Finnish JPO - Programme Officer Cash Based Transfer

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.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. We are currently seeking a Junior Professional Officer to fill the position of ‘Systems Engineering Officer’’ with a thematic focus on digital systems development, integration, rollout and field support at WFP Headquarters, Rome, Italy.

WFP, being one of the global leaders in Cash-Based Transfer (CBT), delivered the largest portion of all of the cash-based transfer humanitarian assistance globally in 2016 (a total of US$880 million), and scaled-up further in 2017 by delivering an estimated US$1.4 billion to beneficiaries. In 2019, WFP distributed an estimated 2.1 billion USD through CBT across 64 countries. To deliver CBT assistance, WFP works through partnerships with more than 70 commercial Financial Service Providers (FSPs) including banks, micro-finance institutions, mobile money operators and money transfer agents, in addition to using WFP’s own delivery platforms, SCOPE and blockchain-based solutions. Due to the magnitude of WFP’s CBT transfers, and its reliance on partnerships with external service providers for transferring funds, it is a priority for WFP to ensure the robustness and interoperability of its digital systems in order to promote accountability for funds and to better inform programme design through digital analysis of data emanating from CBT operations. Therefore, WFP is seeking the support of a JPO with skills in Computer Systems Engineering to help design, integrate and optimize aspects of WFP’s corporate digital systems used for digital transfer, payment cycle reconciliation and comprehensive data analysis. Following the systems development phase, the JPO will be involved in coordinating and supporting the rollout of new digital systems in WFP operations in the field.

Under the direct supervision of a Policy and Programme Officer, the JPO will be responsible for the following tasks:

•             Supporting the identification, evaluation and prioritization of WFP’s Cash-Based Transfer systems requirements;

•             Documenting requirements for the designing of digital systems architecture;

•             Contribute to technical requirements for digital systems development and integration;

•             Work in close cooperation with WFP subject matter experts (field/operations staff) and systems development teams to ensure that business requirements are understood and taken into account in the development of CBT digital systems;

•             Act as a project focal point, overseeing, supporting and troubleshooting in assigned CBT digital systems development projects;

•             Work closely with WFP Regional Bureaux and Country Offices to coordinate the development, piloting and rollout of Cash-Based Transfers digital systems;

•             Supporting the rollout of emerging digital systems, including but not limited to WFP’s Building Blocks (block-chain based delivery platform), and ensuring coherence with existing country systems and programme objectives;

•             As part of project delivery, support the training of digital system clients and end users;

•             Contribute to the drafting of guidance manuals for clients/users of digital systems;  

•             Liaising with colleagues from other functional units in WFP HQ to integrate systems modules and functions with existing corporate systems;

•             Providing field support by receiving and acting on feedback from clients/users of WFP digital systems during pilots or rollout of systems;

•             Conducting on-going research and exploration of relevant and available digital systems and products utilized or offered in the private sector;

•             Contribute to ensuring compliance with industry standards related to financial sector, data security, data privacy as well as corporate WFP policies for beneficiary data privacy and protection;

•             Deploy on mission to WFP Country Offices as required to support, troubleshoot and oversee the piloting or rollout of digital systems;

•             Perform other duties as required.

Qualifications and experience;

•             University Degree, Advanced University Degree and/or training/experience in Computer Science, Information Systems Science, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, Corporate Finance;

•             Two years of post-graduate job related experience related to systems development, digital transformation or project management required;

•             Strong ability to learn and internalize complex technical concepts and communicating them to non-technical audiences required;

•             Experience from financial sector, digital payments, cash transfers or retail sector is preferred;

•             Proficiency in computer systems software used for networking and scripting preferred;

•             International experience or working in multicultural environments is considered an asset.

Working Languages;

Working knowledge of English (proficiency/level C) is mandatory, and intermediate knowledge (intermediate/level B) of another UN official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is preferred.

Expected competencies;

•             Pro-activeness and creativity in identifying and making use of the available resources towards the completion of assigned tasks;

•             Flexibility to adapt individual contributions to accommodate changes in direction from supervisors or business requirements;

•             Good inter-personal and communication skills to interact with a number of different stakeholders in a variety of settings;

•             Maturity and common sense to make sound decisions in the interest of the targeted stakeholders and of WFP as an organization; 

•             Cognitive Capacity, Teamwork, Action Management, Innovation, Partnering, Client Orientation.

•             To provide support to policy and programme activities that effectively meet food assistance needs.

At the end of the assignment, the JPO should have:

•             A clear understanding of WFP’s CBT delivery cycle, including standard operating procedures and digital systems requirements;

•             A working knowledge of WFP’s individual corporate digital systems used for financial accounting, beneficiary management, transfer management and reporting and analysis;

•             An overview of WFP’s complete digital systems architecture and digital ecosystem;

•             A deep understanding of the assistance delivery platforms currently supported by the humanitarian sector, as well as private sectors (banks and mobile money);

•             Knowledge and experience in managing digital project data and designing and integrating digital systems;

•             Exposure to WFP’s new and innovative projects, such as BlockChain-based transfer platforms and use of biometrics for beneficiary identity verification;

•             Experience in dealing with diverse audiences, ranging from WFP field practitioners, IT developers and HQ policy staff, resulting in capacity to coordinate across different actors to reach a common objective;

•             General understanding of WFP’s overall mandate, objectives, operations and activities.

Besides regular on the job training and coaching, the JPO will be able to receive training on WFPs approach to Cash-Based Transfers through the inter-function e-learning course (comprising 6 training modules). The JPO will be exposed to detailed descriptions of CBT processes and business requirements emanating from field operations, and will likely have the opportunity to visit key WFP country offices to view operations (as required). The JPO will have the opportunity to have an inside look at WFP’s corporate digital systems architecture, and will gain experience from presenting, sharing knowledge and interacting with a variety of WFP and partner staff from different contexts and cultural backgrounds.

The JPO will be working in a small team of colleagues focusing on the development and integration of CBT digital systems. The supervisor will provide clear guidance, define project priorities and share existing experience and materials which will serve as basis for the development of products. The JPO will work alongside other team members with whom he or she will share responsibilities and to whom he/she can refer if guidance or institutional experience/memory is needed.

By the end of the two years, the JPO should have contributed to:

•             Defining WFP’s technical requirements for corporate digital systems related to CBT transfer management;

•             Supporting and guiding the continued rollout of emerging technology for CBT, such as WFP’s BuildingBlocks (block-chain delivery platform);

•             Maintaining a features list of available functions for WFP’s key delivery platforms including BuildingBlocks;

•             Drafting technical specifications for digital systems development and integration;

•             Overseeing digital systems development, integration and testing;

•             Supporting the planning and facilitating of pilots of emerging digital systems;

•             Training clients/users of digital systems, including development of training materials.

Two years assignment with the possibility of an extension for one additional year and transfer to one of the field offices.

February 9, 2020

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.