Administrative Assistant

Overview
Support the Gender, Protection and Inclusion unit with administrative tasks.

You have:

Completion of the secondary education cycle.
Desirable, professional degree in administrative areas, finance, economics, accounting, statistics or related fields.
Minimum of four years of experience in the relevant field with administrative experience.
Demonstrated understanding of the regulations, policies, procedures, processes, standards and systems of the WFP management services.
Experience in data collection and basic analysis.
Experience in using office software packages (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
Fluency in Spanish.
Knowledge of English is highly desirable.

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Details
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

28 April 2026-23:59-GMT-05:00 Colombia Standard Time (Bogota) WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Program 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.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube , LinkedIn , Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , TikTok .

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: Administrative Assistant

UNIT: Gender, Protection and Inclusion Unit

WORK LOCATION: Bogotá

CONTRACT DURATION: Until October 31, 2026

CONTRACTUAL TYPE: Special Services Agreement (SSA)

LEVEL: SSA 4

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization fighting hunger. In Colombia, WFP’s support to the national government aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 and 17, utilizing innovative tools such as cash transfers and local food purchases through farmers’ associations. WFP activities in Colombia focus on the most vulnerable populations, including victims of violence, marginalized communities, and ethnic groups. The goal is to rebuild and strengthen their livelihoods, ensuring they have consistent access to nutritious and diverse diets and increasing their capacity to recover and adapt to climate change. This is achieved progressively by building the capacity of local authorities to implement responsible programs that contribute to reducing food insecurity and malnutrition.

This commitment to food security is linked to the institutional responsibility to safeguard the dignity and rights of the populations served. The prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) is a cross-cutting theme in WFP’s work, in line with the United Nations principles of protection and the ethical obligation to do no harm. In the Colombian context, marked by the presence of non-state armed groups, natural disasters, and the mixed migration flow resulting from the Venezuelan crisis, the risks of sexual exploitation and abuse have intensified, especially in border areas. Given this reality, WFP actively participates in the Inter-Agency Network on SEA, promoting coordination, awareness-raising, and capacity building among UN agencies, humanitarian partners, and local organizations to consolidate a culture of prevention and effective response.

The recent allocation of international resources to Colombia reinforces the need for a dedicated coordination function, facilitated by the WFP in support of OCHA, to ensure the harmonization of efforts, accountability, and comprehensive protection of communities. This commitment reaffirms that combating hunger and protecting against sexual exploitation and abuse are inseparable responsibilities, essential to ensuring that no one is left behind.

Under the supervision of the Gender and Protection Officer, the Administrative Assistant in this position will be responsible for carrying out a series of processes and activities related to the administrative aspects of the gender, protection, and inclusion unit. These tasks require a certain level of interpretation of guidelines and standard practices. The incumbent will be under the direct supervision of the Gender and Protection Officer and will be responsible for efficiently supporting all general administrative processes necessary to support operations through the optimal use of available resources, adhering to the principles of participation, respect, coexistence, equality, and equity. This position is to be filled at the WFP Colombia headquarters.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES (indicative and not exhaustive list):

Provide administrative, financial, logistical and documentary support, ensuring compliance with WFP and donor policies.
To handle all administrative procedures at each stage of the processes of contracting, purchasing and awarding goods, services, training and other project requirements.
Serve as an administrative focal point with the various WFP units, cooperating partners and donors.
Develop the purchasing processes by collecting the supplier’s legal documents and ensuring that the selected suppliers comply with the requirements demanded by law, WFP and the donor.
Process and manage administrative, logistical and operational tasks specific to the GPI and those framed within the projects, such as: Supporting and coordinating logistics for the development of activities and events organized by the unit and the project.
Ensure that the action plan and schedule of activities are aligned with the procurement plan for the project, the available resources, and the project development timelines in accordance with WFP’s operations and finance manuals and the donor’s requirements.
Register, manage and maintain digital and physical files of administrative documents, ensuring fast and secure access.
Apply the organization’s data protection policy.
Contribute to the review of budget plans, monitoring and analysis of the project’s financial performance.
Prepare and update the monthly budget tracking.
Manage processes for payment requests, refunds and advances for projects implemented by cooperating partners.
Support the review of invoices and receipts in accordance with WFP and donor policies.
Support in the preparation of interim and final financial reports.
Manage micro-purchases following the WFP’s standard procedures.
Maintain effective communication with internal and external stakeholders on administrative and financial matters of the project.
Coordinate inter-institutional meetings, workshops and events, including logistics and follow-up on commitments.
Perform other activities that are required to achieve the objectives of the project and the area.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS REQUESTED:

Education:

Completion of secondary education. A professional degree in administration, finance, economics, accounting, statistics, or related fields is desirable.

Specific experience:

A minimum of four years of experience in the relevant field with administrative experience is required.
Demonstrated understanding of the regulations, policies, procedures, processes, standards and systems of the WFP management services.
Experience in data collection and basic analysis of the portfolio of managed services, such as assets, facilities, fleet, travel, or other similar areas.
Experience in supporting staff by providing advice and guidance.
Experience working with teams in different functional areas.
Experience in using office software packages (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and intermediate handling of databases.
Intermediate knowledge of spreadsheets and database packages.
Good interpersonal skills, communication skills with supervisors and clients, ability to work in multicultural environments and under pressure with a customer service focus.
Desirable

Knowledge of daily tasks and work methods in order to complete processes with minimal supervision.
Experience in using WFP information systems, knowledge of WFP/United Nations rules and regulations.
Knowledge of data protection policies to exchange information with a wide variety of people.
Ability to detect data discrepancies and resolve problems that require attention.
Ability to provide basic job orientation or training to new staff.
Knowledge and understanding of the gender and protection approach.
Languages:

Fluency in Spanish. Knowledge of English is highly desirable.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to achieve 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 fees in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a request 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.
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