As part of WFP’s Technology leadership team, you will be driving Technology strategy and its implementation within one of the most critical regions of the world for the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Are you up for this major challenge? Are you ready to change and save the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people? If yes, this might be the right opportunity for you!
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
As one of the main humanitarian actors, WFP has the opportunity and the obligation to leverage data and technology to better know and serve those in need by digitally transforming the way it works. WFP aims at establishing, integrating, and mainstreaming – in the next two years – the core elements of an end-to-end digital business process.
The Regional Bureau Cairo is committed to enable end-to-end digital implementations across COs as part of its efforts to increase efficiency, effectiveness and accountability. The vision is to incrementally achieve digital management of beneficiaries and CBT and in-kind transfers, providing coordinated frameworks for access to data to enhance programme design, integration and implementation, by 2020.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE JOB
The Regional Technology Officer (RITO) will be based in Regional Bureau of Cairo (RBC), to lead the planning, development and management and delivery of efficient and effective IT and Telecommunications (TC) services. The Regional Technology Officer (RITO) will as well improve how we operate and support the Region’s digital transformation efforts and explore emerging technology. You will seek for innovative solutions that enable staff to deliver food assistance to beneficiaries, in line with WFP’s strategy. You will be expected to create a culture of disciplined execution, collaboration, experimentation and learning from failures.
As the Regional Technology Officer, you will directly report to the Deputy Regional Director and functionally, to the Technology Division.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (non-exhaustive)
As the leader for Technology in the Regional Bureau in Cairo (RBC), you will be responsible for:
- Strategically engage with the Country Offices in RBC to contribute to the development of IT strategies, ensuring that operational realities of the service, country or region inform planning;
- Lead the design and implementation of IT plans, policies and processes to meet local objectives and support WFP strategic goals;
- Lead the management of major IT/TC systems and networks, ensuring appropriate data security and access controls considering both local and wide area network issues; and ensuring users to get maximum benefits from them;
- Maintain technical expertise and knowledge of external industry developments to provide leadership in specific technical areas of competence;
- Lead and motivate a large and diverse team of IT Officers, providing coaching, training and guidance to ensure appropriate development and enable high performance and customer-centric focus;
- Ensure the development of staff capability in IT/TC across the region by leading the design and setting the standards for training policies and programmes;
- Identify and build relationships with other UN agencies to align activities, conduct vendor negotiations, and maximise possibilities of future inter-agency collaborations;
- Serve as an effective spokesperson; identify and form partnerships with colleagues and partner organizations, to enable information exchange, and help meet WFP’s service requirements;
- Represent WFP at UN/international meetings and conferences, to gather and share best practice to improve IT/TC service delivery;
- Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men;
- Lead emergency preparedness and contingency planning, providing technical recommendations and monitoring the management of risks, so that WFP can maintain basic IT services and/or quickly respond and deploy resources to affected areas at the onset of a crisis;
- Oversee the preparation of operational plans and manage resource requirements at the onset of an emergency operation;
- Other as required.
OTHER ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTABILITIES
- Plan and oversee the rollout of new hardware for improving and upgrading system performance; identifying any technology upgrades as required;
- Lead and oversee the negotiation, evaluation and management of complex contracts with service providers, to facilitate procurement of equipment and services with the best value for money and in line with WFP rules and regulations;
- Monitor reporting on IT/TC activities, investments and costs, identifying trends/issues and designing/implementing innovative solutions to increase cost-efficiency;
- Partner with senior managers to understand their priorities and provide expert advice and innovative solutions on all aspects of IT and service delivery, and strategic and policy issues.
SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS
- Use your expert technical knowledge and extensive experience to provide business-focused and innovative advice on a wide range of challenging issues and problems;
- Build partnerships and collaborate cross-functionally to align service activities with wider programmes and activities and ensure a coherent approach that enables efficient delivery of service;
- Support SCOPE scalability and ensure the availability of SCOPE services in the Region – SCOPE is the WFP’s beneficiary and transfer management platform that supports the WFP programme intervention cycle from beginning to end;
- Collaborate with the Digital Transformation Hub to shape COs demand and ensure the effective implementation of digital standards, guidance and processes;
- Encourage and support change management processes in the Region to enable end-to-end digital implementations across COs;
- Provide expert advice on data protection and ensure preventative and reactive IT Security Solutions, and cybersecurity procedures, SOPs, and policies are in place;
- Raise awareness and build capacity in the areas of data applied to beneficiary management and partners and government engagements;
- Identify the capabilities required in the Region for a successful delivery of the field services.
DESIRED EXPERIENCE
- A significant experience of minimum 11 years within an IT function leading multifaceted IT operations including ITIL/ITSM/customers services, MSPs, IT architecture, infrastructure and technology management;
- Exposure to digital transformation, data management/protection and cyber security projects would be a strong asset;
- Leadership in the development of IT governance strategies, policies and system architecture;
- Development and assistance of strategic IT plans at a HQ and field level;
- Articulated leadership and management skills to lead, train, mentor and coach a highly effective team, also in complex situations.
- Proven project and programme management skills with excellent knowledge of change management;
- Resources management for the planning, development and delivery of complex information and communications systems services (including data, voice, text, audio and images);
- Negotiation, evaluation and management of complex contracts with service providers;
- Excellent financial management skills and commercial acumen;
- High calibre negotiation and ability to influence at senior levels within and beyond the organisation;
- Ability to assimilate and analyze complex issues using independent judgment and anticipate potential strategic impact;
- Ability to create simple messages from complex data sets and present concisely, tailoring messages to the needs of the specific audience;
- Broad understanding of business principles and processes, and the ability to quickly assimilate UN/WFP specific processes and systems;
- Knowledge and/or understanding of humanitarian aid and development practices with a particular area of technical expertise is an asset.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
- Advanced university degree in Computer Science or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience or trainings/courses.
Language:
- Fluency (level C) in English language; highly desirable fluency in Arabic;
- Extra knowledge of any third official UN language: Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or WFP’s working language, Portuguese is an asset.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The selected candidate will be employed on a fixed term as well as a rotational contract with a probationary period of one year.
WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package, including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, pension plan and medical insurance. For more details please visit https://icsc.un.org/
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
16 August, 2020
ABOUT US
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.
For more information please visit: http://www1.wfp.org/
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.
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.
More Information
- Job City Cairo, Egypt
