Specialist in management of operational partners, Bamako

Operational Partner Management Specialist – Bamako, Mali

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is recruiting an Operational Partner Management Specialist for its field office. BamakoIn Mali. The post is on-site at United Nations premises for a renewable period of 12 months. The inauguration is scheduled for October 15, 2026. This is a full-time assignment with only one position to be filled in the National Volunteer category. – Specialist, linked to Sustainable Development Goal 10 (reduction of inequalities).

Mission and objectives

The World Food Programme is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger in the world. Its mission is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. Every day, WFP works to ensure that the most vulnerable populations, especially women and children, have access to nutritious food necessary for a productive and healthy life. In Mali, WFP is supporting government efforts through an assistance strategy to respond to the humanitarian emergency, build community resilience and support sustainable development efforts. In collaboration with state institutions, non-governmental organizations and partners of the United Nations system, WFP organizes cash or in-kind transfers to meet the food needs of populations affected by conflict or climatic hazards, provides school meals that promote access to education for girls and boys, supports the prevention and treatment of malnutrition, and provides technical and financial support to groups of small agricultural producers to improve their production.

Background

Under the direct supervision of the programme officer in charge of the partnership management section, the volunteer will contribute to the management of all key operational partnerships with NGOs, research institutes and state structures supporting the implementation of WFP Country Strategic Plan activities. The incumbent will also participate in partner training, perform spot checks and supervision, and ensure invoices are processed in a timely manner. This position will require collaboration with business managers – budget and programming, supply chain, purchasing, finance, risk management and compliance – as well as with auxiliary offices in the execution of tasks.

Duties

Under the overall supervision of the United Nations in which the United Nations Volunteer is deployed, he or she will perform the following tasks.

1. Management of cooperating partners

Liaise daily with cooperating partners and contribute to the management of the relationship with them. Coordinate with office units and sub-offices all issues related to partner selection. Support the project review and selection committee, draft meeting minutes and prepare LFRs as required. Prepare and manage administrative documents related to partnerships (contracts, reports, correspondence). Maintain a centralized system for the electronic recording and archiving of FLA and MoU from the office, and maintain the FLA tracking table as well as incoming and outgoing program mails, sorted by activity. Contribute, within the required time frame, to the evaluation of the performance and capabilities of partners as well as their selection. Organize and maintain databases of partners and ongoing projects. Assist in the development of partner activity reports and contribute to the collection of data necessary for project evaluation.

2. Support for financial management and payment of invoices

Monitor partner budgets and ensure that expenditures are consistent with the terms of partnership agreements. Implement and manage a budget and invoice tracking system for all partner budgets and payments. Ensure the creation of purchase orders (PO) in WINGS after signature, compliance with approval deadlines at all levels and support programs in the use of WINGS. Ensure financial follow-up by collecting and verifying supporting documents, then process payments from partners in WINGS and ITS in support of the programs concerned. Coordinate the preparation of financial reports from partners and provide support for tracking payments. Contribute to the development of internal reports and donor reports.

3. Other

Carry out any other tasks, if necessary.

Candidate profile

The candidate must be between 18 and 80 years of age, have the nationality of the country of assignment, be a legal resident or be granted refugee status. 3 years of professional experience is required. The position requires a current level of French and a working knowledge of English, desirable. The required level of study is a bachelor’s degree in program management, administration, social sciences or any other relevant discipline.

The candidate must demonstrate adaptability and flexibility, creativity, judgmental and decision-making skills, planning and organization, as well as professionalism and self-management.

Skills and experience

A minimum of 3 years of experience in a similar position is expected, preferably within a humanitarian or international organization. Experience in managing partnerships or monitoring projects is an important asset. The position requires excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, a good command of office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and project management software, as well as competence in database management and reporting.

At the behavioural level, candidates must have a strong ability to communicate, both written and oral, in French and ideally in English, be able to work independently and show initiative, demonstrate a sense of confidentiality and management of sensitive information, and be able to work in a multicultural and under pressure environment.

Areas of expertise include partnerships, resource mobilization, project management, program development, strategy and administration.

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