Head of Enabling Services

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

30 November 2026-23:59-GMT+08:00 Philippine Standard Time (Manila)

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 extreme weather shocks.

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).

POSITION DETAILS:

Job Title: Head of Enabling Services

Type of Contract: Fixed-Term

Grade: NOD

Unit/Division: Office of the Representative and Country Director

Duty Station: Manila, Philippines

Duration: Twelve (12) months, with a possibility of extension

This position is open to Filipino nationals only.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:

The Head of Enabling Services will report directly to the Representative and Country Director and will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the Country Office’s enabling services functions.

JOB PURPOSE:

To manage all the enabling services, which may include Management Services, Human Resources (HR), Budget & Programming, Finance, and TEC of the Philippines Country Office and manage the common back-office service provision to the recipient UN Agencies.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Under the direct supervision of the Country Director of the Philippines Country Office, the incumbent will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the enabling services units, ensuring the effective, integrated, and client-oriented delivery of services to the CO, including all SOs and field presence structures.
• Oversee the effective management of CO financial, human, and technological resources, identifying risks and opportunities, with a strong focus on organizational effectiveness, operational enablement, workforce capability, results, innovation, efficiency, and cost- consciousness.
• Direct supervision of the enabling services units, Finance, Management Services Division (MSD), HR, and TEC, building an inclusive and respectful workplace culture and high performing team. Ensure close collaboration and alignment with the procurement unit.
• Establish and drive continuous improvement of processes and procedures in the areas of enabling services, ensuring compliance with the WFP governance frameworks, internal controls, and delegation of authority, for the effective and consistent provision of quality services to staff and stakeholders.
• Act as the CO audit and risk management focal point and ensure that a risk register is established and monitored, follow up on audit recommendations and implementation. Chair and manage quarterly risk management committee meetings.
• Monitor and oversee accurate and timely reporting that enables informed, data-based decision making, and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor conditions and assess needs, requirements, risks, and opportunities, ensuring timely identification and resolution of issues.
• Establish and implement agreements and arrangements for common back-office services provided by WFP with UN agencies in the Philippines and ensure quality service delivery as the client manager for all recipient agencies irrespective of the service provided.
• Represent WFP and identify opportunities to increase support to the OMT.
• Support the Country Director and Deputy Country Director with office management/deputize when absent.
• Perform other related duties and responsibilities as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

Education: Advanced University degree in Business/Public Administration, Social Science or other relevant field relating to office management and administration, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training courses

Experience: At least eight (8) years of relevant progressively responsible, postgraduate experience in resource management, including Finance, Budget Management, Administration and Human Resources.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Strategic thinking and business acumen.
• Ability to act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and influence decision-making.
• Excellence in people management, with demonstrated experience in building an inclusive and respectful workplace culture, and building high performing teams.
• Ability to challenge and guide the technical leads in the team, understand cross-functional dependencies, identify risks and opportunities across the enabling services portfolio, and make integrated resource allocation decisions.
• Demonstrated thorough and deep understanding of organizational governance frameworks, internal controls, and delegation of authority, with the ability to operate effectively and consistently within them.
• Operational excellence, demonstrating results-based management, process improvement and simplification, data-driven decision making, and digital enablement.
• Demonstrated ability to provide practical and innovative solutions, achieve the goals amidst resource constraints, and apply a client-oriented approach to problem solving.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain trusted partnerships across functions, organizational levels, and external stakeholders, enabling effective collaboration and service delivery.
• Experience in emergency contexts, particularly in scaling up in response to sudden onset emergencies.
• Strong understanding of WFP’s management frameworks and emergency procedures (desired requirement).

Language: Fluency (level C) in English language and the duty station’s language, if different.

Compensation Package Overview:

The position offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including:

• • Remuneration based on the applicable UN salary scale, with details communicated at the offer stage;
  • Medical coverage for the staff member and eligible dependents;
  • Pension benefits, subject to applicable eligibility requirements; and
  • Leave benefits and other applicable allowances and entitlements in accordance with the conditions of service.

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

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.

• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at [email protected]. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.

• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

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.