Partnership and Compliance Officer

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. The WFP Global Office in Brussels plays a crucial role in mobilizing EU funding and influencing EU policies to combat hunger. This involves fostering partnerships with EU institutions and managing EU contracts.

Job purpose: The Partnership and Compliance Officer, P3, is essential for enabling WFP to secure satisfactory contribution agreements and ensure compliance with complex EU contractual requirements. This role provides specialist advice and support to WFP offices globally, strengthening relations with the European Union and enhancing fundraising opportunities. The officer will participate in negotiations for contribution agreements, ensuring advantageous outcomes for WFP and adherence to internal policies and the EC-UN Financial and Administrative Framework Agreement (FAFA).

Key responsibilities
include guiding WFP offices on agreement management and reporting, representing WFP in donor meetings, and providing technical guidance on EU legal matters and compliance. The position also involves coordinating WFP's input in FAFA working groups and supporting EU financial verifications and risk management, ultimately contributing to WFP's mission of fighting hunger.

Responsibilities:
The Partnerships and Compliance Officer at the World Food Programme (WFP) plays a crucial role in securing and managing funding agreements, particularly with European Union institutions.

Key responsibilities
include providing expert advice and support to WFP country and regional offices to enhance relationships with the EU and identify new fundraising avenues. This involves actively participating in negotiations for contribution agreements, ensuring they align with WFP's internal policies and the EC-UN Financial and Administrative Framework Agreement (FAFA) to achieve favorable outcomes. The officer guides offices on the negotiation, management, and reporting of these agreements, ensuring compliance with both WFP regulations and FAFA. They also foster strong working relationships with EU representatives and may represent WFP in donor meetings. Furthermore, the role involves preparing briefing materials for senior management, developing strategies to increase EU funding, and offering technical guidance on EU legal matters and compliance. This includes reviewing and negotiating complex legal agreements and coordinating WFP's input for FAFA-related working groups and inter-agency meetings. The officer also acts as a focal point for EU financial verifications and compliance matters, facilitating dialogue with EU services. They may supervise staff involved in budget preparation and financial reporting for EU contributions and are responsible for training WFP staff on EU contribution management, compliance, and related legal issues.

Education:
An advanced university degree in Law, International Relations, Political Science, Public Administration, European Studies, or International Development is required. Alternatively, a first university degree with additional years of relevant professional experience may be considered.

Work

experience:
Requires a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in partnership roles. Of these, at least four years must demonstrate proven experience with EU institutions, policies, oversight, and legal frameworks, including negotiating and managing EU contracts and financial verifications. Essential skills include excellent knowledge of EU development policies, working modalities, regulations, and administrative procedures (especially DG INTPA, DG MENA, FPI). Proven experience in training, developing training materials on donor policies, fundraising, negotiations, and public relations/advocacy is also required.

Skills:
Partnership Management, Compliance, EU Institutions, Contract Negotiation, Fundraising, Policy Analysis, Legal Advisory, Financial Verification, Training Development, Interpersonal Skills, Communication, Negotiation, Language Proficiency (English, French, additional UN language)

Required languages: English, French, Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Russian, Spanish, Portuguese

Desired languages: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese