Business Support Roster 2021 At World Food Programme

About WFP

The World Food Programme is a leader in the global movement to achieve Zero Hunger. In 80 countries our innovative hunger solutions are benefiting some 80 million people. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. Every day, WFP works 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 to thrive.

What is WFP looking for?

WFP is a high-performance driven organisation. The work environment is a diverse, dynamic, challenging and satisfying one in which to further expand your career. The Business Support Function at WFP is an essential part of the organisation, and is a function which provides valued support assistance to the Programme’s many different divisions (including Human Resources, Programme & Policy, Supply Chain, Finance, Travel, Partnerships, Communications and Operations, etc). Candidates must demonstrate flexibility, an ability to pick up new tasks and procedures quickly, possess a proactive attitude and be able to handle competing deadlines with a desire to learn. Candidates are expected to produce work of a high standard.

In addition to the above, we are looking for candidates who have personal qualities to bring to the organisation which complement and enhance our dynamic and multicultural work environment. The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following competencies: client orientation and teamwork, cultural sensitivity, action management and attention to detail.

We are seeking qualified applicants to our roster for Business Support roles based in our Headquarters in Rome, Italy. WFP recruits local administrative/business support staff for short term assignments at the entry levels of the General Service category. The duration of the short-term assignment may vary from 1 to 11 months.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Collect, sort and disseminate correspondence, reports and other materials, to meet the required demands of staff to time standards.
Respond to simple routine queries with readily available support by senior staff, and escalate where appropriate, in order to provide a timely and accurate response to enquiries.
Support the maintenance of office files, documents and records in accordance with established systems and processes, so that information is current and readily available for staff.
Undertake standard data entry tasks in accordance with defined systems, to ensure information is organised and readily available.
Assist in creating simple images or information using standardised templates, such as graphs or tables to support the drafting of reports for staff.

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Builds an understanding of WFP’s Strategic Objectives.
Be a force for positive change: Approaches individual tasks and responsibilities with a positive attitude and demeanor.
Make the mission inspiring to our team: Understands the impact of WFP activities in beneficiary communities.
Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Connects individual tasks and responsibilities to unit’s goals and mission.

People

Look for ways to strengthen people’s skills: Seeks opportunities to build and enhance individual skills.
Create an inclusive culture: Demonstrates respect and understanding for diversity and cultural differences.
Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Identifies and approaches colleagues or supervisors to serve as coaches.
Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Sets clear goals and measurable targets for own tasks and responsibilities.

Performance

Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Assesses own tasks and responsibilities to find ways to be more efficient.
Focus on getting results: Maintains accurate records of completion times and tasks in own areas of responsibility.
Make commitments and make good on commitments: Understands responsibilities and the metrics associated with own tasks.
Be Decisive: Notifies supervisors of dangerous situations or potential issues that may arise while in the field or office.

Partnership

Connect and share across WFP units: Understands WFP’s organizational structure, including the purpose and mission of each unit.
Build strong external partnerships: Supports team in working with colleagues and WFP’s partners in the field toward common goals.
Be politically agile and adaptable: Maintains a professional and courteous relationship with other WFP employees and partners in the field.
Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Understands own team’s contributions in its partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Experience:

At least two years of relevant business support / administrative work experience ; each employment record in the CV should contain a detailed description of the duties performed, including clear period of the experience (Month/Year) for each, as well the type of contract (i.e. internship, volunteering, employment, full time/part time etc.).

We will only consider proper business support experience, work experience similar to the below will not be considered relevant:

Managerial or consultant experience
Marketing, Retail, Sales experience
Teaching and/or Interpreter, Translator experience
Internships within the UN system

Education: Completion of secondary school education.

Language:

Fluency in oral and written English (to be tested)
Intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages) highly desirable.

Knowledge & Skills:

Ability to use standard office equipment.
Ability to follow standard business support processes and procedures.
Knowledge of standard office software packages, e.g. Microsoft word, Excel, PowerPoint. Computer knowledge and skills should be recorded under the CV.
Ability to handle a large volume of work quickly and accurately under time constraints.
Courtesy, tact and ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds in a team environment.

Location:

Candidates should reside within commuting distance (100-kilometer radius or distance that can be covered within 1.5 hours by car or public transport under average conditions of traffic, weather, and roads) to the office location at the duty station (Via Cesare Giulio Viola, 68/70, 00148 Roma RM) at the time of application.

Applications are open to:

Italian nationals with a valid passport or identity card; and
EU citizens with a valid passport or identity card AND confirmation of registration from the Italian police authorities or Registrar’s Office (Anagrafe); and
Non-EU citizens with a valid Italian Resident Permit (renewal slips will not be accepted).

For more information on Italian protocol requirements, please refer to http://www.poliziadistato.it/articolo/10930/

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The Business Support Roster is a pool of qualified candidates who are available for assignments at WFP Headquarters, Rome, Italy. Contract duration is up to a maximum of 11 months after which candidates can receive further contracts after having served a break of at least one month from the organization.

Only candidates who have the profile that WFP is looking for will be contacted. Successful candidates who move forward to the next stage in the selection process will be invited to for the assessment stage composed of :

A computer based written assessment administered in a proctored environment aimed to assess the verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and situational judgment skills ; and if successful
An English Language exam to evaluate the proficiency level through a reading, writing, speaking and listening exercises. Candidates may be required to undertake the FAO Language English exam later. Candidates who have already one of the following English certificates will not need to take the English exam : FAO Exam (LPE & LRT), TOEIC (score 490 listening and reading + 180 speaking and writing), TOEFL C, IELTS (score 7), ESOL CAE, ESOL CPE and UNLPE.

Candidates who succeed in passing both the written assessment and English Language exam will be notified and included in the Business Support Roster. WFP will conduct background checks before confirming the inclusion in the Roster. Inclusion on the roster is for a two-year period after which candidates need to re-register their interest in order to be re-included. Candidates who are already accepted in the Roster, don’t need to apply again.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

The deadline to receive applications is 31 December 2021 (11.59 PM CET). Applications should be submitted only through the WFP Career Portal (E-Recruitment) and in English.

Ref.: VA 149725

Please visit http://www.wfp.org and click on: ‘Our work’ and ‘Countries’ to learn more about WFP’s operations. For additional information on the WFP Business Support Roster please contact WFP.GSBSR@wfp.org.

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our employees and the people we serve. All aspects of employment are based on operational needs, job requirements, merit and individual qualifications. WFP encourages and welcomes qualified candidates irrespective of race, color, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status, physical or mental disability. WFP has a zero-tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority and all forms of discrimination. WFP is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all our employees, and to providing an inclusive work environment free of discrimination and harassment, we therefore ensure that all selected candidates 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.

WFP is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the selection & recruitment process, and for work-related needs upon joining the Programme. WFP has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority or discrimination. All selected candidates will, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.