Senior Programme Associate (Cooperating Partner – Invoice & Payment) at United Nations World Food Programme

JOB PURPOSE

WFP is seeking a candidate of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles to fill the position of an Invoice & Payment Consultant (SC7) to work under the Programme Cycle Management Unit (Cooperating Partner (CP) Management work-stream) based in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Cooperating Partner/NGO workstream focuses on strengthening the capacity of Country Offices (COs)  to effectively manage FLAs (Field Level Agreements), reducing operational and financial risks and helping to build strong partnerships which support the deliverables of our CSPs( Country Strategic Plans). The process efficiencies include adoption of digital tools/templates, reconciliation of CP data in various platforms, contributions to Partner Action Plans and identification of emerging risks in the programme operations. The selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:    University degree with experience and training/courses in one or more of the following disciplines: information science, social sciences, development studies, business administration, education or a field relevant to international development assistance. University Degree in business studies, community development, project management, statistics and development studies or any other related field is desirable.

Experience:  At least 5 years post graduate progressively responsible experience in either invoice & payments, partnerships management, programme implementation, communication, monitoring and evaluation for a humanitarian development agency. Experience in rolling out digital solutions is an added advantage.

Languages:  Fluency in both oral and written communication in English. French is an asset.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Proficiency in Windows, Office O365, (MS Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access) and other applications related to blogging.
• General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations and procedures governing administration and invoice & payments, including the Invoice Tracking System (ITS).
• Excellent writing and communication skills.
• Strong project management, organization and planning skills.
• Competencies: Good analytical skills, resourcefulness, flexibility, initiative, maturity of judgement, tact, negotiating skills; strong team work skills; ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing; ability to compile, maintain and analyze data, prepare reports and draw initial conclusions and recommendations, and maintain effective work relationships with counterparts, effective and timely interaction with colleagues and concerned parties internally and externally; flexibility in accepting work assignments outside normal desk description; and ability to work effectively and tactfully with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES 1/2 (not all-inclusive)

• Conduct assessments of all functional CP invoice management processes and document the current (as-is) COs process maps.
• Identify all key workflow related pain-points among CO staff in all functional related processes in Invoice processing.
• In collaboration with Finance and CP Management colleagues in RBN and CO analyze the current (as-is) processes to identify key areas of inefficiencies, delays, bottlenecks, etc. informing improvement opportunities.
• Verify partner or vendor payment documentation and populate required payment processing documentation for partners as directed by respective RBN/CO team members.
• Establish the verification procedures of CP reports and financial report/Invoices received from partners and vendors prior to report submission deadlines.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES 2/2

• Propose invoice process design clearly showing functional interfaces and seamless workflows and ensure alignment to strategy and compliance with financial rules and regulations/Network standards and best practice.
• Recommend opportunities and key areas for automation improvements in the invoice processing/ payment processes, as well as suitable approaches.
• Work closely with Knowledge Management team and key processes owners to effectively transfer knowledge and manage change; Ensuring all records are organized and stored effectively for future access across teams.
• Work with the CP Mgmt. Advisor and CO CP Mgmt. teams to identify key points of impact on staff and risks during new process implementation and advise on appropriate change management mechanisms.
• Collaborate with program and CO/RBN/HQ teams on building new and/or maintaining existing templates, tools and tracking systems for ensuring smooth operations between program, field operations and finance teams.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT

1. Current (as-is) Country Offices process maps.
2. Business process analysis report including quantitative baselines, improvement opportunities and projected benefits/gains.
3. Final report containing items in 1&2 above; future (to-be) business processes; recommendations outlining key areas of automation; and recommendations on key change management considerations during implementation of to-be business processes.
4. SOPs for Invoice Processing Management to inform update of NGO Management guidance.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS