Programme Digitalization Transformation Advisor for social protection

The Programme Digitalization Transformation Advisor for social protection will provide strategic guidance and technical support to WFP country operations on digital systems strengthening in social protection. The role involves mapping government ecosystems, implementing digital empowerment initiatives, supporting social protection MIS platforms, and enhancing knowledge management globally and regionally.

Responsibilities

• Lead in the mapping and assessment of government and/or humanitarian ecosystems across the region in coordination with country offices, ensuring that findings inform CCI, country level CSPs and regional strategies and provide context specific strategic guidance on the efforts required to strengthen WFP and government-led systems.
• Work with cross-functional, global/country teams through social protection to implement the corporate government and partner-led digital empowerment initiatives including the CCI #8 Government and partner digital empowerment (social protection).
• Gather functional requirements, design technical architectures, and deploy and operationalize community-backed open-source MIS solutions such as identity management, integrated beneficiary registries, and shock-responsive dynamic systems ensuring integration and real-time interoperability with related government agencies and data sets via secure APIs.
• Strengthen resilience and sustainability of social protection systems by integrating climate hazard data and leveraging AI-driven analytics to enhance predictive capabilities and shock responsiveness.
• Contribute to the compilation, development and piloting of corporate normative guidance and toolbox related to the WFP DASS (2.0) initiative on digital assessment and assistance support to government.
• Support COs to develop strategic positioning and value offer to governments in social protection and school feeding digitalization.
• Provide expertise in the development of technical assessments, studies and policy briefs, concept notes on social protection and school feeding digitalization.
• Lead internal cross-functional coordination on social protection and school feeding digitalization ensuring alignment between IDM, TEC and Social Protection business units at regional and global levels.
• Lead the improvement of programme digitalization knowledge management globally and across the region and improve knowledge sharing between COs.
• Provide technical and project management support to COs in implementing government social protection and school feeding programmes and MIS systems including development of national digitization strategy and institutionalization.
• Support COs to translate policy and programme needs into technical specifications and deployment of digital systems including social protection value chain alignment with registry structures, data workflows, deduplication logic, APIs, and dashboards.
• Support capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to prepare for and respond to programmatic needs including inputs into training materials.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• University degree in Statistics, Economics, Business or Computer Science.
• At least 10 years, of which three international, related postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience in IT/technology in a functional or technical capacity and/or data management and/or analytics.
• At least 3 years of professional experience in social protection (Registries and/or data) related IT/technology and/or data management.
• Experience working with government on technological solutions is an asset.
• Experience of working in a WFP regional and/or country office with exposure to Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Sudan, or Malawi is an asset.
• Knowledge of issues related to international development cooperation and humanitarian assistance.
• Knowledge and understanding of UN’s role in humanitarian and development cooperation.
• Good understanding of UN or WFP policies and programming requirements.
• Very solid understanding and hands on experience in design, architecture, deployment and configuration of digital and data related development life cycles in social sectors.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective work relationships with counterparts and staff within the office, host population, donors, NGOs and other UN agencies.
• Excellent analytical skills and planning skills.
• Strong capacity for learning, research and innovation.
• Ability to synthesize analysis into operational and strategic direction.
• Capacity to foster strong and sustainable cross-agency collaboration.
• Proactive, solution-focused and client-oriented.
• Good leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent communication skills in both written and spoken English.
• Proficiency in French is advantageous.

Skills

• Statistics
• Economics
• Business
• Computer Science
• IT Technology
• Data Management
• Data Analytics
• Social Protection IT
• Social Protection Data Management
• Digital Systems Architecture
• Digital Architecture
• Digital Deployment
• Digital Configuration
• Development Life Cycle
• Government Technological Solutions
• International Development Cooperation
• Humanitarian Assistance
• UN policies knowledge
• WFP Programming
• Analytical Skills
• Planning Skills
• Research and Innovation
• Cross-Agency Coordination
• Leadership
• Communications Skills

Languages

English, French