Global HQ Operational Partnerships Advisor – WACARO and LACRO

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

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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.

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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:
Global HQ Operational Partnerships Advisor – WACARO and LACRO
TYPE OF CONTRACT:
CST 1
UNIT/DIVISION:
Operational Partnerships Unit (OPU/SCDD)
DUTY STATION (City, Country):
Home based
DURATION:
01/07/2026 to 31/12/2026
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The World Food Programme (WFP) Regional Offices for Western & Central Africa (WACARO) and the Latin America & Caribbean (LACRO) support 27 Country Offices (COs) operating in highly diverse contexts, many affected by conflict, climate shocks, political instability, economic volatility, and access constraints.
This Global Headquarters (HQ) advisory position, located within the Operational Partnerships Unit (OPU/SCDD) at HQ Rome and outposted to the WACARO Regional Office in Dakar, Senegal, provides direct HQ operational accompaniment and technical guidance with a focus on Cooperating Partners Management (CPM), Field-Level Agreement (FLA) governance, risk-based assurance, audit readiness, process harmonization, cross-divisional alignment, and digital workflows adoption across both regions.
The role extends beyond conventional NGO and UN partnerships and includes strategic and institutional engagement with national Governments, including agreement structuring for implementing assistance through Government delivery capacities, and providing guidance on transferring WFP resources via national systems while maintaining financial accountability, audit trails, verification, and risk-based assurance protocols.
The purpose of this assignment is to:
• Reinforce HQ’s operational partnerships advisory footprint in the field to support Country Offices in managing complex CP ecosystems.
• Harmonize CPM and Government partnership engagement practices across ROs and COs in line with corporate assurance and oversight expectations.
• Strengthen risk-informed, auditable, scalable, and digitally supported approaches to partner management and agreement governance.
• Support process streamlining, tools contextual adaptation, system adoption, operational alignment between HQ, Regional Offices and COs.
The position includes:
• Managerial responsibility for outposted CPM National Officers based at Regional Office level, ensuring strategic orientation, performance coaching, and alignment with HQ normative guidance and regional operational needs.
• Functional capacity strengthening support to RO and CO CPM teams, ensuring expertise transfer, process maturity uplift, and the ability to operationalize CP engagements in line with corporate assurance, digital workflows, and oversight planning.
Under the overall supervision of the Global Head of Field Support, the Global HQ Operational Partnerships Advisor will be responsible for the following areas:

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Provide HQ-anchored strategic, technical and operational advisory support to WFP Country Offices and Regional Offices on Cooperating Partner Management (CPM) across both regions.
2. Promote harmonized approaches on Field-Level Agreement (FLA) management, partner governance, and Government CP engagement practices across ROs and COs.
3. Contribute to corporate and regional assurance planning for CPM, supporting risk-based oversight policy, audit preparedness, and agreement compliance optics.
4. Provide technical support for closing audit, oversight and assurance recommendations linked to cooperating partner engagements (including NGOs and Governments).
5. Support the roll-out, adoption and contextual adaptation of corporate CPM digital tools and accountability workflows at RO and CO operational levels.
6. Provide orientation and oversight to CPM National Officers based at Regional Office level, ensuring prioritization of dual-regional CPM needs, structured planning and alignment with HQ guidance.
7. Lead efforts to strengthen CO CPM team capacities on CPM, assurance and process adoption without direct expansion into sub-task details.
8. Support HQ–RO–CO partnership alignment on budgeting optics, oversight quality, data integrity, and risk-transfer accountability, particularly during emergency scale-ups.
9. Support agreement structuring for Government engagements including transferring resources through national delivery systems, aligning risk-based controls, verification optics, and audit-trail completeness.
10. Represent the Operational Partnerships Unit (HQ) in oversight or assurance missions across both regions.
DELIVERABLES:
• Harmonized CPM and Government CP engagement frameworks adapted for field operations.
• Risk-based oversight and assurance guidance products operationalized.
• CO and RO capacity strengthening packages, training modules or TOT support outputs completed.
• Operational accompaniment and tools contextualization for FLA and Government delivery modalities completed
• Consolidated CPM analytics, oversight, assurance or recommendation closure optics contributed or submitted to GHQ team.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
Advanced University Degree in International Development, Humanitarian Assistance, Public Administration, Business, Law, Governance or related fields,
OR First University Degree with additional years of relevant experience and/or specialized professional certifications and training.
Experience:
Required
Desirable
Between 3 to 8 years of progressively responsible experience in:
• Implementing Partner or partnership management (NGOs, UN, Governments),
• Agreement lifecycle governance (especially FLAs, MOUs, Government IPs/CPs),
• Assurance, oversight and audit-preparedness,
• Multi-country or global/regional CPM portfolio advisory,
• Government partnerships involving national systems or national delivery capacities.
• Demonstrated ability to influence CPM governance, digital assurance adoption, implementation optics and audit readiness in field operations without having direct managerial authority over WFP Country Directors or Government ministries.
• Experience supporting resource transfers through Government channels or national delivery systems and advising institutional assurance controls over such transfers.
• Familiarity with the WFP technical tools used for CP management and reporting, including WFP’s financial and budget management frameworks, distribution data management, and other UN CP management framework is desirable.
• UN operational partnership advisory background within WFP or other UN agencies.
• Familiarity with WFP corporate assurance planning, digital rollouts, oversight tools, dashboards, or risk-based partner oversight methodologies.
• Previous exposure supporting operations in conflict-affected, climate-shock, or access-constrained emergency environments.
• Familiarity with systems including WINGS, COMET, UN Partner Portal (UNPP) and Partner Connect modules.
Knowledge & Skills:
• Ability to think strategically, operationally and tactically across dual regional CPM contexts.
• Project Management and Contract Management.
• Excellent communication (written/oral/presentation), conflict-resolution, interpersonal skills, and facilitation skills.
• Structured planning, prioritization, autonomy, and operational discretion.
• High integrity and client-focused advisory mindset.
• Ability to design and cascade trainings and TOT modules for WFP partnerships teams and Government CP counterparts as required.
Languages:
Travel:
• English, French, Spanish required (Fluent)
• Portuguese desired.
Regular operational travel across WACARO and LACRO Country Offices and Regional Offices, including high-risk or access-challenged locations, for partnership advisory, oversight or assurance missions.

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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

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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.