Shipping Officer, Dutch JPO Programme, Rome, Italy

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Shipping Officer, Rome, Italy

Ocean Transportation Service

This post is a Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme sponsored by the Government of The Netherlands for exclusively Nationals of The Netherlands eligible for the Dutch JPO Programme.

For the criteria see the Nedworc Foundation: http://www.nedworcfoundation.nl/Index.htm

Please read the criteria and FAQ section carefully before considering applying.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. We are currently seeking to recruit a Junior Professional Officer as a Shipping Officer with the Ocean Transportation Service (OSCSO), based in our Headquarters in Rome, Italy.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

OSCSO, centralized at WFP’s headquarters in Rome for the past 50 years, handles all international cargo movements by sea, through the direct contracting of both liner and charter services. Over half of WFP’s food is transported by sea during its journey to its final destination, making ocean transportation a crucial link in WFP’s supply chain operation.

A reliable provider of cost efficient ocean transport services, OSCSO in 2017 operated some 120 chartered vessels carrying 1.7 million metric tonnes and booked 50,000 containers carrying 1 million metric tonnes. The total of cargo delivered by sea in 2017 was approx. 2.7 million metric tonnes.

Working with a specialized and reliable network of shipbrokers and freight forwarders, WFP has on any given day 30-40 shipments afloat, carrying critical humanitarian assistance for distribution in more than 70 countries – moving cargoes from 60 load ports to 75 discharge ports across five continents. With such large quantities of food to be shipped at any given time from diverse locations around the world, careful planning, contracting and coordination is key to ensuring the quickest and most cost-effective ocean transportation solution. Since 2011 OSCSO operations have been key to the success of WFP’s Forward Purchasing Facility, chartering large volumes of food while maintaining maximum operational control and flexibility.

When emergency strikes, WFP has the capacity to divert its shipments at short notice, ensuring that life-saving food arrives to those who need it - on time. Shipping experts are regularly deployed when and where needed to augment emergency response operations.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

• Title of Post: Shipping Officer
• Grade: P2
• Unit: Ocean Transportation Service
• Duty Station: Rome, Italy
• Duration of assignment: Two years + 1 year in the field

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Chief, the JPO will perform the following responsibilities:

• Familiarize him/herself with WFP specific shipping procedures on ocean transportation contracting for Liner/container and Charter/bulk/break bulk shipments;
• Participate regularly in Procurement Committee and Supply Chain Management meetings.
• Prepare requests for freight quotations for the liner and charter market;
• Assist in all operational aspects of liner and chartered vessels carrying WFP commodities, including loading and discharging operations and the contracting of stevedoring services;
• Familiarize him/herself with WFP’s network of Freight Forwarding Agents at load and discharge ports, provide guidance to the WFP-appointed agents and the Country Offices as required;
• Improve current performance measurement and monitoring of WFP shipping and forwarding agents, stevedores and other ancillary contractors at load port and port of discharge;
• Liaise closely with agents and suppliers to ensure that cargo readiness matches vessels arrival;
• Assist in preparing and maintaining statistical reports on shipping and chartering information;
• Liaise regularly with appropriate staff in Procurement, Donor Relations, Regional Bureau and Country Offices to determine the most efficient mode of calling forward commodities, taking into consideration type of commodity, quantity, port conditions, weather conditions, freight market condition, seasonality, etc.
• Deploy on 2 temporary assignments / participate in at least two support missions to the field;
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Expected Outcomes

• Become fully conversant with WFP specific procedures and processes for ocean transportation and OSCSO role in the supply chain;
• Shipping options are prepared and presented to the Procurement Committee members to ensure the best possible outcome for WFP within the requested tender parameters;
• The on-going performance of Freight Forwarding Agents/Shipping Lines/Ship brokers in the day-to-day is closely monitored and problems are identified, assessed/escalated to the appropriate level, and resolved in a timely manner;
• A Year-end performance evaluation of the above actors is carried out more effectively;
• Guidance is provided to HQ and RB Procurement and Field Port Logistics colleagues to enforce appropriate shipment terms, and ensure clarity / uniformity of the WFP contractual obligations in line with the Tender requirements;
• Strong working relationships are established and maintained with other Supply Chain actors in HQ including Programming, Procurement and Logistics.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Advanced University degree (Masters) with experience and training/courses in one or more of the following disciplines: Supply Chain, Shipping and Logistics; including relevant logistic qualifications or logistics experience in port, freight forwarding and shipping operations.
A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in combination with qualifying experience (at least 3 years of relevant working experience) may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree

