Business Support Assistant (HR) SC L4, Freetown

Human Resources

Overview

Support HR operations and manage personnel data in compliance with processes.

You have:

• Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in related functional area is desirable.
• Four or more years of progressively responsible work experience in the relative business stream with experience in general administrative work.
• Fluency in both oral and written English.
• Proficient in the use of office equipment and computer software packages, such as Microsoft Word.
• Knowledge of work routines and methods in order to complete processes under minimal supervision.
• Ability to identify data discrepancies and rectify problems requiring attention.
• Ability to offer guidance or basic on-the-job training to more junior staff.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

14 July 2026-23:59-GMT Greenwich Mean Time (Freetown)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 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).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT :

Sierra Leone is a small but densely populated country, ranked 185th out of 193 countries in the 2024 Human Development Index. Agriculture remains the backbone of Sierra Leone’s economy, employing over 60 percent of the population, most of whom are women. However, the sector is dominated by smallholder farmers relying on subsistence practices, with limited access to improved seeds, fertilizers and modern techniques. While there has been recent progress in reducing the severity of food insecurity in the country, 78 percent of households remain food insecure In view of these developmental challenges, WFP Sierra Leone launched its new Country Strategic Plan (2026-2030) in January which seeks to ensure that people in Sierra Leone are food secure, resilient, and able to access quality essential services by 2030. To achieve the three inter-connected CSP outcomes, WFP plans to implement various projects and activities to strengthen food security and build resilience among smallholder farmers (Outcome 3). WFP will scale existing livelihood interventions to create and rehabilitate community assets, safeguard natural resources and the environment, develop value chains and improve access to markets and post-harvest management. While the CSP has a large focus on scaling up home grown school feeding and delivering a food systems approach, Outcome 3 is considered the backbone for doing so. These activities contribute to a number of government strategies and priority policies – most importantly the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTDNP) and Feed Salone.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES :

• Under the supervision of the HR Officer, the BSA will support the HR office in the following responsibilities;
• Respond to HR standard queries and provide timely and accurate guidance.
• Extract and compile HR data on staff recruitment and selection, contractual conditions, entitlements, performance and training requirements, to support analysis and reporting needs.
• Provide administrative support in various HR activities in the areas of work allocated by the professional officer including on boarding of new staff members in compliance with relevant processes and procedures.
• Maintain confidential personnel records, HR databases and archives, to ensure data and files are accurately stored and updated in compliance with the established standards.
• Use HR management systems for entering and updating a variety of HR data including assistance in monitoring various deadlines (e.g. contract expiration, PACE, etc.), ensuring compliance with the established deadlines and accuracy of HR data.
• Support staff deployment and related administrative actions including preparation of basic reports, to facilitate efficient HR service enabling WFP to respond quickly to a crisis.
• Contribute to improvement of business procedures and processes.
• Take responsibility for data integrity to facilitate availability of accurate information in corporate systems.
• Support the Head of HR and HR office with any other activities as required

Education: completion of secondary school education. A post- secondary certificate in related functional area is desirable. Experience: Four or more years of progressively responsible work experience in the relative business stream with experience in general administrative work.

Knowledge & Skills: • Proficient in the use of office equipment and computer software packages, such as Microsoft Word. • Knowledge of work routines and methods in order to complete processes under minimal supervision. • Uses tact and courtesy to give and receive information to a wide range of individuals. • Ability to identify data discrepancies and rectify problems requiring attention. •Ability to offer guidance or basic on-the-job training to more junior staff.

Languages: Fluency in both oral and written English

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: [email protected]

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 [email protected]. 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.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 14 hours ago - Updated 5 hours ago - Source: wfp.org