Special Assistant to the Country Director, CST II, South Sudan

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

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 world’s 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 extreme weather shocks.

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.

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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).

POSITION TITLE & GRADE LEVEL : Special Assistant to the Country Director

UNIT / DIVISION : Management (Office of the Country Director)

DUTY STATION : Juba, South Sudan

CONTRACT TYPE : International Regular Consultant Level 2 (CST-II)

Duration : 11 months renewable (Subject to performance and funding availability)

COUNTRY CONTEXT:

South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, continues to struggle to overcome a multitude of challenges. Conflict, climate shocks, economic instability and the ongoing war in neighbouring Sudan have created a perfect storm of suffering, leaving families unable to access enough food.

Since April 2023, over 1.1 million people fleeing the conflict in Sudan have crossed into South Sudan, placing additional pressure on overstretched communities and humanitarian systems. The World Food Programme (WFP) has supported more than 620,000 of them with fortified biscuits, food or cash assistance, and nutrition support for mothers and young children.

A total of 7.56 million people – over half the population – face Crisis or worse levels of food insecurity or worse, with hunger reaching near-record levels. The situation is particularly dire for children, with over 2.1 million aged over 5 acutely malnourished. A total of 2.8 million children are out of school – more than half of them girls. Female literacy remains alarmingly low at just 29 percent, compared to 40 percent for men – among the lowest rates in the world.

Food assistance remains essential to averting a humanitarian catastrophe. But it must also serve as a bridge to long-term recovery. WFP is working with local civil society and empowering communities – especially women and girls – to build resilience, support peacebuilding and foster self-reliance in the face of relentless adversity.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The position is located in the World Food Programme (WFP) South Sudan Country Office in Juba and reports directly to the Country Director.

The Special Assistant serves as a central coordination point for the Country Director's Office, supporting and working closely with the Senior Management Team, collaborating closely with functional units, field offices, the Regional Bureau and Global Headquarters.

The role supports the effective management and coordination of the Country Director's Office by providing high-quality operational planning, analysis, briefing and drafting support, meeting and mission coordination, information management and follow-up.

The incumbent supports leadership in engagement with Government authorities, United Nations entities, humanitarian and development partners, donors and other counterparts, ensuring the effective execution of the Country Director's priorities and engagements, promoting accountability for management decisions, and facilitating timely escalation of complex, sensitive or high-risk matters in a dynamic operational environment.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

I. Strategic Coordination and Leadership Engagement Support

• Prepare, review and coordinate high-quality briefing notes, analytical briefs, talking points, speeches, correspondence, presentations and management updates on the operational context and implementation of activities, ensuring information is accurate, concise and timely.
• Support senior-level stakeholder engagement by preparing strategic background documents and providing context, analysis and messaging for interactions with Government authorities, United Nations agencies, humanitarian and development partners, donors and other counterparts, while coordinating related engagements and follow-up actions.
• Attend inter-agency, governmental and internal meetings with the Country Director as required; ensure accurate records of discussions, decisions and action points; and coordinate follow-up actions.

II. Operational Support for the Country Office (CO) and the Country Director's (CD) Office

• Coordinate and oversee the daily workflow, priorities and planning of the Country Director’s Office, including deadlines, agenda priorities, meetings and engagements, and ensure timely follow-up on matters assigned by the Country Director.
• Provide operational and cross-functional coordination support, including tracking decisions and agreements emerging from Senior Management discussions; coordinating and driving progress on actions involving multiple stakeholders while fostering effective collaboration across functional units, field offices and corporate divisions; and escalating matters requiring leadership attention or decision.
• Maintain effective working relationships across the Country Office, Field Offices, Regional Bureau and Global Headquarter, facilitating collaboration, information sharing and joint planning; and maintain and monitor tracking mechanisms for key decisions, commitments, action points and management priorities to promote accountability and timely implementation.
• Plan and organize the Country Director’s missions, including timely preparation of mission files and background documents by relevant units and field offices, and coordination of protocol, administrative, security and logistics arrangements in line with WFP and South Sudan Country Office procedures.
• Ensure internal communication from the Country Director is clear, timely, consistent and appropriately disseminated to staff in coordination with relevant colleagues, incorporating relevant socio-political and operational context, as appropriate, to support informed communication and effective organizational positioning.
• Respond to requests, feedback and concerns directed to the Country Director’s Office in a professional, confidential and appropriate manner, escalating sensitive or high-risk issues when guidance or decision is required.
• Provide guidance, coordination support and capacity strengthening to front-office colleagues as required to promote effective workflows, sound information management and high-quality delivery.
• Ensure confidentiality and compliance with WFP corporate policies, procedures and standards, including requirements related to official communication, records and document management, information handling, mission support and use of organizational resources.
• Perform other related duties and assignments as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s) in Economics, International Development, Social Sciences, Public Administration, International Relations, Arts, Communications or another relevant field; or a first university degree (Bachelor’s) with additional relevant experience.

Required experience

At least five years of progressively responsible professional postgraduate experience in programme or operational coordination, executive or senior management support, advisory functions, external relations, governance, or coordination mechanisms within the UN system, an international organization, or a humanitarian or development organization. Candidates should demonstrate experience providing strategic and operational support to senior management-level stakeholders.

• Operational experience in a large-scale, complex, emergency, and/or conflict-affected environment comparable to South Sudan is required. Experience in programme implementation, supply chain operations, and cross-functional operational coordination is highly desirable.
• Strong knowledge of South Sudan's political, socio-economic, cultural, security, and humanitarian context, including local dynamics, stakeholder relationships, and operating environment, is considered a significant asset
• Demonstrated experience providing direct support to senior executives or senior management, including preparing high-quality analytical briefs, talking points, speeches, correspondence, presentations, meeting records and decision-tracking mechanisms to support informed decision-making and follow-up on strategic priorities.
• Demonstrated experience providing strategic coordination and advisory support to senior management, including coordinating complex processes and high-level engagements involving diverse internal and external stakeholders (e.g. government counterparts, UN agencies, donors, humanitarian and development partners), driving follow-up on senior management decisions, and promoting accountability for agreed actions and organizational priorities.

Knowledge and skills

• Strong interpersonal skills and sound judgement to maintain respectful and productive working relationships with people at different levels, functions and backgrounds.
• Ability to work independently, accurately and under tight deadlines, with personal accountability for quality deliverables.
• Good drafting, editing and communication skills, with the ability to write and speak clearly, concisely and effectively for varied purposes and audiences.
• Ability to coordinate and drive progress on processes involving multiple stakeholders, including follow-up on decisions, action points and emerging priorities.
• Tact, discretion and confidentiality in handling sensitive information and requests to or from the Country Director’s Office.
• Ability to multitask, manage competing demands, think creatively, proactively, strategically and problem-solve with flexibility in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Languages

Fluency in written and spoken English. Working knowledge of another official UN language and/or a relevant local language is an asset.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

The incumbent is expected to demonstrate the WFP values of Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity and Inclusion, and to contribute to effective leadership through sound judgement, partnership, accountability and delivery of results.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• The position is based in Juba and may require travel to WFP field offices and operational locations in South Sudan, subject to operational and security requirements.
• The recruitment process may also be used to establish a roster for the same or lower grade level and for possible placement at different duty stations, subject to future operational needs.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

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

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.

• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.

• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

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.