Budget and Programming Associate, SC-6

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

12 November 2026-23:59-GMT+02:00 Central Africa Time (Kigali)

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).

JOB TITLE: Budget and Programming Associate
TYPE OF CONTRACT: Service Contract, Level 6 (SC-6)
UNIT/DIVISION: Budget and Programming
DUTY STATION (City, Country): Kigali, Rwanda
DURATION: 12 months

 

 ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT:

 

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline agency fighting hunger. WFP reaches more than 150 million people per year - delivering humanitarian food assistance and working with smallholder farmers, communities, and governments to improve nutrition and build resilience to crises. As conflict, climate change and economic shocks drive up the number of hungry people in Eastern Africa, finding innovative solutions to the complex humanitarian and development challenges in the region is essential, now perhaps more than ever. 

In Rwanda, WFP supports the Government with its ambitious goals to ensure food security and nutrition and equitable access to sustainable livelihoods for all. In this effort, WFP Rwanda works closely with diverse stakeholders to provide general food and nutrition assistance to over 135,000 refugees, asylum seekers and returnees; to strengthen national disaster risk management, social protection, school meals and nutrition programmes; to transform food systems; and to support emergency preparedness and response.

Job holders at this level demonstrate responsibility and initiative to respond independently to complex queries with only general guidance. There is a requirement to use judgment in dealing with unforeseen problems on a daily basis. At this level, the job holder is expected to take responsibility for providing relevant internal stakeholders and cooperating partners with guidance on budgeting and financial reporting and prepare financial analysis related to WFP’s NGO partnerships.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive):

 

Budget and financial analysis and tracking

1)      Review budget plans, monitor and analyse project financial performance and make recommendations in compliance with WFP financial policies and procedures and best practices, to support financial analysis and optimisation of resources.

2)      Provide comprehensive analysis on fund and grant balances identifying surpluses and deficits, and suggest corrective measures, to support maximum fund utilization and decision-making process.

3)      Support pipeline management ensuring efficient monitoring, to prevent and address pipeline breaks and maximise operational effectiveness.

4)      Review, compile and analyse data, maintain accurate records and files and prepare periodic and ad hoc reports, to support accuracy and efficiency of information presented to internal and external stakeholders.

5)      Contribute to the improvement of internal processes, enhancement of corporate systems and design of tools, to facilitate the overall planning, expenditure forecasting, and budget management and monitoring of resource utilization.

6)       Provide efficient budget and financial analysis related to Cooperating Partners’ (CPs) budgets and expenditures, in line with WFP guidance and operational requirements (e.g. comparisons between partners, over time etc.)

7)      Monitor fund utilization, advance financing, and refinancing arrangements, and alert relevant internal stakeholders to approaching deadlines and potential resource shortfalls/surpluses.

8)      Conduct budget reviews for agreements with CPs, monitor CP expenditure and budget utilization, review CP financial reports, and support the timely verification and processing of CP invoices and payments.

9)      Maintain communication with a number of stakeholders regarding project funds management matters and related processes, to clarify any discrepancies and optimise use of funds.

 

Guidance, Oversight and Capacity Strengthening

1)      Provide advice and support to relevant internal stakeholders on partnership management related issues, including budgeting of partnership agreements, financial reporting, processing of CP payments and  

2)      guidance on WFP’s internal accounting system.

3)      Develop and update templates and tools for partnership agreement budgeting, management of funds utilization and financial management, such as budget and invoice trackers and financial declaration forms.

4)      Prepare budgeting and fund management guidance notes for CPs, in line with WFP requirements, aimed at facilitating the CPs’ work. Organize training and other activities related to budgeting and financial reporting with local and international NGO partners.

5)      Provide guidance to prospective CPs for the review and finalization of project documents and budget proposals.

6)      Support spot-check visits and prepare related reports providing recommendations related to the financial management of partnership agreements and suggest action aimed at improving CPs’ internal controls based on identified risks.

7)      Develop and update tools and templates to evaluate and track CP’s financial capacity and assets to support efficient fund management by CPs.

8)       Perform any other related duties as required.

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES:

 

Internal Controls & Compliance

Utilizes understanding of risk management approaches and internal controls

to monitor projects and programmes to confirm regulatory compliance and ensure data integrity.

 

Performance Budgeting, Analysis & Reporting

Analyzes budgets and forecasts to support the development of

recommendations for senior leadership on financial and business planning matters in accordance with Value for Money principles.

 

Resource Management

Monitors trends in staffing and resource usage to anticipate and escalate

potential issues to programme leaders.

 

Performance Management

Displays sufficient understanding of WFP performance management system to

gather relevant and accurate information from internal and external sources for inputs to monitoring and/or evaluation processes.

 

Supply Chain and Operations Knowledge

Demonstrates basic understanding of WFP programme, implementation, and supply chain principles (including project modalities & structures).

 

ESSENTIAL ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

 

Education:

 

Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Information Systems, Computer Science, Statistics, Economics, Project Management, Business Administration, Finance or another relevant field, supplemented by additional years of related work experience.

 

Experience:

 

• At least six (6) years of experience in data management, with hands-on experience identifying, analyzing, and interpreting trends or patterns in complex data sets.
• Relevant work experience as a data analyst or business data analyst.
• Experience providing analytical inputs for the development of budgets, financial plans, or related analyses.
• Strong experience working with large amounts of data, including trend analysis, figures, and number crunching.
• Demonstrated competence in using standard data analysis and visualization software packages, such as Excel at an advanced level, SAP, or other analytical tools.
• Experience in partnership management and the implementation of humanitarian and/or development programmes, including an understanding of major related challenges at field level, is desirable.

 

Knowledge and Skills:

 

• Strong analytical skills and keen attention to detail and data accuracy, with demonstrated ability to enable informed decision-making for management.
• An appetite for exploring and experimenting with new ideas and approaches.
• Excellent communication and writing skills for effective reporting and presentation.
• A proactive attitude and the ability to plan work and priorities competing activities to ensure their completion.
• Ability to work independently in an organized manner, with good attention to detail, and to provide guidance to colleagues.
• Good interpersonal skills and the ability to deal patiently and tactfully with people from different backgrounds.

 

Language:

Fluency in both oral and written communication in English. Fluency in Kinyarwanda preferred. 

 

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:  global.inclusion@wfp.org

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 global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. 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.