DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

27 September 2026-23:59-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 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 climate change.

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).

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The position is based in Rome, Italy and reports to Head of Engineering/ Head of Beneficiary Management Products, within the Technology division - Digital Services branch (TECD).

JOB PURPOSE:

The incumbent will play a central role in shaping and leading the beneficiary services agenda in the Technology Division as part of the larger digital capabilities for WFP. The incumbent will manage a small team of employees to deliver IT solutions, work independently, using technical knowledge and expertise to provide recommendations on development or procurement of IT solutions. He/she will conduct complex analysis, develop, and propose creative solutions to business requirements or problems, and identify opportunities for improvements and may be involved in strategic planning and policy development.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Conduct analysis and manage the design, procurement, development, implementation, installation, configuration, maintenance, and evolution of healthy, secure, and robust IT solutions, performant in high‑latency and low‑bandwidth environments.
• Design the software architecture and data model of IT solutions, and support the Product Manager in presenting IT solution proposals to the relevant Architectural Board(s).
• Maintain high technical quality of IT solutions across all aspects, including functionality, user experience, performance, and compliance with applicable WFP guidelines and standards (architecture, security, technology stack, user interface, etc.).
• Provide proactive support to ensure coherent integration of IT solutions with other corporate technology platforms.
• Undertake continuous quality assurance of IT solutions and their environments, including security controls, testing, monitoring, and backup mechanisms, in line with operational requirements.
• Set up, configure, and maintain development, testing, and production environments required for IT solutions.
• Ensure that appropriate IT security monitoring tools are in place and operating proactively to prevent, detect, and respond to security incidents.
• Collaborate on the establishment, maintenance, and continuous improvement of Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) infrastructure and practices.
• Contribute to the development of IT solution delivery plans, resourcing plans, timelines, budgets, and high‑level effort estimations to ensure effective and efficient delivery.
• Review and approve prioritised product backlog items for inclusion in development sprints, ensuring completeness, clarity, dependencies, test data availability, and alignment with behaviour‑driven development (BDD) test scenarios and technical standards.
• Create, manage, and prioritise technical backlog items required to ensure the robustness, performance, and maintainability of IT solutions, negotiating priorities with the Product Manager as needed.
• Contribute to technical specifications, tender documentation, and evaluations supporting the procurement of IT solutions and services, in accordance with WFP rules and regulations.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously update comprehensive technical and non‑technical documentation to support operations, maintenance, knowledge transfer, and solution hand‑over.
• Define procedures for the controlled decommissioning and archiving of IT solutions and all associated data, in line with WFP data retention and security policies.
• Manage the preparation of test plans and oversee the development of unit, integration, and system tests for new, enhanced, or defect‑corrected code, ensuring sufficient coverage and adherence to specifications.
• Coordinate, guide, and provide technical direction to junior IT Solution Developers and off‑site development teams, fostering best practices and consistent delivery standards.
• Manage the provision of technical support and training to end‑users and stakeholders, including troubleshooting, issue resolution, and recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of WFP IT policies, standards, and architectural principles, and ensure their consistent application.
• Cooperate fully with audits, reviews, and extraordinary measures, promptly addressing findings and implementing corrective actions as required.
• Maintain effective internal and external partnerships within WFP, with partner organisations, vendors, and other UN agencies to align activities, exchange technical knowledge, and maximise opportunities for inter‑agency collaboration.
• Perform other duties related to software development and IT solution delivery, as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education: Advanced university degree in Computer Science or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience or trainings/courses.

Experience: Five years or more of postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience in IT, or in the absence of an advanced degree eight years progressively responsible professional experience in IT.

Language:

Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese (a WFP working language).

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• In-depth knowledge and proven experience in managing large teams following agile software development methodologies.
• Extensive knowledge of the supported technology stack (Django Python) is a must. Knowledge in ReactJS, React Native, and/or Kotlin would be a plus.
• Extensive knowledge of AWS cloud architectures and large PostreSQL databases.
• Experience with developing offline-first applications would be a plus.
• Knowledge on smartcard technology including NFC, and security mechanisms such as PKI and SAMs would be a plus.
• Ability to operate in distributed/decentralised teams.
• Working knowledge of biometrics technology.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This is an International Professional position and is open to all nationalities.

The selected candidate will be employed on a limited fixed-term contract of 1 year renewable.

Limited Fixed-Term Appointment (LFT) position is a non-mobile staff appointment in the international professional category for a limited period for up to 4 years. The position is based in Rome, Italy and the selected candidate will be expected to relocate. Incumbents of LFT positions are not eligible to apply for other mobile positions advertised internally through the Reassignment.

WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package in line with ICSC standards (http://icsc.un.org) including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, visa, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days' annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance.

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.