Special Assistant to the Country Director, CST II, South Sudan
Organizational Context
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, dedicated to saving lives and building a pathway to peace and prosperity. WFP operates in complex emergencies, utilizing food assistance to support recovery from conflict, disasters, and extreme weather. The organization values diversity, inclusion, and personal development, offering a dynamic environment for its staff.
Job Purpose
The Special Assistant to the Country Director in South Sudan will serve as a crucial coordination point within the Country Director's Office. This role is pivotal in supporting the Country Director's leadership by providing high-quality operational planning, analysis, briefing, and drafting support. The incumbent will facilitate effective management and coordination of the office, working closely with the Senior Management Team and various functional units, field offices, the Regional Bureau, and Global Headquarters. Key responsibilities include preparing strategic documents, supporting high-level engagement with government authorities and partners, coordinating daily workflows, and ensuring timely follow-up on critical matters. The Special Assistant will play a vital role in managing complex information, driving cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring the effective execution of the Country Director's priorities in a challenging humanitarian context.
Responsibilities
The role involves providing comprehensive strategic coordination and leadership engagement support, including preparing high-quality briefing notes, analytical briefs, talking points, speeches, correspondence, and presentations. This includes ensuring accuracy, conciseness, and timeliness of information for senior-level stakeholder engagement with government authorities, UN agencies, humanitarian partners, donors, and other counterparts. The position requires preparing strategic background documents, providing context and analysis, and coordinating engagements and follow-up actions. It also entails attending inter-agency, governmental, and internal meetings, ensuring accurate record-keeping of discussions, decisions, and action points, and coordinating follow-up. Additionally, the role provides operational support for the Country Office and the Country Director's Office by overseeing daily workflow, priorities, and planning, tracking decisions from senior management, and driving progress on cross-functional actions. Maintaining effective working relationships across various offices, facilitating collaboration, and monitoring key decisions and priorities are crucial. The position also involves planning and organizing the Country Director's missions, ensuring clear and timely internal communication, and responding professionally to requests and concerns, escalating sensitive issues as needed. Confidentiality and compliance with WFP policies are paramount.
Work Experience
The role requires at least five years of progressively responsible professional experience in program or operational coordination, executive or senior management support, advisory functions, external relations, governance, or coordination mechanisms within the UN system, an international organization, or a humanitarian/development organization. Candidates must demonstrate experience providing strategic and operational support to senior management. Experience in a large-scale, complex, emergency, or conflict-affected environment is essential. Experience in program implementation, supply chain operations, and cross-functional operational coordination is highly desirable. Strong knowledge of the local context is a significant asset.
Skills
Coordination, Operational Planning, Analysis, Briefing and Drafting, Meeting and Mission Coordination, Information Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Interpersonal Skills, Communication Skills, Problem-Solving, Adaptability, Confidentiality, Microsoft Office Proficiency