Strategic Partnerships Consultant

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

21 October 2024-23:59-GMT-08:00 Pacific Time (Los Angeles)

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.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP? 

• 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 training, 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 the 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 of this vacancy announcement).

COUNTRY CONTEXT/ ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:

The World Food Programme‘s Multilateral and Programme Country Partnerships Division supports fostering partnerships with national governments and development actors – including International Financial Institutions – to strategically position WFP within the development sphere and mobilize new resources to achieve zero hunger and advance other related development priorities.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

WFP’s expansion of the strategic engagement with national governments and International Financial Institutions is part of a broader corporate initiative to diversify partnerships and sources of funding, particularly around the Changing Lives agenda. This corporate investment has resulted in an increase in the number of agreements signed to support national objectives.

The team is being reinforced in order to both support the expanding new opportunities, as well as to further articulate WFP tailored value propositions in emerging areas of engagement, and support country offices in the process of preparing proposals and contracts. The Strategic Partnerships Consultant would report to the Deputy for the MPC DC Office. The Consultant would support engagement with International Financial Institutions and other relevant counterparts as appropriate, including national government counterparts. 

Based on the years of experience, the areas of responsibility could include some or all of the following.

MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Proactively scan the country development landscape and support exploration of viable opportunities and new approaches for WFP’s strategic engagement in the development space with the Government and other development actors, such as IFIs;

2. Maintain an overview of trends, opportunities, and modalities of partnering with Washington-based IFIs at the Regional/Global level practices to provide advice, guidance and support to Country Offices;

3. Analyse the national development, budgeting and spending priorities to determine how WFP could support the Government with furthering its priorities and closing the funding gap.

4. Identify and support follow up on strategic and funding opportunities to partner to advance countries’ development agendas and support achievement of relevant goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda, the SDGs, and other relevant platforms, within the framework of national Zero Hunger Strategic Reviews, WFP’s Country Strategic Plans, and SSTC; and

5.Provide technical advice or mobilise technical expertise, to support the development of agreements with national governments which support government efforts in the achievement of SDG 2. Support the design and negotiation of large/complex partnership proposals, joint strategies and/or MOUs in line with corporate norms, processes and external regulations. Contribute to complex negotiations on strategic partnership agreements in line with WFP’s corporate norms, processes and external regulations, in order to reach advantageous outcomes for WFP, with government and other development actors, including IFIs. Any other Business as required.

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: (optional)

The ideal candidate will have diverse mix of experience related to the portfolio and would benefit from a strong understanding of WFP’s and/or UN operations, policy, planning and budget, and/or Financial Institutions and/or government policy design. S/he should be a self-starter, organised, flexible and comfortable with working with multiple senior internal and external actors and to tight deadlines.

Education: Advanced academic degree in one or more of the following disciplines: political science, law, economics, international affairs, public health, social sciences, development studies, or any other field related to international development or humanitarian assistance.

Experience: At least 5 years of postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience in public sector management, development projects, emergency assistance and/or institutional strengthening. Working directly in or with WFP field operations is preferred. S/He will have knowledge of International Financial Institutions and sound understanding of their structure and mechanisms.

Knowledge & Skills: Strong writing, analytical and research skills; good interpersonal skills, teamwork spirit and ability to work in multicultural settings; superior cognitive capacity.

Timeframe: 11 months

Language skills: Proficiency/level C of English (requirement); other UN language(s) desired.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

 

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

 

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

 

WFP is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our recruitment process is inclusively crafted to welcome candidates of all backgrounds, celebrating diversity and ensuring a respectful environment for all. We aim for an accessible and fair recruitment journey. Should you need any reasonable accommodations or have accessibility concerns, please reach out to us confidentially at global.inclusion@wfp.org. Our DEI team is here to ensure your full participation in our recruitment process.

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

 

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

 

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 global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application

• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will 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.