Consultant Finance, CFOFC

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

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 extreme weather shocks.

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).

JOB TITLE: Consultant Finance - CFOFC Financial Risk & Assurance

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Regular Consultant - CST-I

UNIT/DIVISION: Business Development CBT, CFOFC

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Home-based

DURATION: The duration will be until 30 June 2027

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Cash-based transfers (CBT) represent an increasing share of WFP’s total humanitarian assistance, and comprise of assistance distributed as physical banknotes, e-money, mobile money, vouchers or debit cards. In 2024, WFP transferred over US$ 2.2 billion to 46.9 million people in 75 countries, in partnership with 127 Financial Services Providers (FSP) and other partners. The focus on essential needs analysis and multipurpose cash was accelerated by COVID-19 and the global food crisis triggered by the recent conflicts, significantly increasing demand also in urban environments and requests for support from Governments. In support of WFP’s CBT operations, the Finance function through the Business Development and Cash Based Transfers Branch (CFOFC) is accountable for corporate guidance and tools, providing day-to-day technical advice and assistance to country offices, while also undertaking a range of staff capacity-building activities and initiatives.

As CFOFC undertakes these activities, the Consultant Finance will provide guidance to WFP field operations through provision of relevant technical advice, aimed at strengthening regional and country offices capacity to carry out the financial assessments of the FSP selection and contracting process.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Consultant Finance will report to a CFOFC Finance Officer and will undertake the following tasks:

Main tasks:

▪ Support the development of relevant policies, procedures and tools that would set a corporate standard for managing Financial Service Providers (FSPs) risks and performance and prepare relevant analytical reports and outputs:

a. CO risk monitoring of FSP financial, accounting compliance and FSP assurance/operational risk in CBT operations.

b. Track FSP-related risks for each Country Office (CO) based on a set of indicators to flag high-risk CBT operations to be monitored on a regular basis, using an internally developed tracking system. This will entail performing risk analysis and providing tailored recommendations to COs, as well as the design and implementation of the corresponding process.

c. Follow up on expired and approaching-expiry DDs and PETs, implementation of risk mitigation actions and reported issues, in coordination with CO finance colleagues.

d. Support the revision and maintenance of the Micro financial assessment (MiFA) tool and

methodology. The consultant will liaise with relevant stakeholders and ensure not only

the tool’s usability, but also adequate analysis for all FSP categories involved in CBT.

e. Continuous improvement of the FSP Due Diligence (DD) tool and FSP performance evaluation tool (PET). The consultant will support reviewing existing tools and provide recommendations for improvement which help streamline the processes of DD and PET tools. Support COs in completing PETs and resolving DOTS technical issues, including

approval/endorsement and PDF extraction, in coordination with platform support.

f. Maintain cleared-DD extraction data in the Excel fusion file and DOTS database, including risk categories, DD expiry dates, guarantee levels, and risk mitigation actions.

Periodically quality-check DD and PET-KRI dashboards, document discrepancies and

follow up with COs on corrections.

▪ Advise and support Country Offices during the FSP selection and contracting process, to

ensure the selection of FSP(s) able to adequately support CBT operations:

a. Perform FSP due diligence: Identify strengths, weaknesses and risks related to the FSP

(counterparty risk) and the proposed payment solution and recommend risk mitigation

measures to reduce WFP’s risk exposure. Review Micro Financial Assessments (MiFA),

WFP tool for assessing FSPs’ financial performance. Support COs in completing MiFAs

and clarifying supporting information; undertake MiFA clearance within agreed

responsibilities. Review DD submissions and prepare them for independent final

clearance.

b. Review of the financial regulatory framework to ensure FSP and WFP compliance with

local regulation.

c. Ensure FSP will provide WFP with adequate reports to perform reconciliations (the

reconciliation process aims to ensure the funds have reached the intended beneficiaries)

d. Support CO for FSP meetings when required and follow-up. Review FSP contract

financial provisions to ensure agreed risk mitigation measures, including financial

guarantees and NEST arrangements where applicable, are incorporated.

▪ Proactively engage with COs which are planning to undertake a Due Diligence exercise, to

provide early coaching and support. Design and disseminate both reference and training materials on the due diligence process.

▪ Validate CBT and Commodity Voucher loss reports, supporting data and documentation against applicable loss procedures; confirm completeness, follow up on missing information and escalate technical or accounting issues requiring further action.

▪ Support initiatives on capacity building and knowledge sharing activities on financial risks management, including development of relevant guidelines, presentations, training materials and courses.

▪ When designated as replacement support, prepare presentations and follow-up on CFOFC actions for CFOFC Engagement meetings and committees.

▪ All other duties as required.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: None in principle

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

▪ Assigned Due Diligence reports finalized and shared with relevant Country Offices following

clearance; assigned MiFA reviews completed.

▪ FSP risk reports, risk trackers and DD databases updated, with dashboard quality checks and

mitigation follow-up documented.

▪ Ongoing revision of MiFA tool and methodology delivered.

▪ Ongoing revision of online PET tool and relevant guidance delivered, together with DD

improvement recommendations and maintain continuous PET/DOTS support.

▪ FSP contracting and CTS/CV agreement review inputs delivered for assigned related to the

one-stop-shop cases.

▪ Assigned loss-report validations for WSS requests and WINGS–COMET ACR reconciliations

completed, with outstanding actions documented related to the one-stop-shop

▪ Relevant guidance, technical support and training materials delivered, with feedback and

follow-up records.

▪ All other duties as required

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education: BA/BSc, master’s degree in economics or finance, Business Administration,

Business Law or related fields. CFA or similar certification is desirable.

Experience:

Desirable:

3-5 years of relevant experience in any of the following fields: Banking, Digital Payment Industry, Financial Consulting Companies, International Financial Institutions.

Experience in project management, contracting, due diligence, purchasing financial services or similar fields. Experience in working in diverse socioeconomic contexts.

Knowledge & Skills:

Procurement of Financial Services, Quality and Performance Management, Financial Analysis, Due Diligence and Financial Risk Management.

Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a diverse team.

Languages: Good oral and written communication in English. Knowledge of a second UN/WFP language is an advantage (French, Spanish, Arabic).

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 committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact:  global.inclusion@wfp.org

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

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.

• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.

• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

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.