Consultant Supply Chain

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 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).

JOB TITLE: Data scientist
TYPE OF CONTRACT: CST level I
UNIT/DIVISION: SCDO / Supply Chain Planning & Optimization
DUTY STATION (City, Country): Rome, Italy (working remotely)
DURATION: 11 months 
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline humanitarian agency addressing 
hunger and malnutrition worldwide. WFP tackles poverty and hunger through a range of 
interventions: saving lives and protecting livelihoods in emergencies; investing in the prevention and 
mitigation of disasters; restoring and rebuilding lives and livelihoods in post-conflict or post-disaster 
situations; and other interventions to tackle hunger. Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 
million people in over 80 countries.
With a strong focus on end-to-end planning, visibility, and optimization, the Operations Crossfunctional Analytical Group works intensively with colleagues in the field and headquarters to make 
sure everyone has a holistic view of each operation, from Logistics to Resource Management and 
from Nutrition to Donor Relations. Once everyone agrees on what is going on, analytical tools are 
deployed to anticipate issues down the line and support the creation of supply chain plans and what-if 
scenarios to address them. Through this pro-active approach, WFP decision makers can make more 
integrated, evidence-based decisions that improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of our 
operations.
Achieving this level of integration and alignment requires continuous investments in WFP’s data 
assets, ensuring that cross-functional analytical outputs are accessible, clear, and digestible for a 
diverse audience (internal and external to WFP). The Consultant will support the unit's activities in 
this area, maintaining and improving a variety of data pipelines and working closely with the various 
functional areas to maximize the impact and accuracy of analytics.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Lead the maintenance and development of the cross-functional data pipelines of Optimus and 
Route The Meals.
2. Support the maintenance and development of other cross-functional data pipelines in WFP’s 
data integration platform (DOTS), such as Prisma and SCOUT.
3. Support COs with Optimus and RTM analyses during key processes (CSP redesign, budget 
revisions, implementation plan review, etc.).
4. Lead the development and integration of environmental sustainability features in planning 
and optimization tools.
5. Deep-dive on business requirements with relevant teams to understand data availability, 
business drivers (KPIs), and evaluate further optimization opportunities.
6. Coordinate closely with WFP’s Technology division to ensure compliance with corporate 
guidelines, and to stay ahead of new initiatives, investments, and best practices.
7. Prepare and analyze data to support strategic action items of the Operations Cross-functional 
Analytical Group, as required.
8. Support progress against project milestones to help ensure timely completion of project 
deliverables.
Docusign Envelope ID: 4182A787-6E66-82F5-8288-1243998D675F
TERMS OF REFERENCE 
FOR SHORT-TERM/CONSULTANCY CONTRACTS
 
Page 2 of 3 Last revision: 21 January 2016 
9. Recommend system and/or process enhancements to further improve operational
performance.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education: Master’s degree or equivalent in the field of Data Science, Business Analytics, 
Operations Research, Management Science, or Engineering
Experience: Previous working experience in the area of data science is required
Prior experience with the development of data pipelines (e.g. ETL, APIs, etc.) is 
required
Prior experience with consultancy-type activities (e.g. business analysis, process 
mapping, data extraction and analysis, presenting to senior management, etc.) is 
preferred
Prior experience in SC-related industry (e.g. supporting S&OP, material planning, 
warehouse management, distribution planning, etc.) is preferred
Prior experience working with governments, UN agencies, and/or NGOs is preferred
Knowledge
& Skills:
Proficiency in an object-oriented programming language is required, with a strong 
preference for Python. 
Familiarity with typical WFP data science technology (Pandas, Spark, Palantir 
Foundry, JS, Typescript, SQL, etc.) is preferred.
Proficiency with data visualization tools (e.g. Tableau, PowerBI) is preferred.
Strong analytical abilities (quantitative and qualitative), with the ability to think 
outside the box.
Ability to balance complexity and idealism with pragmatism.
Good interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to perform in a 
multi-functional and multi-cultural team.
Strong time management skills with the ability to plan and anticipate 
requirements, problems, and obstacles.
Preserve focus and commitment to generate content on short notice, while 
maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Committed and motivated to achieve the objectives of WFP.
Languages: Verbal and written fluency in English is required

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.