Business Innovation Consultant - VA 174031
Pubblicato il 26-10-2026 - World Food Programme in Roma
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
14 January 2027-23:59-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 worlds 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: 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:
Business Innovation Consultant, United Nations World Food Programme
DUTY STATION (City, Country):
Rome, Italy /Munich, Germany
DURATION:
6-11 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 Business Innovation Unit (BIU)/UN Advisory Alliance (UNAA)
was established in 2015 to manage change and to promote innovation as part of WFP's Innovation division:
- BIU/UNAA acts as the "management consulting arm" of WFP
- BIU/UNAA 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, UN Secretariat,..). 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 BIU/UNAA priorities Other activities
DELIVERABLES:
WFP/UN System Senior Leadership Support
- Collaborate with senior leadership on prioritization of key organizational initiatives
- Provide analytical and project management support
- Coordinate with initiative owners in driving implementation forward
UN Reform/UN80: Support UN Reform/UN80 implementation and be part of an inter-agency project team
- Explore benefits for potential global / local collaboration with sister agencies
- Identify Business Operations Strategy best practices for collaboration and support cross-COs knowledge transfer
- Engage in the UN Reform/UN80 initiatives by performing internal analysis on service delivery effectiveness and efficiency, reviewing current service approaches at global and country levels and supporting pilot launches as needed
- Contribute to the communication efforts on UN Reform/UN80
Additional support for BIU/UNAA needs
- Support knowledge management reviews and best practices sharing
- Additional support requests, as required
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
Preference for a degree in business, economics or engineering
Experience:
About 2 years of progressively responsible national and/or international experience in a business or international relations related position. At least 2 years experience in management consulting or innovative finance required. Additional work experience desirable.
Knowledge & Skills:
- Ability to contribute to developing new strategies and innovative projects
- Good 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;
- Experience with optimization processes (e.g. optimization of strategic planning, sourcing, logistics, finance processes, performance management, etc.)
- Collaborative spirit to liaise with a wide range of people at all levels and across different cultures, with credibility and diplomacy;
- Time management skills with an ability to plan ahead, anticipate requirements, problems and obstacles, and an ability to juggle competing priorities successfully, and to work on tight deadlines;
- Self-motivated and able to work with a certain degree of autonomy and/ or in team;
- 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
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 hidden)
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.
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.