Deputy Regional Director, Cairo (Programme Strategy and Performance), D1

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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.

REGIONAL CONTEXT

The Regional Bureau Cairo (RBC) is WFP’s largest region, characterized by a diverse and complex range of operations, including L2 and L3 emergencies.

The WFP Regional Bureau in Cairo (RBC) provides strategic guidance, policy and technical support and management oversight to WFP operations in 17 countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.

Reporting to the Regional Director, the Deputy Regional Director (Programme Strategy and Performance) will oversee the Programme Teams in addition to the Preparedness/Early Warning Unit.  

This function will require a proactive approach to Country Offices – from ensuring risks and developments are anticipated through early warning systems and political analysis to providing strategic guidance and ensuring that support is provided through collaboration across programme units. Ensuring that units maintain a high and cutting-edge level of expertise is critical as the sharing of best practices and learned lessons across the region is a key requirement. The role of the Deputy Regional Director necessitates a collaborative mindset, facilitating integrated oversight and support to the COs and managing service-oriented teams.

Strong knowledge and awareness of the complexities of the region will be an asset, especially in relation to impact on programme design and implementation.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. Support the development and implementation of regional strategies, policies and plans aligned with regional, WFP and wider UN strategies, policies and processes to deliver WFP’s mandate for beneficiaries within the region.

2. Ensure the effective management of all WFP operations and resources within the region providing coaching and guidance to COs as required to enable effective country management, productive partnerships and interventions, in line with wider WFP strategies, policies and processes.

3. Provide leadership to staff to ensure the continued development of cohesive and high performing multiple teams.

4. Support the Regional Director to effectively manage people for achievement of set objectives.

5. Support the mobilization and coordination of regional resources to ensure meeting regular and emergency needs.

6. Support the Regional Director in fostering regional inter-agency partnerships to enable a coordinated and holistic response to the humanitarian or development needs through actively participating in the inter-agency strategies setting and deployment.

7. Build productive relationships with the host governments to further enhance partnerships and collaboration with WFP.

8. Lead monitoring, evaluation and analysis activities to review regional and specific food security situations to ensure that vulnerability is assessed, and the findings used to inform timely and effective interventions.

9. Produce comprehensive reports upon regional situations and performance for both internal and external audiences to provide required donor information and to inform strategic directions and operational planning.

10. Build internal relationships and collaborate cross-functionally to align regional activities with wider WFP activities and ensure a coherent approach to meeting food assistance needs.

11. Ensure that evaluation, audit and compliance recommendations for programmatic area are implemented within the region and COs.

12. Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all programmatic areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men.

13. Ensure that emergency preparedness activities are monitored, reviewed and updated to ensure that an optimal response capacity is in place enabling timely and effective crisis interventions.

14. Act in an assigned emergency response capacity as required to meet emergency food assistance needs.

15. Other as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 15 years of relevant experience
• Has proven people leadership and management experience, displaying strong coaching skills, listening and empathy. Effectively recruits, develops, empowers, engages and retains large and diverse teams.
• Strong leadership skills to ensure effective collaboration between the programme coordinators, the programme expertise unit, the programme measurement & performance unit and Emergency Preparedness/Early Warnings unit to ensure optimal delivery of programme related support to COs.
• Has experience formulating region planning and operations and leading the development of country-wide strategy planning and operations.
• Has gained experience in financial and budget management to ensure effective allocation of resources within a country or region.
• Built effective relationships with national government officials while advocating WFP’s mission.
• Led negotiations with donors, partners and private sector stakeholders.
• Experience in giving media statements and leading news briefings to ensure appropriate representation of WFP externally.
• Led a large emergency-oriented operation in at least 1 hardship duty station.
• Ability to instil an innovation and learning environment through leveraging internal and external best practices.
• Deep understanding of the MENA region including political and social dynamics and sensitivities. 

Education: 

• Advanced University degree in Economics, International Development, Social Sciences or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of relevant experience and/or advanced training/courses.

Language: 

• Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or WFP’s working language, Portuguese.  Fluency in Arabic desirable.

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 icsc.un.org. 

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

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Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries 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.