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

Who we are looking for: we are seeking to identify Senior Project Manager with a variety of expertise.

This recruitment is aimed at recruiting and/or building/maintaining a Roster of potential staff.

INCLUSION IN THE ROSTER DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANY FUTURE CONTRACTUAL RELATION WITH THE WFP

Job Title: Roster for Senior Project Manager

Type of Contract: Regular consultancy contract (CST) Level II

Division: TEC Division, TECR- Resource Management

Duty Station: Rome (HQ), Italy

Duration: 11 months

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Technology and connectivity are rapidly reaching some of the most vulnerable people and places affected by crisis, but they are also increasingly expanding to the services responding to those same crises. As one of the main humanitarian actors, WFP has the opportunity and the obligation to leverage data and technology to better know and serve those in need by digitally transforming the way it works.

The Information and Technology Strategy 2023-2026 maps WFP’s vision for the future of technology, evidence, and innovation. The actions stemming from this strategy will improve WFP’s performance, driving the efficiency and effectiveness gains that country offices need to sustainably save and change the lives of beneficiaries.

Run-the-business activities are fundamental to maintaining performance, while change initiatives are necessary to engage in new projects and services, ensuring WFP’s long-term vitality and resilience in the face of change.

The Senior Project Manager’s job is to lead, oversee and ensure the successful delivery and management of single or multiple information & technology projects. They ensure that the projects deliver greatest business value while working within an environment with dynamic cost, time and resource constraints.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

•  Ensure the successful delivery of single or multiple projects:
•  Analyze project proposals to determine time frame, funding limitations and appropriate process for accomplishing projects.
•  Identify and schedule project deliverables, artifacts, milestones, and required activities and tasks.
•  Establish a work plan for staffing for project activities, iterations or phases, and, in coordination with the project sponsor, establish a project delivery team.
•  Address cross-functional challenges:
•  Coordinate across products, product teams or business units.
•  Identify and manage cross-functional stakeholders, issues, risks and dependencies, and implement mitigation plans.
•  Reduce delivery delays and friction:
•  Update executive stakeholders on project status and escalate issues.
•  Implement a change management and communication plan.
•  Manage finances for the project with financial planning, analysis, and budget oversight.
•  Coordinate with vendors.
•  Train and coach project delivery teams:
•  Incrementally develop project management knowledge and skills in the project teams.
•  Monitoring and Reporting:
•  Monitor the execution, progress and continued alignment of project(s) with I&T Strategy via appropriate project reports/dashboards.
•  Coordinate with Portfolio Management to ensure project teams are supported throughout the delivery.
•  Other duties as required.

DELIVERABLES:

•  Oversee and ensure the successful delivery of single or multiple projects on a daily basis.
•  Deliver high-quality results within the identified objectives and constraints, ensuring the effective use of the allocated resources.
•  Perform project risks and issue management, project communication, change and stakeholder management, budget oversight and training.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

•  University degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Business Administration, Economics, or related fields. Project Management education/certification desirable.

Experience:

•  Minimum of 7 years of professional working experience in a hands-on project management role involving the execution of multiple projects or a large project.
•  5 or more years of IT and business unit-facing experience, with sensitivity and commitment to business problem solving.
•  Experience leading multicultural teams and performance management.

Technical Skills & Knowledge:

•  Distinctive blend of business, IT, financial and communication skills. This blend is vital because this is a highly visible position with substantial impact.
•  Familiarity with project management methodologies (for example, that of the Project Management Institute, PRINCE2 and agile approaches).
•  Knowledge of project-planning tools.
•  Ability to lead and motivate others; ability to empathize and knowledge of personality types.
•  Sensitivity to working in a political environment and to interacting with senior leadership.
•  Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
•  Expertise in setting and managing customer expectations.
•  Effective influencing and negotiating skills in an environment where this role may not directly control resources.
•  Ability to work in multi-cultural and hybrid work environments.

Language:

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

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 the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.

http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our Work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.

Deadline for applications: 11 Oct 2023 at 11:59pm Rome time (CET/CEST)

Qualified female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply.

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.

Saving lives, changing lives