The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is inviting qualified professionals to apply for a Project Manager position within its Digital Services and Information Technology Division.
The opportunity offers an 11-month consultancy contract, a fully remote work arrangement and the chance to contribute to major technology and digital transformation initiatives supporting one of the world’s leading humanitarian organisations.
The position, advertised under Job Requisition ID JR126329, is a full-time Regular Consultancy Contract (CST) Level II role. While the vacancy is associated with WFP’s operations in Rome, Italy, the duty station for the assignment is listed as remote working.
The deadline for applications is 13 September 2026 at 23:59 CET.
About the World Food Programme
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation, working to save lives in emergencies while using food assistance to support peace, stability and prosperity for communities affected by conflict, disasters and climate change.
WFP was awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize and operates across country, regional and global offices. The organisation works with partners around the world to deliver humanitarian assistance and develop lasting solutions for people facing hunger and other crises.
The organisation’s work is guided by the values of Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity and Inclusion. WFP also offers employees and consultants the opportunity to work in a diverse and multicultural environment while contributing to programmes and operations with global humanitarian impact.
About the WFP Project Manager Position
Technology and digital connectivity are becoming increasingly important in humanitarian settings, including in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities and crisis-affected areas.
Through its digital transformation efforts, WFP aims to use data and technology to better understand and serve the people and communities it supports.
The successful Project Manager will work within Digital Services, Information Technology Division and will be responsible for overseeing complex technology-related initiatives involving WFP stakeholders and external implementing partners.
Reporting to the Project Manager Lead, the selected candidate will lead teams delivering projects across one or more business units.
The role requires responsibility for managing resources, schedules, budgets and project activities throughout the entire project management cycle. The successful candidate will also manage risks, issues and change requests to support the successful and timely delivery of projects.
Key Responsibilities
The Project Manager will lead and coordinate a portfolio of complex projects and initiatives spanning one or multiple business lines.
Key responsibilities include:
- Acting as a central focal point between business partners and technology teams.
- Working with stakeholders to coordinate workflows across different TEC teams.
- Liaising with Business Engagement Managers to understand project requirements and change requests.
- Managing interdependencies between technology, operations and business objectives.
- Leading project management activities and ensuring that appropriate documentation is available.
- Supporting project roll-out and implementation.
- Ensuring requirements gathering follows a Human-Centred Design (HCD) approach.
- Developing time and cost estimates for project scope implementation.
- Supporting the definition of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with a focus on value delivery.
- Designing and implementing project governance structures.
- Developing project communication plans.
- Establishing work plans and supporting the formation of Product Teams.
- Implementing change management plans.
- Ensuring projects include arrangements for maintenance, future development and full roll-out.
Managing Risks, Timelines and Project Delivery
A major part of the role involves ensuring that projects remain on track and meet agreed objectives.
The successful candidate will monitor and report project progress against established baselines while identifying factors that could affect outcomes, budgets and delivery timelines.
Responsibilities will include:
- Identifying and managing project risks and issues.
- Developing appropriate risk response plans.
- Supporting technical and functional teams in resolving project challenges.
- Managing stakeholder expectations regarding timelines, quality, risks and costs.
- Communicating project progress, challenges and achievements.
- Identifying internal and external dependencies that could affect delivery.
- Assessing change requests and their potential impact on project scope.
- Supporting compliance with IT guidelines and procedures.
- Ensuring technical documentation meets required quality standards.
- Working creatively and analytically to solve complex problems.
The successful candidate will also serve as a guardian of the project management methodology established by WFP’s Project Management Office and help ensure projects comply with relevant standards for definition, costing, implementation, documentation and reporting.
Budget and Resource Management
The Project Manager will also have important responsibilities relating to budgets and resources.
The role involves preparing accurate budget estimates, coordinating with technical teams and ensuring agreement on proposed budgets.
The successful candidate will monitor budget availability throughout project stages and work with relevant stakeholders to support appropriate financial planning.
Other responsibilities include:
- Tracking resource allocation and consumption.
- Monitoring expenditure against forecasted budgets.
- Supporting the placement of Purchase Orders where required.
- Identifying and escalating significant budget deviations.
- Coordinating complete project budget estimates across relevant technical teams.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants should hold a university degree in one of the following areas:
- Business Administration
- Economics
- Information Technology
- A related field
Education or certification in Project Management is considered desirable.
Candidates must have a minimum of five years of professional experience in project management and should demonstrate a proven record of managing and delivering projects through the full project cycle.
Experience managing IT-related projects is particularly desirable.
Skills and Experience Required
Strong candidates should have knowledge and experience in both Waterfall and Agile project management methodologies.
Applicants should also demonstrate experience with project management software tools and possess an IT background or strong knowledge of IT software development, data and analytics.
Other important skills include:
- Experience managing cross-functional teams.
- Experience coordinating multi-vendor projects.
- Strong stakeholder management skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Budget and resource management abilities.
- Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
- Strategic and analytical thinking.
- Results orientation and commitment to excellence.
- The ability to prioritise and perform effectively under pressure.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- A customer service orientation.
- The ability to work effectively in multicultural and multi-ethnic environments.
Language Requirements
Applicants must have fluency in English at Level C.
Intermediate knowledge of a second official United Nations language is desirable. Relevant languages include:
- Arabic
- Chinese
- French
- Russian
- Spanish
Knowledge of Portuguese, a WFP working language, is also considered desirable.
Contract and Work Arrangement
The key details of the opportunity are:
- Organisation: World Food Programme
- Job Title: Project Manager
- Contract Type: Regular Consultancy Contract (CST) Level II
- Duration: 11 months
- Employment: Full-time
- Work Arrangement: Fully remote
- Division: Digital Services, Information Technology Division
- Job Requisition ID: JR126329
- Application Deadline: 13 September 2026, 23:59 CET
How to Apply
Interested candidates must submit their applications exclusively through WFP’s online recruitment system.
WFP states that CVs and applications sent by email, LinkedIn or other channels will not be considered.
At the application stage, candidates are required to submit:
- A CV.
- A Cover Letter.
Applicants are encouraged to ensure that their online profile is accurate and complete, including employment history, academic qualifications and language skills.
Final Thoughts
The WFP Project Manager opportunity offers experienced project management professionals the chance to work remotely while contributing to digital and technology initiatives within a major international humanitarian organisation.
With an 11-month consultancy contract, responsibility for complex IT and business projects, and the opportunity to collaborate with cross-functional and international stakeholders, this role could be particularly attractive to professionals with strong experience in project delivery, IT, Agile and Waterfall methodologies, budget management and digital transformation.
Candidates with at least five years of relevant project management experience, strong English language skills and the ability to manage complex initiatives from planning through to delivery are encouraged to submit their applications before the 13 September 2026 deadline.
