The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.  We are currently seeking to fill a Food Fortification intern position in the Nutrition Operations Team of the Nutrition Division, based in Rome, Italy.

General Information

• Title of Post: Fortification Internship
• Supervisor: Fortification Advisor
• Unit: Nutrition Operations
• Country:  Italy
• Duty Station: Rome
• Duration of internship: 8 months
• Expected Start Date: 15 April 2021

Duties and responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Fortification Advisor, the candidate will perform the following duties:

• Support the Fortification Advisor and Market Development Specialist in the management of global fortification efforts;
• Prepare reports and presentations using MS Office tools (Excel and PowerPoint especially);
• Organize global and regional fortification webinars and communications;
• Provide content-writing and editing support to produce various materials and documents related to food fortification;
• Support knowledge management activities for the team, including documenting and summarizing outputs of key meetings and updating the digital library for WFP fortification colleagues globally;
• Perform other related duties as required

Qualifications and experience

• Currently enrolled with at least two years undergraduate studies completed, or recently graduated (within the past six months) (Nutrition, Food Science, International Development, Communications, Management, Business, or related field);
• University course attendance in the past 12 months;
• Excellent command of English;  Working knowledge of a second UN language would be an asset;
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook);
• Experience working with national governments, private sector industry, development organisations, and civil society would be an asset.

Required soft skills/WFP Competencies:

• Collaborative spirit with the ability to liaise with a wide range of people at all levels and across different cultures and to act with credibility and diplomacy
• Outstanding organizational and 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 to tight deadlines
• Strong drive, self-motivated and able to work with a high degree of autonomy
• Fully committed and motivated to achieve the aims of the UN World Food Programme
• Good communication and proofreading skills, ability to engage with various stakeholders from different sectors and backgrounds, ability to interact with leaders and external audience with maturity and tact, ability to interact with vulnerable people groups;
• Adaptable and able to take on unexpected tasks;
• Fully committed and motivated to achieve the aims of the UN World Food Programme.

Working Languages

Working knowledge of English (proficiency/level C) is required.

Supervision

Please note that while the Food Fortification team is based in Rome, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the norm is for remote working, and the team is rarely together in the Rome office. Therefore you may not be expected to be present in Rome or even in the same time zone – but we do need you to be online during most of our working hours, which are 0830-1700 CET.

Under the direct supervision of the Food Fortification Advisor, the incumbent will be provided with close mentoring, guidance and technical supervision. Performance planning and reviews as well as learning and development discussions will be elemental part of the supervision. The Nutrition Supply Chain lead will be the second-level supervisor. With the support of a comprehensive induction package and assignment of a buddy/mentor, the intern will rapidly become a productive member of the team.

Training components

Throughout their assignment WFP interns have access to an industry leading learning platform, weLearn.  Depending on opportunities and availability of funds, he/she may participate in WFP workshops or seminars, as appropriate. Moreover, throughout the assignment, the intern will have regular team meetings where further professional development opportunities can be identified.

Learning Elements

At the end of the assignment, the Intern should:

• Have a deep understanding of fortification programmes within WFP and amongst our development partners, using the initial 2-3 weeks of the assignment to complete relevant trainings, including any required background research to understand the fundamentals of staple food fortification and WFP’s global portfolio;
• Enhance their interpersonal skills required for successfully working in a large UN organization;
• Improve their ability to communicate complex ideas and topics in an easily digestible manner;
• Understand and effectively utilize WFP data and reporting systems as they relate to fortification.

Information on the Country of Assignment

• Living conditions in Rome, Italy
  (Living conditions, security, health, etc)

The security situation in Italy remains in line with other European Countries. There are no specific threats against the UN in Italy. Considering the ongoing defeat of Daesh in the war territories, the trend in the short and mid-term will most likely continue to see the return of the militants to the countries of origins, including Italy. Insurrectional anarchism remains sufficiently organized on the Italian territory, as it has been present for many years. This movement could target the UN in the context of its anti-capitalism/anti-western narrative. 2) Whilst UN staff continue to be victims of minor crime such as street robbery and apartment break-ins, the infrequency of attacks and random nature of locations do not indicate that UN staff are at an elevated risk in comparison to residents or tourists in Italy. 3) Italy’s national territory is exposed to a broader range of natural hazards than any other European country. The vulnerability of its population and built environment is often severe and has in some cases been exacerbated by human activities.

• Other relevant information

The internship might start remotely according to the working arrangements in place in the WFP Office.

VA Reference no:  xxx

Closing Date:  11 March 2021

Please note that the deadline is at 11:59 pm Rome time (GMT + 1)

Terms and Conditions:

• Interns receive a monthly stipend from WFP up to the maximum amount of US$1000 per month depending on the duty station of assignment.
• WFP is not responsible for living expenses, arrangements for accommodation, necessary visas and related costs.
• WFP will reimburse travel ticket for candidates who are nationals of developing countries and are pursuing their studies in their home country.
• WFP will recognize candidates’ educational credentials from recognised institutions that have been certified by competent international or national authorities such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) or Ministries of Education.
• Candidates who bear any of the following relations to WFP staff members are not eligible to apply: sons, daughters, brothers or sisters.

Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply.  WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

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.

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