Job Openings at the United Nations World Food Programme

Background and Purpose of the Assignment

• Maiduguri is a large and complex Area Office that is the heart of WFP Nigeria’s operations. The CST will be supporting the Head of Area office to lead and manage the Office by being his OIC when he is out and to ensure the effective and efficient management of human and financial resources and delivery of WFP programs and activities.
• In that capacity the CST will also be required to put emphasis in building and maintaining relationships with local governments, UN agencies and other partners in the area to reinforce WFP’s visibility.

Accountabilities / Responsibilities

• Support the Head of Area office to effectively manage the Area Office and Field Offices under responsibility to ensure transparent and efficient people management and the continued development of a cohesive and high performing team.
• Support Head of Area Office to ensure for close collaboration with governments and other partners in identifying where assistance can be usefully employed at the local level and ensure provision of support and technical expertise for the planning, formulation and implementation of food assistance programmes, including advice on the context-specific transfer modalities (food, cash or vouchers).
• Ensure efficient use of financial resources for achievement of set objectives.
• Hold accountability for timely monitoring activities and for accurate and comprehensive analysis at the area office and reports on WFP's operations and performance to inform operational planning and decisions.
• Support promotion and deployment of WFP corporate/CO initiatives, strategies, and directions.
• Support Head of Area Office in ensuring incorporation of gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men.
• Act as a role model of the values, principles and standards of WFP, actively contributing to creating an inclusive and collaborative work environment through respectful and constructive communication and holding self and other team members accountable for their actions.

Deliverables at the End of Contract:

• HoAO supported effectively.
• Admin, finance, HR and other support units adequately supervised to offer necessary support for effective performance at the area office.
• Support Monthly financial closures.
• All AO related activities timely monitored.
• Accurate and comprehensive analysis at the area office provided through relevant corporate reports on WFP's operations and performance to inform operational planning and decisions.

Qualification & Competencies

Education:

• Advanced University Degree in Economics, International Development, Social Sciences or other related field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training / courses.

Experience:
With minimum of 8 years of related experience, has:

• Developed, or supported in the development of, complex and multi-discipline work plans to support the achievement of WFP strategic aims within a broad area.
• Gained substantial experience in complex field operations, preferably in a hardship duty station or emergency situation.
• Gained experience of extensively analysing complex political situations, assessing risk accurately.
• Gained experience managing large financial budgets, balancing multiple complex priorities effectively.
• Experience leading a large, multi-discipline team to ensure the effective delivery of objectives.
• Participated in a complex vendor/government/ partner negotiation.
• Participated in a large-scale emergency operation/ development programme, preferably in a hardship duty station.
• Broad experience with security co-ordination and compound management within a larger area.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Ability to build and share new perspectives.
• Proven ability in valuing diversity and using respectful and inclusive language.
• Ability to stay calm and composed under pressure.

Languages:

• Fluency (level C) in English language.

Terms and Conditions

• WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.
• The contract is for 6 (six) months on a Regular Consultancy level.

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Job Purpose

• Under the direct supervision and guidance of the Head of Programme, Damaturu Sub Office (SO), Yobe state, and technical supervision of the Head of livelihoods and resilience in Abuja, the Programme policy Officer - Livelihood will lead the activity management and provide technical advice on programme strategies regarding early recovery, livelihoods and resilience, and will support the Head of Programme in engagement with the Nigerian Government authorities and donor communities to ensure WFP programmes effectively meet food assistance and livelihood needs.
• The job holder will operate directly supporting the Head of Programme (SO) and providing expert advice on a range of livelihoods and resilience building interventions.
• To provide support to policy and programme activities that effectively meet food assistance needs.

Other Specific Job Responsibilities

• To ensure that the distributions of the WFP assistance is reaching the expected number of beneficiaries in all the planned LGAs of Yobe during the period of the contract.
• To ensure that the capacity strengthening activities are conducted to the beneficiaries in collaboration with the contracted local/international partners.
• Support to CO in developing project proposals (technical aspects, activity selection and planning, timelines and budgets).
• Support adoption of innovative solutions for low-cost livelihood technologies and approaches, including but not restricted to flood & gully protection structures, post harvest technologies, vegetable gardens, water harvesting technologies, low cost drip irrigation, aquaculture, IGAs and other social infrastructures
• Support project implementation and coordination in CO in implementation of integrated resilience projects; Institutional development support to strengthen CO structures to sustain scale up dynamics.
• Assist in advocacy and fundraising efforts to scale up, in general, the resilience and livelihoods activities in the country.
• Participate and carry out online and on-the job FFA trainings on specific innovations.

