Head of Grants Management
Head of Grants Management
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Job Description
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
5 July 2025-23:59-GMT01:00 Central European Time (Rome)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 worlds 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 WFPs 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: 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).
JOB TITLE: Head of Grants Management TEAM: Finance & Business Analysis
UNIT/DIVISION: Private Partnerships Division (PSP) Org. Unit
DUTY STATION: Remote
CONTRACT TYPE: Short-Term Regular Consultant
DURATION: 11 months
WORK SCHEDULE: Full time
VA REFERENCE: n/a
LINE MANAGER/SUPERVISOR: Thomas Brunner Head of Finance & Business Analysis
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the worlds largest humanitarian agency working to create a world with zero hunger. WFP and its partners believe that no child should go to bed hungry and that individual and collective wellbeing can only be achieved if all children women and men get the nutritious food they need to lead healthy dignified lives. Each year WFP assists 90 million people in 83 countries. Every day some 5600 WFP-chartered trucks are on the road 92 planes are in the air and 20 ships are at sea. These numbers speak to WFPs unparalleled reputation as an emergency responder one that is often the first on the scene in the most difficult environments. WFP also works with partners to strengthen the resilience of communities most vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition through long-term development programmes aimed at boosting food security local economies education employment and gender equality. While hunger and malnutrition are the worlds largest solvable issues the needs are still immense and growing. 821 million people in the world suffer from chronic hunger.
The Private Partnerships Division (PSP) is responsible for working with the private sector to achieve greater impact in WFPs work. PSP has embarked on an exceptionally ambitious new strategy to raise an additional one billion dollars for hungry or malnourished people in the next five years and to expand the contribution to WFP from the business sector through effective and sustainable long-term partnerships as well as from private individual supporters around the world. This includes securing new high impact technical partnerships signing significant new corporate deals and growing existing relationships as well as building a base of one million individual supporters.
PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
Currently PSP is in the 4th year of implementing a new Partnerships and Fundraising Strategy that emphasizes on fundraising from the public for fully flexible giving and on technical corporate partners primarily for their dedicated expertise capability and advocacy support. Moreover PSP is expanding its portfolio of partners with contributions becoming more complex in their nature.
To that end PSP requires a Head of Grants Management to govern and lead the Grants Management workstream which includes taking ownership of the PSP GM process ensuring that donor contribution negotiations legal agreements and the subsequent grant confirmations are compliant with WFP rules and regulations and established PPF processes. In addition the incumbent will represent the division in organizational discussions and projects related to and/or having an impact on contributions management to ensure that processes related to private sector contributions management are taken into account with no adverse impact and to lead initiatives aimed at streamlining the GM process and the management of the grant lifecycle.
Moreover the incumbent will provide expert guidance and feedback to PSP leadership and other relevant HQ divisions RBs and COs on the private sector Grants management and contribution confirmation processes and procedures as well as on navigating complex donor legal agreements restrictions and conditions.
ACCOUNTABILITIES / RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Manage the PSP Grants Management team and lead the coaching growth & development and performance evaluation of the team among other management functions.
2. Lead the development of the annual performance plan governing the Grants Management workstream in consultation with senior leadership.
3. Provide expert guidance and feedback on donor legal agreements and provide the appropriate GM clearance prior to signature circulation ensuring compliance with WFPs rules and regulations. This also includes locally negotiated agreements at the RB and CO level.
4. Develop a new framework and approaches to allow WFP to enter complex agreements with PS donors not currently covered under the current Legal framework. Develop and enhance policies and guidance to set corporate standards which include for example recovering management cost from donors specifically Foundations and entering bilateral agreements specifically to allow WFP to expand this critical area of work (i.e. partnerships and fundraising) that usually sits outside of WFPs core activities.
5. Develop and guide the entire processes of the Private Sector divisions Grants Management function in compliance with IPSAS accounting standards including but not limited to processes linked to contribution management outstanding receivables cash management allocations invoicing retention database maintenance and reporting.
6. Represent PSP in organizational discussions meetings and workshops related to contributions management. This includes ensuring PPFs needs and requirements are properly represented in the ongoing WFP-wide Grants Management harmonization project.
7. Lead initiatives related to streamlining Grants Management processes such as standardized donor legal agreements PS twinning & advance financing and Individual Fundraising contribution flow in coordination with other functional teams and divisions.
8. Set standards and provide specialized guidance and training materials on the registration of private sector contributions including expert guidance to account managers and/or other stakeholders (internal & external) regarding the grant confirmation process project/ contribution budgets agreement preparation and other related financial aspects for all contribution types.
9. Lead the year-end closure exercise with the various functional teams in the division.
DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT
Effective management of the Grants Management team; performance evaluations of the team are completed in a timely manner
All PS donor contribution agreements signed are compliant with WFP rules & regulations and PSP processes.
Contribution management compliance and process improvements in the area of grants registration donor receivables and allocations.
No gaps in processes related to the effective management of the grant lifecycle
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
Education
- Advanced University degree in finance business administration or related fields or first university degree in the same subject(s) with additional years of related work experience.
Work history
- At least 10 years of postgraduate experience in finance and accounting out of which 6 years in grants and contribution management.
Hard skills
- Advanced knowledge of private sector fundraising principles and practices.
- Advanced knowledge of Grants and contribution management processes.
- Advanced knowledge of Excel Salesforce and SAP software.
- Advanced knowledge of IPSAS accounting standard
- Excellent communication analytical and project management skills.
- Ability to convey an informed and professional demeanour toward internal and external partners and stakeholders
- Ability to work with competing priorities and manage multiple tasks.
Soft skills
- Outstanding analytical negotiation and advocacy skills
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to cultivate relationships and influence senior decision-makers
- Highly organized with exceptional planning and problem solving skills
- Ability to handle multiple tasks within deadlines and deliver on commitments
- Work effectively in a multi-cultural environment and international organization
- Understanding or appreciation for working in a large complex hierarchical decentralised and geographically dispersed organisation
- Uses tact and courtesy to give and receive information with a variety of individuals (people oriented)
- Motivated team spirit and contributed to an inclusive and sound working environment (team player)
- Highly adaptable to change and comfortable dealing with ambiguity stress and competing demands with grace and humor
Language(s)
- Excellent command of spoken and written English
- Intermediate knowledge of another official UN language would be a plus (Arabic Chinese French Russian Spanish).
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:
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 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.
Required Experience:
Director
Employment Type
Full-Time
