Oversight and Compliance 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 an experienced Supply Chain Officer with technical capacities in Project Management and partnerships management? Do you have field Emergency or Preparedness Humanitarian experience in the Supply Chain or Logistics? If yes, this opportunity is for you!

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications must be submitted by Friday, April 03, 2023 (11:59 PM CET).

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 Procurement Branch (SCOP) is responsible for cost-effective, fair, and transparent purchase of food delivered to the people WFP serves, as well as the goods and services required by WFP to support its global humanitarian operations. SCOP procures a wide range of items used to power the organization’s operations worldwide – everything from software and telecommunications to vehicles and fuel among many others.

SCOP provides guidance and oversight to regional bureaux and country offices on procurement-related matters, and is responsible for working with programmatic units to introduce sustainable procurement modalities, such as buying RSPO certified palm oil or pro-smallholder farmer purchases, as well as new systems to improve efficiency such as data analytics and traceability tools in conjunction with the Supply Chain Research and Development Branch.

Drawing on decades of experience in specialized humanitarian procurement, SCOP, upon request, also provides services to other United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and governmental partners, bridging the supply gap and procuring more efficiently on behalf of other organizations.

Job Purpose:

The Procurement Unit (SCOP) in HQ is responsible for purchases of food commodities for WFP operations worldwide as well as goods and services for HQ units. SCOP also ensures that procurement processes globally are implemented correctly through a series of accountability and compliance mechanisms as well as by supporting Country Offices and Regional Bureaux.  

The post of the Oversight and Compliance Officer is part of the Strategic and Operational Support (SCOP-S) team in Procurement, which works to provide effective and context-oriented procurement services and business advice, and to ensure that appropriate food, goods and services are available to beneficiaries in a timely and cost-effective manner. In addition to achieving the best value for money and ensuring fair, competitive, and transparent processes, SCOP-S is expanding sustainable procurement approaches. 

The Oversight and Compliance Officer will be responsible to provide oversight, guidance and support to Procurement Officers in the Regional Bureaux (RBx) and Country Offices (COs);   lead the implementation of audit and compliance reports; provide guidance on  vendor registration and management. The incumbent will be part of the emergency response team to set up proper procurement structure and procedures at the onset of emergency. The incumbent will work closely with internal stakeholders in the Supply Chain and other divisions (especially Finance, Programming, Donor Relations, OIG, Country Offices, Regional Bureaux) but also external auditors and other partners, particularly in the context of cross-functional projects.

QUALIFICATIONS AND KEY REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION:

Advanced university degree or university degree and/or equivalent experience in one or more of the following disciplines: economics, commerce, business administration, engineering, legal, accounting or related field.

EXPERIENCE:



At least 8 years of relevant progressively responsible experience in managing complex Procurement operations, ideally in the UN context.

LANGUAGE:

Fluency (level C) in English language. 
Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese (a WFP working language).  

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Coordinate activities with WFP’s internal and external auditors.
• Lead the discussion with auditors and monitor the status of audit report findings, draft appropriate responses to audit recommendations, ensure their timely implementation. 
• Review past audit reports to strengthen the Procurement internal control processes and procedures at HQ/RB/CO levels.
• Efficiently coordinate HQ and field-based complex investigations into allegations of violations of policies, procedures, standards, guidelines, and applicable rules and regulations. This includes preparing comprehensive reports and ad hoc briefs based on analysis and findings, as well as making recommendations for corrective actions, improved controls and efficiency of WFP operations.
• Provide specialised oversight, guidance, and support to Country Offices on implementing best practices and procedures, ensuring a strategic approach to procurement in compliance with wider WFP policies, standards, and regulations. 
• Assist and guide RBx and COs in resolving Procurement-related issues, including technical/procedural.
• Build capacity of WFP staff and external partners to take a strategic and proactive approach to procurement of food, goods and services e.g., provide training.
• Develop and draft guidelines, memos, and risk-management toolkits for SCOP management to ensure compliance and best practices in decentralized procurement.

• Update the manuals to ensure Procurement maintains best practices.
• At the onset of emergencies, provide procurement support to the COs/RBs and act as emergency response capacity to meet Procurement needs, when needed. 
• Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical guidance to HQ, RBx and COs as well as monitoring Procurement-related risks management.
• Work in close collaboration with cross functional counterparts to align Procurement activities and promote an integrated Supply Chain approach to food assistance. 
• Coordinate and prepare accurate and timely reports on Procurement activities to contribute to a WFP-wide, informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders, leading to performance optimization. For example, Committee on Supply Chain (CSC), and Executive Board reports and presentations.
• Provide WINGS end user support i.e., training on the procurement module. Review and resolve WINGS related issues for Procurement officers in HQ, RBx and COs. 
• Contribute to problem solving for integrated policy / business process related to WINGS.
• Contribute to SCIPS development and management, together with TEC.
• Provide SCIPS end user support with training and issue solving. 
• Lead and manage the upgrading/refactoring of Procurement related systems, e.g., WINGS, INTEND, SCIPS, Electronic Filing, etc.
• Prepare, maintain and update documentation and user guides on procurement businesses and processes. Develop, conduct, and coordinate user training. 
• Prepare, update, and maintain WFP’s legal tender/contract templates together with LEG and other stakeholders.
• Manage the Vendor Management team and ensure that vendors are complying with WFP vendor registration, and contract compliance requirements. 
• Address complex queries with SCOP-F and SCOQ on all necessary issues related to identification and review of food and quality requirements for existing and potential vendors, for inclusion on rosters. 
• Present potential vendors to the Vendor Management committee. 
• Approve Vendors for WFP on the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) platform up to Level 2 registration for inclusion on rosters
• Other duties as required. 

MORE ABOUT YOU

•    Experience in drafting documents, guidelines, reports and updating manuals.
•    Experience in dispute resolutions and drafting and updating legal documents.
•    Experience in managing teams.
•    Experience in conducting audits/compliance checks and responding to internal / external audits and investigations.
•    Effectively manages own work related to multiple tasks or activities.
•    Responds quickly to technical /policy issues with a solution or a decision.
•    Presents information clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing. 
•    Recognizes the potential for ethical dilemmas and seeks advice to resolve them.
•    Works productively with various team members; takes constructive actions to resolve conflict. 
•    Manages a team building effective working relationships within the unit/division/office. 
•    Maintains effective performance in demanding or uncertain situations (e.g., emergency and/or varied field situations).
•    Conducts negotiation in a fair and ethical manner. 

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

A Limited Fixed-Term Appointment (LFT) position is a non-mobile staff appointment in the international professional category for a limited period of up to 2 years. 

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 candidates 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