DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS7 September 2025-23:59-GMT Greenwich Mean Time (Abidjan)
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 worldโs 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).
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT :
This position is based in Cote dโIvoire Country Office (CICO). Job holder typically reports to Country Director. He/she will lead the finance and management services team in the CO, providing general financial and administrative support.
The job covers all aspects of finance, budget, administration and risk management, or it may emphasize finance or more of these aspects. Job holder at this level operates with minimal supervision and provides guidance to junior staff to ensure that operation and project objectives are achieved. He/she will be heavily involved in day-to-day activities and analytical work, and providing advice on less complex issues, applying rules and regulations and expertise in making determinations and recommendations across a range of activities.
JOB PURPOSE :
- Lead and support the stewardship of WFPโs resourcesโmonitoring budgets, forecasting, analyzing, and reportingโand provide core administrative support to enable effective fund management and efficient, effective assistance to beneficiaries; oversee the Management Services portfolio (assets/facilities, fleet, travel, protocol, general services) with strong, client-focused service KPIs and value-for-money delivery;
- Establish and maintain risk management activities, apply controls, and ensure compliance with policies and procedures to optimize resources and overall operational effectiveness; coordinate audit/oversight follow-up to drive timely closure of actions;
- Represent WFP in the UN OMT and coordinate BOS inputs, implementation, and the tracking of savings and service quality.
- Guide and develop the team, promoting a culture of accountability, client service, and continuous improvement.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):
- Support corporate finance and resource management strategies and major ongoing programmatic initiatives, participating where appropriate using finance and resource management expertise.
- Contribute towards the development of country specific plans and processes, aligned with Regional and wider WFP strategy, policies and processes to meet the food assistance needs of beneficiaries within the Country.
- Contribute to the preparation of Management Services components of WFPโs Country Strategic Planning (CSP) and Resource Planning aligned with country/regional and wider WFPโs strategies and policies to facilitate efficient and effective service delivery.
- Contribute to embedding risk management in planning and decision-making across the office and all aspects of WFP operations through monitoring of key risk appetite metrics and risk indicators, and regular updating of risk registers, including progress towards implementing the risk mitigation actions.
- Analyze and report on key data for financial & administrative status and outcomes of projects in accordance with corporate governance requirements, ensuring accuracy, deadlines, and accounting processes are complied with.
- Monitor and analyze budgets for new and ongoing projects according to established corporate procedures and requirements.
- Perform bank reconciliations, disbursements, clearance of receivables, overall cash management and monthly financial closures on a regular basis in accordance with corporate requirements. Where necessary, deliver core administrative services, working with contractors and following standard processes to provide cost-effective, quality and timely services to WFP staff. Where necessary, undertake basic human resource functions related to staff benefits, recruitment of local staff, and training.
- Collate and analyze data for the preparation of accurate and timely reporting, in order to provide management with financial, accounting and budgetary information to enable them to make informed decisions. Track and analyze data to identify opportunities for improvements to policies, systems and procedures in order to minimize financial risks, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, and ensure services are aligned with business objectives.
- Deliver financial controls and insight into WFP performance, undertaking periodic risk and internal control assessments to identify areas which may present potential audit, compliance or financial risks.
- Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with more complex analysis and queries.
- Represent unit/CO at internal meetings, external meetings and events with other UN agencies, banks and other financial institutions, or other partners and entities as required.
- Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to ensure WFP is able to quickly respond and deploy food and needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis.
- Serve as Country Office Compliance Focal Point: coordinate the Internal Control Framework, advise on segregation of duties, ensure adherence to policies/procedures, and monitor/drive the timely closure of audit and oversight actions.
- Represent WFP in the UN Operations Management Team (OMT) and act as BOS focal person, coordinating WFP inputs to common services, and tracking savings/cost avoidance and service quality KPIs.
- Oversee the Management Services portfolio (assets & inventory, premises & facilities, fleet, travel, protocol, general services) to deliver client-focused, value-for-money services and ensure compliance with HSE and security standards.
- Lead Finance & Management Services contract and vendor performance management (LTAs/SLAs), ensuring due diligence, timely renewals/closures, accurate records, and performance reviews aligned with service requirements.
- Drive performance management and efficiency for Management Services (dashboards, KPIs, benchmarking) to optimize resource use and improve service quality.
- Ensure business continuity and emergency readiness for finance and management services (cash and payments, premises/utilities, fuel/generators, fleet/travel), including contingency plans and periodic tests.
- Build team capabilities (finance, risk, controls, ERP/WINGS, administrative procedures) through coaching and targeted training ; foster a culture of accountability, client service, and continuous improvement.
- Other as required.
FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES :
Description of the behaviour expected for the proficiency level
Internal Controls & Compliance
Utilizes understanding of risk management approaches and internal controls to monitor projects and programmes to confirm regulatory compliance and ensure data integrity.
Performance Budgeting, Reporting & Analysis
Manages budget, business planning, and forecasting discussions on a programmewide level, integrating financial resource information from a portfolio of projects to analyze effectiveness and financial viability.
Resources Management (People, time, assets, etc.)
Monitors trends in staffing and resource usage to anticipate and escalate potential issues to programme leaders
Financial Management and Accounting Principles
Monitors and advises senior leaders on the financial status of projects and programmes, tracking outcomes to ensure transparent and effective utilization of resources.
Supply Chain and Operations Knowledge
Demonstrates thorough understanding of WFP programme and financial policies, business processes and applies these in the implementation or support of WFP programme interventions.
DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:
- Minimum 03 years of experience at professional level in finance, budget and administration
- Has experience reviewing and analyzing financial statements.
- Has experience implementing accounting and internal control processes.
- Experience in budgeting/forecasting and management reporting to support decision-making.
- Experience leading or coordinating compliance, risk management, and audit follow-up (closure of actions).
- Experience overseeing elements of the Management Services portfolio (assets/facilities, fleet, travel, protocol, general services) with service KPIs and value-for-money focus.
- Experience supervising/coaching teams in multicultural environments and driving process improvement/automation.
- Demonstrated focus on value for money (VFM) and cost optimization.
STANDARD MINIMUM ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS :
Education :
Advanced University degree in Finance, Business Administration, Accounting or related fields, or First University degree in the same subject(s) with additional years of related work experience plus membership in an international recognized professional accountancy body such as Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Institute of Certified Public Accounts (ICPA) or equivalent.
Language:
National Professional: Fluency (level C) in French and English languages
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
We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified
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.