Change management and business innovation senior manager @ World Food Programme

Consulting (1)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

30 December 2025-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome)

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).

JOB TITLE: Change Management and Business Innovation senior Manager

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Rome, Italy

DURATION: 6 months

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Over the past years the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has responded to an unprecedented level of emergencies, while maintaining ongoing operations. This increased demand stretches the organization which means WFP has to find new approaches and ways of working to ensure we are channelling every available resource to the people we serve.

The Change Management and Business Innovation Unit (BIU) was established in 2015 to manage change and to promote innovation as part of WFP’s Innovation division:

BIU acts as the “advisory arm” of WFP
BIU is composed of staff with top-tier management consulting backgrounds as well as UN experience

We execute projects on behalf of Executive Directors, Assistant Secretary Generals, and Directors across the UN system, and have become a trusted advisor to WFP and other entities (e.g. UN Women, UNFPA, Business Innovation Group). Our focus is on end-to-end solutions, including problem assessment, data analysis, operational model design, change plan and implementation monitoring.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Execution of Business Innovation projects Overall Innovation and Change Management priorities Being part of the BIU leadership team Other activities

DELIVERABLES:

Depending on time of joining, the candidate’s specific experience and current corporate priorities, the candidate will be responsible for the delivery of one/ two projects at a time. Examples of specific deliverables are:

Corporate Executive Director, Board and divisional key initiatives
- Advise Division Chief/ Directors on prioritization of key corporate initiatives
- Lead discussions with team members and other divisions to align on objectives, activities, timelines and outputs
- Lead analytical and project management support
UN Reform: Guide UN Reform implementation inside the WFP and part of an inter-agency project team
- Advise UNDCO on how to perform data collection (e.g., producing/updating data collection template, preparing and leading training sessions for all participating UN entities, supporting data missions in countries, etc.);
- Lead a team to carry out analysis and visualizations to drive insights and enable CBO Project Team to make data-driven decisions
- Drive communication efforts on UN Reform
Additional divisional needs
- As part of the BIU leadership team, be responsible for driving knowledge management reviews and best practices sharing, hiring, developing and retaining members of the BIU team
- Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with more complex analysis and queries
- Additional project support based on pipeline and new projects contracted during time of contract, as required

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Preference for a degree in business, economics or engineering

Experience:

At least 10 years of work experience in management consulting, change management, investment banking or private equity. Additional previous experience in an international organization necessary.

Knowledge & Skills:

Broad knowledge and/or experience of change management and business innovation.
Broad knowledge of best practices, techniques for process optimization processes (e.g. optimization of strategic planning, sourcing, logistics, finance processes, performance management, etc.)
Broad knowledge of best practices, techniques and methodologies for developing new strategies and drive efficiencies
Expert written and oral communications skills and ability to speak to various audiences.
Advanced analytical abilities, both quantitative and qualitative: ability to perform advanced analysis in excel and produce high-quality written materials, including powerpoint presentations as well as text documents;
Self-starter with proven ability to meet tight deadlines, adapt in a rapidly changing environment and pay close attention to details;
Excellent interpersonal skills to work effectively with different teams and clients, maintaining positive working relationships.
Ability to identify client’s need and match them to appropriate and innovative solutions.
Fully committed and motivated to achieve the aims of the UN World Food Programme.

Languages:

In addition to a high proficiency in written and spoken English, knowledge of a

second UN language is a plus.

Visa:

WFP supports Visa applications and the position is based in Rome, Italy.

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

We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
Please contact us at [email protected] in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

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.

Change management and business innovation senior manager

VA

World Food Programme

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