WFP Rome - Business Support Assistant G5 (outposted in Washington)

We are seeking to fill a Short-Term position (11 months renewable) of Business Support Assistant G5 for the Strategic Partnerships Division. The position is based in Washington, USA.

   Please note that this vacancy announcement is being issued internally and externally. 
 

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.
 

Applicants must reside within commuting distance to the office location in the duty station Washington (2121 K Street, NW - Suite 800A - Washington, DC 20037), USA, and be US Residents holding a valid US passport and/or identity card, or a valid Permanent Resident Card/Green Card to live and work in the country.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT  
 

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)  is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.   The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.  

Within WFP, the  Strategic Partnerships Division aims to support Country Offices in fostering and enhancing partnerships with national governments and development actors – including International Financial Institutions. The objective is to strategically position WFP within the development sphere and to mobilize new resources for countries to achieve zero hunger and advance other related development priorities. For this purpose, the Division works to enhance WFP’s strategic engagements with host  Governments (including Ministries of Finance and Planning), International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and other relevant development partners and the African Union and related continental institutions.

WFP’s expansion of the strategic engagement with the World Bank and other DC-based IFIs is part of a broader corporate initiative to diversify partnerships and funding sources, particularly around the Changing Lives agenda.

JOB PURPOSE  
 

The Business Support Assistant will report to the Senior Partnership Officer and will be responsible to provide overall business and administrative support to the team based in Washington to ensure effective service delivery. The selected incumbent will  be responsible for all business support activities (finance, administration, event planning, human resources, travel  and procurement) and will also support donors grants  registration process, data gathering, analysis and reporting in the corporate systems and databases. 

The Business Support Assistant will  interact in a professional manner with a range of  internal and external interlocutors displaying good communication (verbal and written), attention to details skills, and client orientation approach. The ideal candidate will be expected to demonstrate independence, prioritization  and initiative as well the  ability to deal with unforeseen operational problems while working well in a multicultural and multi-disciplinary work environment.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive)   
 

1. Collate information for inclusion in reports, documents, and correspondence, to support the effective work of other staff.
2. Respond to standard queries and provide timely and accurate guidance.
3. Process and manage routine administrative and financial tasks in various functional areas, to contribute to the effective and timely management of resources
4. Manage and maintain records and databases, to ensure information is organised and readily available for staff.
5. Maintain relationships with a range of individuals through provision of business support to assist in information sharing and service delivery to staff.
6. Proof-read reports, documentation, correspondence, etc., making changes in line with established guidelines where appropriate.
7. Contribute to improvement of business procedures and processes.
8. Collect and perform basic analysis of data to contribute to quality business information management.
9. Provide guidance to junior colleagues in performing their duties.

 
SPECIFIC POST REQUIREMENTS (As required by the Hiring Manager) 

 Essentials :

• Experience dealing with travel arrangements and procurement of goods and services.
• Experience monitoring budget and financial commitments/expenditures.
• Experience working with Microsoft Office Suite, especially with Excel for data extraction, analysis, and reporting.
• Experience reviewing data with the aim to ensure accuracy and conformity with established rules/processes.

Desirables

• Experience in handling calendars  and arranging meetings and events (physical and virtual).
• Experience working in a United Nations common system, international organization or non-governmental organization.
• Experience working with ERP systems (specifically SAP Software)  and CRM platform such as Salesforce  

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 

 Education: Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in the related functional area. 

 Experience: Five or more years of progressively responsible work experience in general administrative work (including one year at the G4 level for internal candidates). 

 Language: Working knowledge (proficiency/FAO level C) of English. 

Knowledge and skills :

• Knowledge of specialized common business practices and methods gained through relevant technical training and experience.
• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with a range of individuals in order to provide a high-quality support service.
• Ability to carry out basic data analysis and independently rectify problems requiring attention.
• Ability to monitor and record financial transactions.
• Good communication skills required to give and receive information and work with a variety of individuals.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

WFP 4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES 

Purpose
 

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Helps teammates articulate WFP’s Strategic Objectives.
• Be a force for positive change: Suggests potential improvements to team’s work processes to supervisor.
• Make the mission inspiring to our team: Explains the impact of WFP activities in beneficiary communities to teammates.
• Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Articulates how own unit’s responsibilities will serve WFP’s mission.

People
 

• Create an inclusive culture: Seeks opportunities to work with people from different backgrounds.
• Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Tracks progress toward goals and shares this information on a regular basis with supervisor.

Performance
 

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Explores ways to consistently be more efficient and accurate in own areas of work and shares new methods of work with colleagues.
• Focus on getting results: Focuses on getting results and tracks trends in completion rates for own tasks to identify opportunities for efficiency.
• Make commitments and make good on commitments: Takes responsibility for own tasks and notifies supervisor as soon as possible of potential delays in meeting deadlines or commitments.
• Be Decisive: Independently decides what action to take when faced with critical choices in the workplace or in dangerous situations in the field.

Partnership
 

• Connect and share across WFP units: Suggests opportunities for partnering with other units to supervisor.
• Build strong external partnerships: Identifies opportunities to work with colleagues and partners in the field towards common goals.
• Be politically agile & adaptable: Develops an understanding of the value of WFP’s teams and external partners in fulfilling team’s goals and objectives.
• Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Aligns own activities with supervisor’s priorities to fulfill internal and external partner needs.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS  

WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.  Please visit http://www.wfp.org   and click on: ‘Our work’ and ‘Countries’ to learn more about WFP’s operations.  

 Applicants must be : 

• US Residents holding a valid US passport and/or identity card or a valid Permanent Resident Card/Green Card to live and work in the country.  
• Reside within commuting distance (100-kilometer radius or distance that can be covered within 1.5 hours by car or public transport under average conditions of traffic, weather, and roads) to the office location at the duty station (2121 K Street, NW - Suite 800A - Washington, DC 20037).

Deadline for applications: 11 January 2022

Ref. VA: 154935

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our employees and the people we serve. All aspects of employment are based on operational needs, job requirements, merit and individual qualifications. WFP encourages and welcomes qualified candidates irrespective of race, color, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status, physical or mental disability. WFP has a zero-tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority and all forms of discrimination. WFP is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all our employees, and to providing an inclusive work environment free of discrimination and harassment, we therefore ensure that all selected candidates 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.  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 organization. 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 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