Experience :

Minimum 2 and maximum 4 years of post-graduate progressively responsible job-related experience in shipping, freight forwarding and/or general maritime transport. Good knowledge of shipping operations, bookings and rate structures or chartering/shipping/port operations, charter parties and charter freight conditions.
All paid work experience since obtaining Bachelors degree will/can be considered.

Languages :

Fluency in both oral and written English
Intermediate knowledge (intermediate/level B) of a UN official language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and/or Spanish) and/or working knowledge of Portuguese is desirable

ADDITIONAL COMPETENCIES:

To perform the wide range of tasks and excel in this position, the ideal candidate would also possess:
 

• Behavioural competencies such as Action Management, Client Orientation, Cognitive Capacity, Innovation, Partnering and Teamwork.
• Exposure to the international arena either by direct work for an international institution/organization; or, if working for a national entity, by way of interacting with international stakeholders;
• WFP’s international professionals are required to serve in different locations around the world during the course of their career (including in hardship duty stations); willingness to be mobile would maximise opportunities for long-term retention into the Organization;

JPO PROGRAMME OVERVIEW:

The JPO Programme provides valuable work experience and training opportunities for young and motivated professionals who are interested in pursuing a career in international development.

Supervision

The selected JPO and the supervisor, the Deputy Chief, will discuss and agree on a workplan and on thematic priorities for each year that are realistic and that will allow the JPO to learn and practice new skills and competences. Specific performance milestones and structured feedback will be key elements during the JPO’s assignment. The JPO will also be supported by the Logistics Functional Staffing Coordinator and will be given appropriate guidance on technical issues as well as WFP’s policies and procedures. The JPO’s work will be reviewed periodically against planned tasks in order to keep track of the progresses in acquiring new skills and capacities and to monitor the learning phase.

Training components

Most of the training will be through on-the-job training which is the best getting way for getting familiar with internal processes and day to day operations for shipping activities in WFP. Depending on his/her background and previous experience, the incumbent will be exposed to all aspects of WFP shipping activities such as liner, chartering, operations including bagging/stevedore operations and also gain valuable experience how procurement and logistics link into this process. Incumbent will become familiar with WFP’s different project strategies to fight hunger and to effectively manage emergency operations. Incumbent will become familiar with working with donors, the principles of full cost recovery, transparency and good periodic reporting.

Learning Elements

Year 1

• Become fully conversant with WFP as a UN organization providing food aid assistance, unlike private sector being dependent on voluntary contributions and the specific implications on the way we manage our operations and communications/reporting;
• Become fully conversant with WFP specific procedures and processes for ocean transportation and OSCSO role in the supply chain and emergency response;
• Get a good insight on various shipping modalities OSCSO can offer for ongoing operations and emergency response;
• Primarily exposure to WFP Liner activities during the first year;
• Temporary deployment for a regular operation.

Year 2

• Focus on further strengthening interaction and co-ordination between in-house units, commercial transport/logistics service providers and the WFP country offices/projects at the receiving end -- (Supply Chain);
• Improved performance measurement of OSCSO service providers;
• Primarily exposure to WFP Charter/Operations activities during the second year
• Temporary deployment to an emergency operation

At the end of the two-year assignment, the JPO should have:

• an in-depth understanding of both liner and charter contracting of humanitarian cargo and how to manage risks;
• the ability to confidently communicate with and ensure good flow of information between various parties including other HQ/Supply Chain services, suppliers, load port agents, vessel owners, brokers, discharging port agents, stevedoring companies, and recipient Country Offices;
• the ability and confidence to represent OSCSO in internal supply chain and other meetings and discussions including conference calls with the field;
• a first-hand, sound understanding of Port Operations (having participated in a Port Operations Training).

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

10 March 2019

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WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

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.