Career Opportunities: Budget & Programming Associate, Service Contract, level 6, Kigali (141992)

Requisition ID 141992 – Posted 26/04/2021 – Short Term-SC WFP – Africa, Central & Eastern – Rwanda – Kigali – Working Job Language (2) – RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

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.

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

This position is based in WFP Rwanda Country Office, Kigali duty Station and the job holder will work under the direct supervision of the Budget and Programming Officer.
Job holder will be expected to demonstrate responsibility and initiative to respond independently to complex queries with only general guidance. There is a requirement to use judgment in dealing with unforeseen problems on a daily basis.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

World Food Program Rwanda works in partnership with the Government and other stakeholders through the direct implementation of integrated programmes targeting the most vulnerable people and will progressively shift towards building national capacity to formulate, manage and implement programmes for achieving zero hunger. In implementing its activities, WFP will bridge the humanitarian–development nexus and leverage its extensive experience and the contributions it has made in Rwanda over many decades in order to achieve four strategic outcomes outlined in the WFP Country Strategic Plan. Strategic Outcome 2 focuses on ensuring that vulnerable populations in food-insecure communities and areas have improved access to adequate and nutritious food all year. This Outcome encompasses capacity strengthening and direct programme implementation in the areas of social protection, disaster preparedness and response, food security and vulnerability analysis, school feeding and climate-resilient livelihoods programming.

With funding from the US Department of Agriculture, WFP implements the Home-Grown School Feeding programme will provide daily school meals in 7 food-insecure districts. In addition to school meals, WFP works with key partners World Vision and Gardens for Health International to provide a complementary school health and nutrition package to schools including water and sanitation, improved infrastructure, school gardens and nutrition, food safety and storage and improved literacy. WFP partners with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources to implement the programme and the Rwanda Biomedical Center to support deworming activities. This position supports the budget and programming required for the implementation of this programme.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the supervision of the Budget and Programming Officer, the incumbent will be responsible for the following key duties, with a focus on the Home Grown School Feeding Programme:
1. Review budget plans, monitor and analyse project financial performance and make recommendations in compliance with WFP financial policies and procedures and best practices, to support financial analysis and optimisation of resources
2. Provide comprehensive analysis on fund and grant balances identifying surpluses and deficits, and suggest corrective measures, to support maximum fund utilization and decision-making process.
3. Support pipeline management ensuring efficient monitoring, to prevent and address pipeline breaks and maximise operational effectiveness.
4. Contribute to the improvement of internal processes, enhancement of corporate systems and design of tools, to facilitate the overall planning, expenditure forecasting, and budget management and monitoring of resource utilisation.
5. Enter project budget plans and revisions in the corporate systems, to ensure data is timely and accurately captured enabling easy access to information and supporting planning and decision-making.
6. Review, compile and analyse data, maintain accurate records and files and prepare periodic and ad hoc reports, to support accuracy and efficiency of information presented to internal and external stakeholders.
7. Maintain communication with a number of stakeholders regarding project funds management matters and related processes, to clarify any discrepancies and optimise use of funds.
8. Provide guidance to other support staff and contribute to their learning and development in budget planning, fund management and operational planning, to facilitate continued development and consistency in services delivered.
9. Follow standard emergency preparedness practices, to ensure WFP is able to quickly respond and deploy needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:   Completion of at least first University degree in  Finance, Economics, Management Information Systems, or other field supplemented with additional years of related work experience .
Languages:  Fluency (level C) in English and/or French language and Kinyarwanda

Experience: 

•    Five years of experience supporting the preparation and management of budgets.
•    Five years of experience assisting with the monitoring of budgets/resource plans/pipelines/supply chains.
•    Has assisted with budget/allotment related issues within the WFP budget system.

Knowledge & Skills:

•  A proactive attitude, an ability to plan work and prioritize competing activities to ensure their completion.
•  Ability to work independently and in an organized manner, with good attention to detail.
• Good analytical, communication and writing skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to deal patiently and tactfully with people of different national and cultural backgrounds and to manage external partnerships.

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

•  Strong knowledge in SAP, Excel (Advanced level) and other business applications or analytical tools
•  Strong experience working with large amounts of data: trends analysis, figures, and number crunching
•  Strong skills in reaching out to people is needed for the purpose
•  Strong work organization skills
•  Has provided analytical inputs for the development of budgets, financial plans or analysis

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Coaches team in the most effective ways to communicate WFP’s Strategic Objectives to WFP team and partners in the field.
•  Be a force for positive change: Implements new methods or tools to improve team’s work processes and productivity.
•  Make the mission inspiring to our team: Maps team’s activities and tasks to specific successes in beneficiary communities to showcase positive impact.
•  Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Explains to teammates how each unit contributes to the overall WFP mission.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people’s skills: Identifies skill development opportunities such as training modules or on-the-job experiences for self, colleagues and direct reports.
•  Create an inclusive culture: Facilitates team building activities to build rapport in own unit.
•  Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Facilitates the pairing of junior colleagues with coaches within own team.
•  Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Proactively anticipates potential challenges and develops mitigation plans to ensure that team meets goals and targets.

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Identifies opportunities to be creative in own work and to help team be more innovative and accurate in their respective tasks and areas of work.
•  Focus on getting results: Monitors team’s deliverables and provides feedback to ensure outcomes are delivered consistently and accurately.
•  Make commitments and make good on commitments: Provides accurate guidance to team on expected responsibilities and tasks, whilst also upholding own commitment to the team.
•  Be Decisive: Sets an example and provides guidance to junior team members on when to escalate issues when faced with challenging issues in the workplace or in the field.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units: Facilitates partnerships with other WFP units to accomplish missions in the field.
•  Build strong external partnerships: Sets an example and provides guidance to team on how to build relationships with external partners.
•  Be politically agile & adaptable: Articulates to colleagues or direct reports the value of contributing to other WFP teams and agency partnerships in fulfilling WFP’s goals and objectives.
•  Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Organizes, monitors, and prioritizes own and team’s efforts to ensure that they will fulfill the needs of internal and external partners.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• The World Food Programme DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS.
• WFP embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that celebrates diversity and inclusivity in all ways.
• All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications and merit.

Deadline for submitting the online application is on the 9th of May 2021

Female applicants  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.