CST HR & Payroll transformation (level 1)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

20 September 2026-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome)

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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.

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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).

JOB TITLE: CST HR & Payroll transformation (level 1)

TYPE OF CONTRACT: CST REG

UNIT/DIVISION: HRMOI/HRM

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Rome, Italy or remote

DURATION: Through 31 December 2026, with possible extension subject to organizational needs, funding availability, and the duration of the One Payroll Programme.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization fighting hunger. The Human Resources Technology and Analytics Branch (HRMOI) serve as the digital backbone of the Human Resources Division, delivering standardized business processes, enterprise HR technologies, data, analytics, and digital solutions that support the full employee lifecycle across WFP.

HRMOI is organized into five functional streams:

• Payroll, Time and Audit Operations
• HR Technology and Talent Solutions
• People Analytics and Reporting
• Organizational Governance
• HR Enablement and Systems Adoption

WFP is currently undertaking the One Payroll Programme, a strategic multi-year transformation initiative to modernize and harmonize payroll operations across the organization. The programme aims to replace fragmented payroll processes with a standardized global operating model, strengthen governance and compliance, improve employee experience, and enable greater operational efficiency through modern digital solutions. The first implementation phase is planned through December 2027, followed by a second implementation phase supporting the Passport programme throughout 2028.

The implementation of One Payroll requires significant subject matter expertise from the Payroll, Time and Audit Operations team. To ensure uninterrupted delivery of critical payroll services while enabling dedicated support to the transformation programme, HRMOI is temporarily strengthening its operational capacity through this assignment.

Under the overall supervision of the Head of Payroll, Time and Audit Systems, the incumbent will provide operational payroll support while contributing to the successful implementation of the One Payroll Programme. The assignment will help maintain business continuity, support system readiness, facilitate business process harmonization, and enable the successful delivery of payroll transformation activities across WFP.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

Under the guidance of the HR Local Staff Lead, the incumbent will support the continuity of core HR and payroll operations while contributing to the implementation of payroll transformation initiatives, including the One Payroll Programme, ensuring effective business support, system readiness and process harmonization across WFP.

Business Support to Payroll Transformation and Systems Integration

1. Contribute to the implementation of One Payroll and other payroll transformation initiatives by supporting business analysis, requirements gathering and process design activities across core HR and payroll processes, including employee lifecycle events from hire to rehire and separation.

2. Support the identification, documentation and validation of business requirements, ensuring alignment between HR policies, operational needs, payroll requirements and system capabilities.

3. Contribute to the design, review and harmonization of end-to-end HR and payroll processes and support the development of system solutions that improve operational efficiency, compliance and user experience.

4. Prepare and execute system, integration and user acceptance testing (UAT), validate business scenarios, document testing outcomes and ensure solutions meet functional and operational requirements prior to deployment.

5. Support cutover and go-live activities, including business readiness assessments, issue resolution, payroll validation exercises and post-deployment stabilization activities, ensuring continuity of payroll operations and minimizing business disruption.

6. Assist in payroll parallel runs, reconciliation activities and validation of payroll outputs during implementation phases to ensure accuracy and compliance.

7. Contribute to change management and adoption activities by supporting stakeholder engagement, preparing user communications, developing guidance materials and delivering knowledge-transfer and training initiatives to facilitate the successful adoption of new processes and systems.

HR Systems and Payroll Operational Support

8. Provide functional support for HR and payroll-related processes and systems, ensuring continuity of business operations during the transformation period.

9. Act as a focal point for HR users worldwide, responding to inquiries and resolving system- and payroll-related issues in accordance with established procedures and service standards.

10. Monitor and follow up on tickets and requests, ensuring timely resolution and appropriate escalation of complex issues.

11. Liaise with HR, TEC, Finance and other stakeholders to troubleshoot system issues and support operational efficiency across HR and payroll processes.

Data Quality and Business Process Integrity

12. Support activities aimed at improving the accuracy and consistency of HR and payroll data to facilitate payroll processing and reporting.

13. Assist in identifying, analyzing and resolving data discrepancies affecting HR and payroll operations.

14. Promote adherence to established data quality standards, controls and procedures to support operational effectiveness and compliance.

Other duties as required

Education:

Advanced university degrees in Human Resources, Economics, Engineering, Computer Science, Business Administration, Mathematics or Finance, or First level university degree with additional relevant work experience.

Experience:

• Three to five years of post-graduate professional experience in Human Resources with an interest in international humanitarian development.
• Experience in conducting data analysis, business analysis, and performing testing and system deployment is an added value.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Knowledge and exposure to corporate information systems, work with Workday and SAP HR modules is an asset.
• Good knowledge and ability to interpret HR data, rules and regulations, UN experience is an advantage.
• Strong analytical skills (advanced level of Excel is an asset).
• Ability to produce high-quality written materials, including PowerPoint presentations as well as text documents.
• Attention to details and strong coordinating skills.
• Ability to build relationships with a variety of individuals across functions and outside WFP to effectively contribute to the functioning of the unit.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong time management skills with an ability to juggle competing priorities successfully, and to work on tight deadlines.

Languages:

Fluency in oral and written English and an intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.

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: [email protected]

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 [email protected]. 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.