Senior Food Technologist (Rice Fortification) (SSA-8)

.

WFP encourages female candidates and people with disabilities to apply.

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles. Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis. We are committed to promoting diversity and the principle of equal employment opportunity for all our employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of religion or belief, ethnic or social background, gender, gender identity and disability.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Position Title: Senior Food Technologist (Rice Fortification)

Contract Type: Special Service Agreement (SSA-8)

Contract Duration: 11 months

Duty Station: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Nationality: Sri Lankan only

Vacancy Number : 829192

Date of Publication: 26.08.2023

Deadline of Application: 09.09.2023

This vacancy announcement is for Sri Lankan Nationals only.

WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Please visit the following website for detailed information on working with WFP: http://www.wfp.org

Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.

JOB PURPOSE

Senior Food Technologist (Rice Fortification), who is specialized in rice fortification is pivotal for the execution of the above-mentioned project to provide effective specialized support and technical knowledge on fortified rice production and quality assurance.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. Provide technical support and assist in the development and implementation of various activities and processes related to fortified rice production and quality assurance throughout supporting alignment with wider programme policies and guidelines. 2. Provide assistance to implement the specialized rice fortification project support to nutrition and School-based programs to ensure that the various activities are performed within the established targets following WFP’s policies and procedures. 3. With the technical support and guidance from the relevant national authorities, technical experts and WFP regional bureau experts, internal focal staff facilitate the rice kernel importation and blending facilities, putting forward recommendations for improved processes and quality assurance. 4. Prepare necessary reports and data analysis related to rice fortification and highlight trends/issues ensuring deliverables adhere to corporate standards and quality control. 5. Ensure and/or perform accurate, timely recording of data and consistency of information presented to stakeholders and project reporting purposes 6. Liaise with internal and external counterparts to support effective collaboration, implementation and monitoring of ongoing project activities. 7. Work closely with the National Food Promotion Board, coordinate and communicate with various other stakeholders of the project. 8. Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government partners. 9. Working collaboratively with the supporting staff and the team. 10. Perform other related duties as required..

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Masters Degree in Food Science and Technology, Agriculture Technology, or equivalent

Experience:

• Minimum at least five (5) year of postgraduate professional experience in the Agriculture and Food technology field. • Five (5) years experience with a master’s degree or bachelor's degree in the Food technology field with substantial working experience on rice/food fortificationSpecific technical knowledge and working experience regarding rice fortification. • Specific technical knowledge and working experience regarding rice fortification. • Has worked with technical teams (i.e., Food safety, Food quality, nutrition, Agriculture technology, VAM, etc.) and contributed to the implementation of programmes. • Has observed or assisted with policy discussions and policy formulation.

Languages:

• Proficiency in both oral and written communication skills in English.
• Written and oral communication skills in Sinhala and/or Tamil are preferred.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered, interested candidates are invited to apply via (https://www.wfp.org/careers/job-openings). Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.

Request for Disability related Reasonable Accommodations:

It is important to WFP to create an accessible and inclusive workplace for everyone. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection and hiring process, please direct your request and inquiries to the Diversity and Inclusion team on: [email protected], cc’ing [email protected].

A member of the reasonable accommodation team will contact you to confidentially discuss your needs.

This email is only to be used for any disability related accessibility requirements, and not for sending the application itself. Due to volume of applications, any applications or CVs sent through this email address will not be considered as a formal application and will not receive a reply from WFP.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Sri Lanka is experiencing an unprecedented macroeconomic, political and social crisis, compounded by lasting effect of COVID-19. It has seen a significant reduction in agricultural production and yield, a sharp decrease in foreign exchange reserves, and a steep rise in inflation and food prices. The intensifying economic crisis continues to threaten food security. The persistence of high food and fuel prices has pushed food further out of reach. More than one-third of the population (37 percent) is currently facing acute food insecurity, according to WFP’s remote household food security surveys done in August 2022 in Sri Lanka. Within this perspective, WFP’s economic crisis response aims to reach a total of 3.4 million people across three main activities: (1) unconditional food assistance through cash or in-kind; (2) school meals; and (3) nutrition support, and overall, through social protection lenses. The CSP aims to contribute to four Strategic Outcomes that are aligned to four Strategic Results of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for Development). A total of 4 Activities are planned to be implemented to achieve the contributions to the four Strategic Outcomes, which are the following:

• Strategic Outcome 1. People are better able to meet their urgent food and nutrition needs.
• Strategic Outcome 2. People have better nutrition, health & education outcomes
• Strategic Outcome 3. People have improved & sustainable livelihoods
• Strategic Outcome 4. National programmes & systems are strengthened

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Saturday, 9 September 2023

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 (SDG 2) 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. WFP has been present in Sri Lanka since 1968 providing assistance to the country in emergency situations and conducting protracted recovery interventions in the aftermath of man-made disasters such as the 27-year conflict and recurrent natural disasters (droughts and floods/landslides). The country’s on-going economic crisis -- the worst in decades – has triggered a spike in the cost of living, along with lost jobs and reduced incomes. Coupled with the lingering effects of COVID-19 and impacts of climate change, the country is experiencing a concerningly high level of food insecurity. These challenges threaten to reverse years of development gains, undermining the country’s ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Even before the ongoing crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Lankan women and children had very high rates of malnutrition: 17 percent of children under 5 were too short for their age (stunted) and 15 percent were too thin for their height (wasted), a figure which is considered 'very high’ in WHO classifications. The current economic crisis will likely aggravate this further. WFP commenced its second-generation five-year Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for the period 2023 – 2027 (CSP 2018-2022) which aims to address immediate food and nutrition needs while building medium to long-term solutions through four strategic outcomes.

All WFP Employees are expected to demonstrate the competencies and standards of behaviour aligned with our core values and defined in the WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK, namely:

Leading by example with integrity,

Driving results and delivering on commitments,

Fostering inclusive and collaborative teamwork,

Applying strategic thinking,

Building and maintaining sustainable partnership.

.

WFP is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce. WFP has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority or discrimination. 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.