Shipping Officer (Chartering) P4 - Rome, Italy

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.

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.

The Ocean Transportation Service (SCOS), part of WFP Supply Chain Division, centralized at WFP’s headquarters in Rome for the past 50 years, handles all international cargo movements by sea, through the direct contracting of both liner and charter services. Over half of WFP’s food is transported by sea during its journey to its final destinations, making ocean transportation a crucial link in WFP’s supply chain operation.

Working with a specialized and reliable network of shipbrokers and freight forwarders, WFP has on any given day 30-40 shipments afloat, carrying critical humanitarian assistance for distribution in more than 70 countries – moving cargoes from 60 load ports to 75 discharge ports across five continents. With such large quantities of food to be shipped at any given time from diverse locations around the world, careful planning, contracting and coordination is key to ensuring the quickest and most cost-effective ocean transportation solution. Besides In-Kind donations, since 2011 SCOS operations have also been key to the success of WFP’s Forward Purchasing Facility, chartering large volumes of food while maintaining maximum operational control and flexibility.

When emergency strikes, WFP has the capacity to divert its shipments at short notice, ensuring that life-saving food arrives to those who need it - on time. Shipping experts are regularly deployed when and where needed to augment emergency response operations.

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• Contract sea transportation for emergency and regular operations in a manner that best responds to Country Office needs, including suitability of vessels, costs, transit time, routing and other supply chain factors, whilst meeting the specific mandates and requirements of donors or other nations.
• Provide back-up support in the management of the monthly US IK Call Forward/Commodity Requests through Web Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system transactions whilst meeting WFP criteria for budgeting of External Transport and Cargo Preference funds.
• Provide solicitation and contracting back-up support in terms of processing, guidance and advise to Programming and Transport teams in the WFP Washington D.C. Office, and within USAID, FFP and USDA and provide technical assistance, guidance and support on all related shipping matters to  and other HQ Units.
• Provide back-up support in terms of guidance and advise to Programming and Transport teams in the WFP Washington D.C. Office, and within USAID, FFP and USDA and provide technical assistance, guidance and support on all shipping matters to COs/RBs and other HQ Units.
• Monitor contract execution from loading until discharge in close liaison with port agents and FFA, intervening with specific actions to immediately address problems and recommending follow up actions.
• Monitor performance of WFP shipping and forwarding agents, stevedores and other ancillary contractors at load and discharge ports and conduct annual performance reviews of all Ship Brokers, Charterers Agents and Forwarding Agents - mainly for US In-Kind charters and bookings - proactively recommending any subsequent actions to be taken.
• Properly identify, adequately manage and regularly monitor contractual, operational and supply chain risks, including the rigorous vetting of vessels to ensure full compliance with international maritime law and UN sanctions in vigour.

• Develop SOPs for contracting, operational and administrative procedures to mitigate risk, to provide for robust handovers, and to support daily efficiency of the team.
• Plan and participate in Logistics /Shipping support missions and/or potential temporary deployments.
• Represent SCOS in corporate emergency task force meetings, ad-hoc operational meetings with the field, and any other internal or external forum in a way that ensures visibility in planning and decision-making.
• Foster and promote the exchange of information within and between teams in SCOS, among the various Services comprising the Supply Chain, and more broadly across WFP as required, including knowledge sharing, coaching, mentoring, and providing hands on experience to more junior staff.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures for shipping operations ensuring that objectives are achieved in compliance with wider logistics policies and WFP standards.
• Design, plan and lead implementation of innovative shipping operations and initiatives to ensure timely, efficient and cost-effective delivery of food assistance to beneficiaries.

• Explore and keep abreast of liner/containers freight markets and trends, translate into impact on WFP shipping operations and define appropriate response/strategy.
• Prepare comprehensive reports supporting a WFP-wide view of shipping activities that provides visibility and enables informed decision-making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
• Support partnership building with donors, humanitarian agencies and other institutions involved in WFP ocean transport operations to strengthen efficient and effective shipping operations.
• Lead the on-going review of internal processes and procedures and identify ways to increase the day-to-day efficiency of the teams.
• Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men.

Education:

Advanced University degree in Transport Economics, Supply Chain, Shipping, Logistics or other relevant area, or First University degree with relevant logistics qualifications or additional logistics experience in port, freight forwarding and shipping operations.
 

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.

At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience in shipping, ship chartering of all types, dry bulk and general cargo operations, in the following areas:

• Experience in commercial or government transportation sectors with focus on charter contracting.
• Strong familiarity with the WORLDFOOD 2017 and other commercial BIMCO charter parties and its applications legally and operationally.
• Managing all aspects of shipping operations (from vessel loading to discharge) and Time Charters and Port/overland logistics management.
• Leading teams of international and national staff.
• Experience determining with CO and other Supply Chain actors best shipping modality/timing and liaising with agents and suppliers to ensure cargo readiness.
• Able to manage a network of charter-brokers and charter protecting agents at load and discharge ports.
• Experience in negotiating and managing contracts for stevedoring and bagging services and/or negotiating long-term freight and global agreements with shipping lines.
• Experience in negotiating and concluding ocean transportation contractual arrangements with commercial shipping lines and ship owners including fluency in lay time calculations.
• Experience in vetting of vessels and carriers to compliance and risk mitigation standards.

• Good knowledge of and affinity with maritime transport, vessel operations, freight forwarding and/or port activities.
• Good team player, good listening and communicating skills. Possess “can-do” attitude to work, take initiatives and able to work with limited guidance.
• Listen and understand the different interests and roles of all actors involved and maintain constructive service level and client attitude.
• Help promoting team-spirit, effective communication and a positive working environment.
• Proficiency in Windows, MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

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

Sep 07, 2020

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.