Head of Sub Office, CST II, Gondar, Ethiopia

JOB TITLE: Head of Sub Office, Gondar, Ethiopia
TYPE OF CONTRACT: International Consultant Level 2
UNIT/DIVISION: Programme
DUTY STATION: Gondar, Ethiopia
DURATION: 6 months

Job Description

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.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, access and consume diverse nutritious food to avert double burdens of malnutrition. In Ethiopia, an estimated 70 percent of the population are employed in the agriculture sector (crops and livestock). In addition, much of the arable land is rain-fed with only 2 percent irrigated while with much of the cultivated land occupied by smallholder farmers (96 percent). Furthermore, an estimated 20 million people in Ethiopia require humanitarian assistance of which 9.8 million people are largely due to severe drought effects. Ethiopia, like any other sub-Saharan country remains extremely prone to cyclic effects of climate change with impacts varying across the different regions.

Despite these challenges, Ethiopia has made significant development gains in recent decades, leading to important progress towards reducing poverty rates of above 20% between 2000-20151 and a 55% reduction in the Global Hunger Index since 20002. Progress has been registered in cereal production from 10.9 million metric tons (mt) in 2000/01 to 29.7 million mt in 2019/203 with increased consumption and dietary diversity contributing to significant health advancements. The percentage of households that are food energy deficient has dropped dramatically from 64% in 2000 to 40% in 20164 and promising improvements have also been noted in children’s nutrition, where rates of undernutrition among children under five decreased significantly from 41% in 2000 to 24% in 2016.
WFP Ethiopia Country Office (CO) is looking for a Head of Sub-Office, based in Gondar Sub-Office, whose main responsibility will be to plan and manage field operations to ensure the effective and efficient deployment of food assistance programmes and use of allocated resources.

The Country Office is shifting its focus to invest extensively in resilience building and livelihood strengthening interventions through a food systems lens. Guided by the two strategies (one on pastoral livelihoods and the other on transforming smallholder farmer food systems), WFP is seeking for a candidate that will lead the overall programme management that include all workstreams under the savings and changing lives agenda in Amhara region.

JOB PURPOSE

Under Gondar Sub-Office WFP is implementing 4 activities:

1. Relief operation with the caseload of 361,843 beneficiaries
2. Refugees operation with 37,000 beneficiaries and number keeps increasing
3. Nutrition -TSFP and
4. School Feeding.

Apart from programmatic activities, Gondar is a logistics hub, serving not only Amhara operation but Tigray as well. The Sub-office currently has 39 staff. The role and the function of Head of Sub-office is extremely important to ensure WFP operations and resources are managed in efficient way.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Area Office, the incumbent will be responsible for implementing the following tasks and responsibilities:

1. Effectively manage the Field Office to ensure the continued development of a cohesive and high performing team.
2. Plan and manage WFP field operations within the area of assignment to ensure effective and efficient delivery of food assistance and that daily operational issues are timely resolved to prevent losses or delays.
3. Ensure that allocated resources are used efficiently and are in line with agreed plans, and any deviations are reported to the Area/Country Office.
4. Hold accountability for the security of WFP staff, operations, premises and assets in the Field Office to ensure that WFP security and safety standards are locally set and followed. Actively participate and contribute to the Area Security Management Team (ASMT).
5. Conduct timely monitoring and evaluation of activities and prepare accurate and comprehensive reports on WFP’s operations and performance with regular and timely submission for Area/Country Office review to inform efficient operational planning and decisions.
6. Build effective and collaborative relations with the local authorities and contribute to the expertise sharing and capacity building for effective preparedness and response to food assistance needs.
7. Build partnerships to improve assistance packages, develop and sustain liaison with local government authorities, international and local NGOs, UN agencies, civil societies, beneficiaries and other partners and media engaged in the field of food security.
8. Ensure extensive and frequent presence at project areas, distribution sites and centres.
9. Other as required.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: 

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

Experience: 

• Minimum 5 years’ relevant professional work experience
• Has developed, or supported in the development of, single discipline work plans to support the achievement of WFP strategic aims within a defined area.
• Has gained some exposure in field operations, preferably in a hardship duty station or emergency situation.
• Has field experience via field rotations or working in a sub-office, and through field postings.
• Gained experience of analysing local political situations and assessing risk accurately.
• Gained broader exposure across areas within a function (i.e. policy, programme etc.).
• Has gained experience managing small to mid-size financial budgets, balancing priorities effectively.
• Has experience leading a small to mid-size team to ensure the effective delivery of objectives.
• Participated in a vendor/government/ partner negotiation within area of focus.
• Participated in a small emergency operation/ development programme.
• Has experience with security co-ordination and compound management within a smaller area.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Strong analytical and negotiation skills.
• Resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgement.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision as well as ability to supervise and train support staff; and to work effectively with people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with counterparts and staff within the office, host government, donors, other UN agencies, private sector and NGOs/CSOs.

Language:

• Fluency in both oral and written communication in English (Level C).

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

13 December 2023