related professional experience.

Experience:

A minimum of five years of relevant postgraduate professional experience with an advanced university degree, or seven years with a first university degree, with substantive responsibility in one or more of the following areas: identity management, beneficiary data and analysis, cash and voucher programming or digital assistance delivery substantive responsibility for identity management, beneficiary data and analysis, cash and voucher programming or digital assistance delivery.

At least three years of field-based experience is required, including previous work in conflict-affected and fragile contexts.

Demonstrated experience leading and managing teams, coordinating cross-functional work and translating strategy into programme results is required.  

Experience in South Sudan or comparable complex operations, and familiarity with WFP programme systems and assurance requirements, are assets.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Strategic thinking and programme-portfolio management: ability to connect beneficiary evidence, operational choices, resources and results, and provide clear, actionable advice to management.
• Strong team leadership and people-management skills, including delegation, coaching, capacity development, inclusive working practices and the ability to lead change across technical and programme teams.
• Sound knowledge of IDM, beneficiary-data governance and analysis, including vulnerability, demographic and socioeconomic profiling, and the ability to translate analysis into programme decisions with appropriate data-protection safeguards.
• Ability to guide mobile money, e-voucher and innovative IDM initiatives from programme design through testing, learning and responsible scale-up, balancing accountability, efficiency, transparency and inclusion.
• Strong judgement in risk management and operational assurance, with the ability to identify strategic issues, oversee corrective action and maintain humanitarian principles under pressure.
• Resilience, adaptability and sound decision-making in insecure, rapidly changing and resource-constrained environments; strong communication, negotiation and partnership-building skills.
• Applied AI skills are desirable, particularly for analysis, knowledge management and identifying operational patterns, with an understanding of confidentiality, bias, validation and human oversight.

Language:

Fluency in English language required, intermediate knowledge of a second official UN language will be added value.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

·       The position is based in Juba and may require travel to WFP field offices and operational locations in South Sudan, subject to operational and security requirements.

·       The recruitment process may also be used to establish a roster for the same or lower grade level and for possible placement at different duty stations, subject to future operational needs.

·       Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact:  global.inclusion@wfp.org

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.

• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.

• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

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.