Food Specifications and Regulatory Affairs Officer P4 - Rome, Italy

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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.

Are you a Food Safety Expert interested in further developing your professional experience while contributing to ending global hunger? Are you passionate about helping those in need? Would you like to join an international organisation investing in its people? 

 
If so, an exciting & fulfilling career awaits you! Join our diverse and passionate team that works on varied and international projects directly contributing to saving & changing millions of lives around the globe. 

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications must be submitted by Friday, April 7, 2023 (18:59 EDT).  

WHO WE ARE

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), a highly prestigious, reputable & world’s largest humanitarian organization, operating in more than 120 countries and territories, bringing life-saving assistance in emergencies, building pathways to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change and supporting sustainable and resilient livelihoods for a world with zero hunger.

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: UN World Food Programme (WFP) and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

WHY JOIN US?

• 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 trainings, 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 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) 

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Food Safety and Quality Assurance branch (SCOQ) ensures that every food item WFP provides to the people we serve is safe and nutritious, thereby supporting WFP’s work to save lives and change lives. SCOQ focuses on instilling a culture of food safety and quality assurance across the organization and ensures that standards, policies, and procedures are embedded across the full length of WFP’s supply chain - from programme design to distribution.

SCOQ also guides the implementation of food safety and quality systems across all WFP operations, developing product and packaging specifications, leading product testing, conducting supplier assessments, managing food incidents, and researching new commodities to add to WFP’s evolving food basket. SCOQ also conducts food safety and quality risk assessments and provides governance and technical guidance from programme design to delivery. Furthermore, SCOQ chairs the New Foods Committee (NFC) and leads the implementation of FOSTER, an IT application developed to track and analyse food safety and quality-related data.

This job is located in Rome – Italy and reports to the Chief SCOQ in Headquarters.

JOB PURPOSE:

Shape and guide the implementation of WFP regulatory compliance strategies.

You would be responsible for partnering with international organizations such as Codex Commission and FAO to ensure WFP food specifications are developed in line with international food safety and quality standards and the latest scientific evidence.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Lead a team of technical experts to develop specifications, perform research and development on food products and regulatory assessments, collaborating closely with Nutritionists, Procurement, Food Safety Experts, WFP suppliers and partners. This includes leading risk assessment projects.
• Act as lead advisor/expert for food and labelling regulatory affairs within WFP: guide WFP operations on deviation management, guide regional and country offices to participate in national and regional standard setting when required, advise on innovation projects and products.
• Lead Strategic Engagement, develop partnerships, and facilitate collaboration on food safety and nutrition with Governments, UN agencies, International non-governmental organizations, and private sector partners, to leverage opportunities to incorporate industry best practices and enhance WFP’s capacity to address food security and nutrition priorities. Represent WFP and coordinate joint activities with the Humanitarian Interagency Working Group.
• Lead advocacy on regulatory affairs in external fora (e.g., CODEX, WTO) to reflect WFP’s interests. Coordinate discussions for an inclusive definition of food safety, considering food security, nutrition and sustainability.
• Guide and proactively influence WFP's local, regional, and global strategies in mitigating regulatory risks associated with national food and labelling standards, fully considering WFP's specific operational context.
• Ensure WFP food specifications and label comply with the relevant international standards and guidelines. Anticipates regulatory issues by engaging with Codex and other international organizations on emerging food standards.
• Develop and improve the specification system (tools/training/process). This includes setting a road map on digitizing specifications.
• Other duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND KEY REQUIREMENTS

Education: 

• Master’s Degree in Food Engineering, Food Technology, International Food Law and/or Food Safety. Combined degrees amongst specialities are preferred, enhanced by additional acquired experience in regulatory affairs as described below.

Experience: 

At least 8 years working experience in food specification, R&D regulatory and science affairs, food safety and quality management, including the following:

• Field experience in humanitarian food aid
• Coordinating projects in multi-culture environment and delivering results
• Interpreting Codex standards & guidelines and engage with Codex on setting standards/guidelines.
• Risk assessment of food contaminants and fortifications
• Specification writing and management
• Experience with international standards such as EU, US, EAC, GSO, GOST is a plus.
• Experience with USAID food specifications is a plus
• Experience with WFP system and other functions (e.g., Procurement, Nutrition) is highly desirable.
• Experience leading technical teams
• Experience with food research and development (R&D)

Knowledge & Skills: 

• Good knowledge on WFP foods such as complementary foods, fortified foods, cereals & pulses 
• Demonstrated organizational & partnership skills

Language: 

• Fluency (level C) in the English language
• Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, French and/or Portuguese 
• Fluency (level C) in the French and/or Spanish languages is highly desirable

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

These are the common standards of behaviour that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Different expectations of behaviour are defined depending on your grade and role/responsibilities within WFP.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Mobility is and continues to be a core contractual requirement in WFP. This position is however classified as “non-rotational” which means the incumbent shall not be subject to the regular reassignment process unless the position is reclassified as rotational. The selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term contract with a probationary period of one year. This position is open to both internal and external candidates.

WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package in line with ICSC standards (http://icsc.un.org) including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, visa, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance.

The selected candidate will be required to relocate to Rome, Italy to take up this assignment.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable)
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
• Please contact us at wfprecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

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WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment

WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.