Programme Officer Deputy Head of West Bank Operations

World Food Programme- Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) is Inviting both female and male to apply for the following position:

Deadline for applications: 10th October 2011
Job Title:Programme Officer  –Deputy Head of West Bank Operations  
Contract:Fixed Term
Grade:NOA
Location:Jerusalem Office       
   

Supervision received: The Programme Officer reports to the Head of Unit, Deputy Country Director, Country Director or their designees.

Accountabilities: Within delegated authority, the Programme Officer will be responsible for the following duties: (These duties are generic and thus are not all-inclusive nor are all duties carried out by all Programme Officers) •
-Responsible for overall programme management which includes implementation and monitoring of programmes and activities in the region;
-Develop and sustain liaison with key professionals and NGOs engaged in the field of food security;
-Oversee preparation and dissemination of timely analytical and critical reports including proposals for improvements in operation and the scope of programmes;
-Assess the need for food in emergency and refugee/displaced person situations, draw up plans for its timely arrival in coordination with government and other donors, and monitor the implementation of these plans;
-Assist the government in identifying fields of development where food aid can be usefully employed and give assistance in planning, formulating, and targeting recipients for new requests for WFP aid;
-Liaise with project implementing authorities and undertake visits to view project outputs and beneficiaries, inspect storage places and points where WFP commodities are received in the country, in order to ensure that progress is made in the achievement of project objectives;
-Design and maintain databases of indicators relating to food security and WFP projects;
-Provide continuing liaison with bilateral food aid programmes, with UN agencies and with NGOs providing technical or other forms of assistance to WFP assisted projects.
-Advise the government on the handling, transport, storage and distribution (including marketing of commodities, if sold) of the commodities supplied by WFP;
-Assist the government on the maintenance of all records, accounts and books as stipulated in the Plan of Operations or the Letter of Understanding and ensure that reports required for WFP are accurate and provided as scheduled;
-Prepare periodic reports on the progress of operational projects and related government plans;
-Ensure compliance with WFP’s policies, criteria and procedures with respect to food aid;
-Assist Regional and Country Directors and Programme Advisers in all matters related to the delivery of WFP emergency assistance and bring to the attention of appropriate regional/country staff any administrative constraints arising from rapidly evolving emergency situations in the field;
-Assist Country Director and/or Programme Advisor in preparation/update of the early warning, risk analysis and contingency planning in order to respond to humanitarian crises. Periodically monitor the management of risks and report on any actions taken;
-Supervise other programme staff; provide training and technical guidance in their work;
-Perform other related duties as required.

Expected Results:
 Well prepared, analytical work; well managed projects, programmes and/or operations.

Critical Success Factors:
Good analytical skills; resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgment, tact, negotiating skills; ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing; ability to work in a team, and establish effective working relations with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds. Ability to cope with situations which may threaten health or safety; flexibility in accepting work assignments outside normal desk description. Ability to deal patiently and tactfully with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Competencies:
Action Management
Effectively manages own work related to multiple tasks or activities. Recognizes opportunities or threats and act on them with the agreement of supervisor. Responds quickly to emergencies with a solution or a decision. Evaluates own strengths and developmental needs and modifies behavior based on feedback or self analysis.

Communication
Presents information clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing. Listens to and shows understanding of ideas and views of others. Adapts level of language and/or complexity of content to audience. Shares information and knowledge with colleagues, staff and supervisors. Communicates respectfully with all individuals regardless of gender, national and cultural background.

Ethics & Values
Takes responsibility for own performance. Recognizes the potential for ethical dilemmas and seeks advice to resolve them. Respects and works productively with all individual regardless of gender, national and cultural background. Acts consistently with established procedures and policies.

Teamwork
Works productively with broad range of team members (e.g., all job profiles, levels), actively participates in and supports team decisions, openly shares knowledge, expertise or experience with team members. Takes constructive actions to resolve team conflict. Gives constructive feedback to team members.

Client Orientation
Actively seeks information and opinions of client to understand their requests and to identify their needs and expectations. Meets deadlines for delivery of products or services to clients. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks. Explains the rationale for decisions/outcomes to the client. Solicits ongoing feedback from clients.

Cognitive Capacity
Systematically extracts pertinent information from relevant sources. Conducts in-depth analysis on issues and problems. Identifies multiple causes of a problem and relationships among the causes.

Interpersonal Relations
Respects differing needs and viewpoints. Resolves personal and professional disagreements constructively. Builds effective working relationships within the unit/division/office. Demonstrates sensitivity, tact, and empathy for others.

Stamina & Stress Resistance

Maintains effective performance in demanding or uncertain situations (e.g., emergency and/or varied field situations). Maintains a work-life balance to ensure that performance is sustained over the long-term, even under stressful circumstance (e.g., a socially restrictive field environment). Recognises personal limits and reactions to stress. Uses personally effective strategies to cope with stressful situations. Maintains focus in demanding or high pressure situations.

Behavioral Flexibility
Identifies positive impacts/benefits of forthcoming changes. Shifts focus between tasks when changes in priorities require it.

Qualification and Education:

Education:
University degree in one or more of the following disciplines: economics, agriculture, international affairs, business administration, social sciences, development studies or a field relevant to international development assistance.

Experience:
At least one year of postgraduate professional experience in commerce, development, administration or food aid support.  Experience in the use of cash vouchers as a transfer modality would be a distinct asset.

Knowledge:
Training and/or experience utilizing computers, including word processing, spreadsheet and other standard WFP software packages and systems. General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations and procedures governing administration.

Language:
Fluency in both oral and written communication in the UN language in use at the duty station and in the duty station’s language, if different.


Interested candidates are requested to send their resumes to:
UN / World Food Programme
By E-mail to:  [email protected]

Applications must be received by 10th  October 2011 @ 15:00hrs

 Only short-listed candidates meeting the required qualifications will be contacted.