Key Accountabilities (not all-inclusive)

• Ensure effective management of livelihoods and resilience building activities of the Damaturu SO, including implementation management, aligning with the approved budget and reporting. 
• Formulate a budgeted and sequenced ‘action plan’ articulating WFP’s transition from relief to livelihood recovery in Yobe state over the next 6 months (in line with the PCNI vision-Presidential committee on North East initiative and feeding into the WFP CSP-Country Strategic Plan).
• Contribute to the CO’s efforts in building up WFP’s capacity to delivery against the action plan. Particular attention will be given to the setup of the technical expertise required for participatory planning, agricultural/environmental asset creation and smallholder farmers support activities in North East Nigeria.
• Map NGOs/CBOs’ geographical presence and assess their technical ability to undertake livelihood interventions in the North-East. Identify potential partnerships.
• Support donor missions to the field in recovery/livelihood intervention areas.
• Support governments and other partners in identifying where livelihood and resilience programmes can be usefully employed and provide support and technical expertise for the planning, formulation and implementation of moderately complex livelihood and resilience programme to strengthen government and community ownership and effectiveness of income generation and empowerment programmes at national and sub-national levels.
• Establish and maintain operational partnerships to identify opportunities for collaborative approaches and initiatives that support livelihoods, build resilience and support advocacy work.
• Enhance WFP’s leadership status in forums relating to area of specialism, for example livelihoods, resilience or engagement in humanitarian, transition and development contexts through direct participation, briefings, information products and other materials.
• Contribute to resources mobilizations effort for WFP projects, including clearly articulating the need for livelihood and resilience and related programme opportunities, and follow up on the resource situation of projects including commodity and cash availability, seeking advice from senior colleagues where necessary.
• Advice and support the development of functional training in areas of expertise to enhance the capacity of WFP staff and partner to design and deliver effective livelihood recovery and resilience programmes.
• Lead the development of sustainability plan and ensure the plan is implemented for all the interventions within the SO
• Lead, motivate and develop a team of staff to enable high performance.
• Ensure the best use of assigned financial resources for achievement of set objectives within a moderate budget.
• Support the RLU(Resilience and Livelihood Unit) to develop a manageable country level information profile (Country Fiches), descriptive of progress in the use of programing tools (3PA and 3A/FFA), coverage of institutional strengthening efforts, capacity of partners (Governments, NGOs), type, nature and level of partnerships (including RBA), monitoring and evaluation systems (e.g. ), and other of relevance;
• Participate and support training on 3PA related tools, particularly CBPP and SLP.
• Support the roll-out of the English version of the Food Assistance for Assets (FFA) programme guidance manual including guidance on asset creation and natural resource management for food security, context analysis, seasonal livelihood programming and community-based planning;
• Perform other related duties as required.

Standard Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Advanced University degree in International Affairs, Economics, Nutrition / Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or other field relevant to International Development Assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
• Language: National Professional: Fluency (level C) in English language 

Desired Experiences For Entry Into The Role:

• Exposure to and experience with water works and infrastructure implementation, agriculture and livestock, watershed management,
• Natural Resource Management, International Development, Social Protection and planning, participatory approaches and community-led change projects; food security, nutrition programmes and safety nets desirable; 
• Exposure to and experience with food security, nutrition programmes and safety nets desirable; 
• Proficiency in Windows, MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook) and experience in using geographic information systems is an advantage; 
• Good analytical skills; resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgement, tact, negotiating skills; ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing; ability to work in a team, and establish effective working relations with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds; 
• Ability to cope with situations which may threaten health or safety; 
• Flexibility in accepting work assignments outside normal desk description.
• Ability to deal patiently and tactfully with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Remuneration
WFP offers an attractive compensation package.