HEA and Food Assistance Specialist

With over 70 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.

Come join our 34,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Employee Contract Type:

International Assignment - Fixed Term (Fixed Term)Job Description:

Program Leadership and Oversight

• Provide overall leadership to WVISS Food Assistance Zonal Managers, ensure that all set targets are met; cash and food resources earmarked to target populations are properly handled, distributed, tracked, fully accounted for and reported on according to World Vision standard procedures and the Donor policy.
• Support all Food Assistance Managers in the design and proposal writing process for all WFP projects and ensure timely submission and reporting.
• Facilitate Annual NO Disaster Management Score Card Process and implement recommendations
• Guide the NO in Pre-positioning for future responses (staff capacity, plans, equipment, NFIs etc)
• Enhanced efficiency in CVP implementation, by utilizing trained staff, Country level SOPs, WVSS capacity statement and project level SOPs as well as update and development of other institutional tools and systems in line with WVI Strategic Cash Road Map
• Support overall integration/mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction into projects and programmes
• Provide strategic vision, leadership and technical assistance in improving the overall performance of livelihood, the 3UN grants and short-term programs
• Develop and maintain a strategic plan in line with WVs strategy of "Changing lives" through strengthening of disaster risk reduction models such Food and cash for assets, capacity building of smallholder farmers, in order to boost production.

Response Management

• Ensure compliance to WVI Disaster Management Standards and Emergency Management System
• Support the HEA Focus Lead in the process and development of Response Plans with inputs of Technical Specialists and different Department Heads and ensure alignment to NO strategies
• Support the HEA Focal Lead in providing leadership for response programs in compliance with quality standards and organization of processes for the following functions to be completed; needs assessment, project design, development plans, implementation plans, exit strategy, and transition to long-term program, timely reporting to Donors and Support offices.
• Facilitate timely reporting for responses as regards Sitreps, Mid-term, Annual reports.

Technical & Management Oversight for Livelihoods/Food Assistance Programming/Juba Based Programs/ 3UN/Short Term Grants and Hunger Emergency Response.

• Coordinate with all project, zonal managers and technical leads to ensure project outputs are achieved within time and acceptable quality
• Create a strong culture of transparency and accountability by ensuring an effective system is implemented at field level on reporting, documenting and responsibility for losses
• Ensure integration of food assistance projects with other projects to ensure synergy, cost sharing and broader impact.
• Providing supervision and technical support to FA staff in the management of all food resources, ensuring that the reception, handling, storage and documentation of food commodity movements are aligned with WFP and WVI DMT standards and guidelines.
• Ensure an effective reporting system to produce timely and accurate commodities reports to WFP, WVSS Office, DMT and other key stakeholders like the United Nations and Government counterparts.

Budget development and management

• Provide oversight of project financial procedures, including budgeting, budget tracking, control, & invoice payments.
• Support budget management in conjunction with the Food Assistance Managers, Technical Leads, Program Manager, Project Directors and Zonal Programme Manager and Finance Manager, and ensure spending and expenditures are within budget and adhere to donor requirements.
• Risk and security management: Actively combat fraud and corruption within the wider program, ensuring projects are ready for Risk Based Audits

Monitoring, Reporting, Documentation & Knowledge Management

• In collaboration with FSL Project Managers, FA Projects Managers. Project Manager/Coordinators and Zonal Program Managers, ensure an effective project quality assurance mechanism, including monitoring system for tracking of project progress against indicators, activities and key project milestones, reporting, evaluation, and communication systems
• Conduct routine visits to all project sites for purposes of monitoring and operational support
• Ensure WVSS has a functioning Commodity Tracking System (CTS)/LMMS in support of the food assistance accounting and reporting

Donor Engagement and Proposal Development

• Lead the project design, assessments, proposal writing budgeting process, development of program objectives (technical log frame) and engaging donors during the negotiation process in coordination with the Disaster Management Team (DMT) and Program Development Team at National Office.
• Preparation of Technical agreements and follow up of approvals, semiannual and annual reporting and facilitating annual evaluations
• Build and maintain productive working relationships/partnerships with key UN, INGO and LNGO partners, donors, peer agencies, government partners and other key stakeholders to scale up food security and livelihoods programming in South Sudan.
• Work with UN and INGO/LNGO colleagues on strategic interagency initiatives.

Job Requirements:

• Master's degree in any of the field of Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, Food Security or related field in livelihood and resilience.
• Excellent project management skills and a good understanding of the project life cycle and other related field including grant management
• Excellent computer skills, familiarity with MS Word, Microsoft Outlook, MS Excel and Power Point would be an added advantage.
• At least 10 years field experience in a relief or development environment, with at least 5 years in a senior managerial role with direct reporting lines.
• Previous experience with successful multi-million-dollar program management and oversight (USAID, EU/ECHO, FCDO, GAC, DFAT, UN agencies).
• Previous experience in managing Food Security and Livelihood, Food and Cash/Voucher Assistance programs, WASH, Nutrition, Health, GBV/protection, and Education programs for development and emergency experience in fragile or challenging and complex contexts.
• Must clearly understand the working of the major WV partners (USAID, EU/ECHO, FCDO, GAC, DFAT, UN etc), their requirements and standards.
• Ability to engage high level donors to influence funding priorities, strategy and policy.
• Ability to engage with governmental, NGO and other senior leaders on development issues and maintain effective partnerships.
• Experience in designing and implementing all types of food assistance program (GFD, FFE, FFA, SFP, Cash transfers); strong knowledge in integrated resilience programming where food assistance ( in-kind or cash) is used as a resource for improved livelihood outcomes (added advantage)
• Sound knowledge of humanitarian international standards, policies and procedures including the Red Cross and Red Crescent Code of Conduct, HAP-I Standard, ECB Good Enough Guide, Sphere Standard (Humanitarian Charter and Participation Standard), donor requirements and WV Humanitarian Accountability Framework Ability to maintain performance expectations in diverse cultural contexts, psychologically stressful environments, and physical hardship conditions with limited resources
• Ability to work in high tension and high security risk situations and adapt to rapidly changing contexts.
• Strong English communication skills (both oral and written).
• Positive collaboration and facilitation skills including the ability to train and supervise a multi-cultural team;
• Proven ability to manage complex partnership relationships including effective coordination with host country government
• Good cross-cultural communication skills,
• Willingness to spend at least 30% of the time in the field visiting projects sometimes under difficult living conditions.

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local and International Applicants (IA's) Accepted