WFP  seeks to recruit an IT operations officer  – P4 

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About WFP :

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

Organizational context :

The World Food Programme is the largest humanitarian organization in the world, using smart technology and tools every day to save lives and build a better future for those left furthest behind.

Digital solutions are rapidly reaching some of the most vulnerable people and places affected by crisis. 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. Such ambition led to a plan aimed at establishing, integrating, and mainstreaming the core elements of an end-to-end digital business process.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the second largest country in Africa, the work of the World Food Programme focuses on responding to large-scale displacement and other shocks, while pursuing long-term recovery and resilience and addressing the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition. In order to meet the strategic objectives outlined in the WFP 2018-2020 strategic plan for DRC, the Country Office (CO) has already introduced technology innovations to automate and streamline operations. Their aim is to continue leveraging innovative digital tools and approaches to ultimately achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of Zero Hunger by 2030.

Job purpose :

Under the overall responsibility of the Deputy Country Director, the incumbent will be responsible for management of IT operations and service delivery in DRC. This includes oversight of daily IT operations in all locations where WFP has a presence in the country. The complexity of operations, the different geographic locations as well as infrastructure and environmental challenges, requires strong, previous IT management experience to lead the team in delivering excellence in IT service provision.

A key focus will be on improving the value of technology in the Country. Through working with internal clients, building strong relationships with senior management and key stakeholders, continual service improvements and mainstreaming of innovations, the incumbent will enable the shift to a new digital landscape in support of the CO’s strategic and operational objectives.

Key accountabilities (not all-inclusive) :

Oversight of IT operations in all locations in DRC, ensuring consistent delivery of services to meet customer needs ;

Management of country-wide IT infrastructure such as satellite and terrestrial connectivity, radio telecommunication services, network infrastructure, server and desktop hardware ;

Management of the service desk function, including implementation of service management processes such as Incident, Problem and Change management ;

Identification of procurement needs and participation in procurement processes, including definition of technical terms of reference, technical review of proposals, as well as contract management for third-party service providers ;

Development and management of annual IT budgets, taking into account customer needs, funding resources and operational requirements ;

Lead development of plans and policies, as well as the design and deployment of IT systems aligned with business needs, in line with WFP corporate standards ;

Lead and motivate a team of staff, monitoring performance, providing coaching, training and guidance to ensure appropriate development and enable high performance ;

Plan and lead capability building of staff, collaborating with colleagues in the IT division to design and deliver training policies and programmes aimed at developing skills/knowledge in IT ;

Develop and maintain technical expertise and knowledge of external industry developments to provide leadership in specific technical areas of competence ;

Partner effectively with senior managers to understand their priorities, and provide solutions on all aspects of IT and the delivery of IT services, as well as on strategic and policy issues ;

Work in close collaboration with other UN agencies to align activities, conduct negotiations with common vendors, and maximize possibilities of future inter-agency collaborations ;

Form partnerships with colleagues and partner organizations, to foster information exchange, and obtain agreements to help meet WFP’s service requirements ;

Represent WFP at international meetings and conferences, to gather and share best practice, and propose new approaches to improve IT/TC service delivery ;

Participate in emergency preparedness and contingency planning, providing technical recommendations and monitoring the management of risks, so that WFP can maintain basic IT services and/or quickly respond and deploy resources to affected areas at the onset of a crisis ;

Lead the preparation of operational plans and manage resource requirements at the onset of an emergency operation ;

Set standards for Country Office assistance strategy through effective application of Digital Assistance Services (DAS) ;

Review Country Office programme documents (e.g. submitted for Strategic Programme Review and Country Strategic Plans process), providing inputs to incorporate and strengthen DAS components ;

Perform any other duties as required.

Deliverables at the end of the contract :

1. IT Services standardized and delivered across all locations ;
2. Digital Assistance roadmap defined and implemented ;
3. Staff capabilities and skills aligned with operational needs ;
4. IT service delivery planned and managed in emergency contexts.

Expérience :

• Eight years or more (of which three international) of post-graduate progressively responsible professional experience in humanitarian aid operations and/or business systems analysis, design and development ;
• Has aligned IT strategies with business strategies and requirements ;
• Has managed, coordinated and actively executed emergency response operations ;
• Has managed large projects requiring innovative recommendations and approaches, at Headquarters and field ;
• Has built strong relationships with internal and external partners to identify key business issues and identify new/improved IT solutions and services ;
• Experience in client-facing roles in either technology implementation projects or in the planning, design and implementation of humanitarian and development programmes ;
• Understanding of poverty dynamics, social protection principles and their application to current national economic and development issues ;
• Proven ability to produce reports and/or research papers with a good command of poverty and social protection issues.

Qualifications & expérience required :

Knowledge & Skills :

• Possession of a combination of broad business skills and IT experience including: general management skills in business and/or public sector, excellent business communications skills, business analysis including creation and review of functional and non-functional business requirements for IT solution, research and analysis, market analysis, benchmarking, industry best practices, etc. ;
• Has knowledge in the following areas: data centre management, networking, server and client operating systems, digital and analogue VHF, HF telecommunications, VSAT infrastructure and cloud computing ;
• Ability to think strategically and create points-of-view, propositions and solutions to help clients gain value and solve complex ;
• Creative thinking and conceptualizing of technology-based solutions ;
• High calibre negotiation and motivational skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels within and beyond the organisation ;
• A proven record of delivering complex projects whilst working under pressure, managing stakeholder expectations throughout ;
• Ability to coach teams in how to maximise value from agile delivery, and how an organisation needs to change to consume digital platforms effectively ;
• Positive and resilient, passionate about change and driven to exceeding your client’s expectations through exceptional delivery ;
• Knowledge of cash-based transfers (CBT) programming in humanitarian context would be an asset.

Education :

Advanced university degree in Computer Science or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience or trainings/courses.

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.

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