Budget and Programming Associate G6

job Description

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Zimbabwe works in partnership with the Government of Zimbabwe, humanitarian and development actors, the private sector, and local communities to address immediate food needs while supporting long-term solutions to hunger and malnutrition.

WFP’s portfolio in Zimbabwe is guided by its Country Strategic Plan (CSP 2022–2026), which aligns with national development priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. The CSP focuses on four key areas:

Crisis Response: Providing emergency food assistance during critical periods such as the lean season, with a focus on protecting lives and livelihoods, particularly in response to climate shocks like droughts and floods.

Resilience Building: Supporting communities to strengthen food systems, improve agricultural productivity, diversify livelihoods, and build resilience to climate change through integrated rural and urban programmes.

Nutrition Improvement: Addressing malnutrition, particularly among children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people living with HIV, while promoting healthy diets and social behaviour change.

Capacity Strengthening: Enhancing the capacity of government institutions to manage food security and nutrition programmes, social protection systems, and emergency preparedness and response.

WFP Zimbabwe is a key partner in supporting the Government’s Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy (FDMS), advancing localization through partnerships with local organizations, and driving innovation in digital solutions, youth empowerment, and private sector engagement. WFP continues to deliver life-saving assistance and invest in long-term, sustainable food security solutions for vulnerable Zimbabwean communities.

This position is based in Harare and reports to the Head of Budget and Programming.

THE ROLE: To provide a range of specialized support for efficient planning, monitoring and analysis of project financial performance to enhance optimal use of financial resources.

Duties and Responsibilities

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive):
-Review budget plans, monitor and analyze project financial performance and make recommendations in compliance with WFP financial policies and procedures and best practices, to support financial analysis and optimization of resources.
-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.
-Support pipeline management ensuring efficient monitoring, to prevent and address pipeline breaks and maximize operational effectiveness.
-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.
-Enter project budget plans and revisions in the corporate systems, to ensure data is timely and accurately captured enabling easy access to information and supporting planning and decision-making.
-Review, compile and analyze 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.
-Maintain communication with a number of stakeholders regarding project funds management matters and related processes, to clarify any discrepancies and optimize use of funds.
-Provide guidance to other support staff and contribute to their learning and development in budget planning, fund management and operational planning, to facilitate continued development and consistency in services delivered.
-Follow standard emergency preparedness practices, to ensure WFP is able to quickly respond and deploy needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis

Qualifications and Experience

Education: Completion of secondary school education.
-A post-secondary certificate in the related functional area such as Rural Development, Development Studies, Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Data Analytics, Data Processing, Artificial Intelligence, Project Management, Advanced Business Administration or other relevant field or Post Graduate University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses
Experience: Six or more years of progressively responsible work experience in the relative business stream with experience in general administrative work.

Knowledge and Skills:
-Has supported the preparation and management of budgets
-Has assisted with the monitoring of budgets/resource plans/pipelines/supply chains.
-Has assisted with budget/allotment related issues within the WFP budget system.
-Good negotiation skills and ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
-Good knowledge of WFP specific software (SAP).

Language: Fluency in both oral and written communication in the UN language in use at the duty station and in the duty station’s language, if different.