HR Consultant

Deadline for applications24 January :59 GMT+1:00 Central European Time (Rome)Equal Opportunity StatementWFP 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, ethnicity, social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status, or disability.About WFPThe 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.About School Meals AcceleratorThe School Meals Accelerator (SMA) is a new independent initiative with a mandate to support governments in scaling up sustainable national school meal programmes. It contributes to the goals of the School Meals Coalition, a network of over 100 governments committed to expanding and improving school meal programmes. The initiative will be hosted by WFP.Job TitleHR Talent Management ConsultantType of contractRegular ConsultancyUnit / DivisionSchool Meals AcceleratorDuty StationRome, ItalyBackground and purpose of the assignmentSMA is in its start‑up phase. The immediate priority is recruiting a talented and diverse team to deliver the mandate. The consultant will therefore focus primarily on recruitment for international professionals and consultants, ensuring timely and high‑quality selection processes that are inclusive and compliant with WFP HR policies and procedures. As SMA operations mature, the portfolio may expand to include selected contracting tasks and other HR projects that strengthen SMA’s people operations. Familiarity with WFP HR processes is essential. Experience with contracting is a strong asset.Accountabilities / ResponsibilitiesRecruitment delivery and advisoryLead end-to-end planning and recruitment for SMA positions across multiple functions and duty stations including international professional levels P1 to P5 and consultants.Act as a trusted talent acquisition adviser to SMA leadership, hiring managers and staffing coordinators, providing guidance on workforce planning, role design, job profiling and market insights.Ensure each recruitment adheres to WFP procedures and integrity standards, including planning, attraction, screening, assessment, interviews, reference checks and offer management.Draft clear and compelling vacancy announcements that reflect role requirements and SMA mission.Sourcing and talent pipelinesDesign and execute targeted sourcing strategies to attract qualified and diverse candidates using professional networks, communities of practice, talent pools, referrals and digital platforms including LinkedIn Recruiter and the applicant tracking system.Build and nurture proactive pipelines for critical and scarce profiles, maintaining accurate pipeline data for future hiring needs.Diversity and inclusionReview the composition of longlists and shortlists at key stages, applying corrective measures to maintain balance in gender and geographic representation in line with organizational targets.Promote equitable assessment methods and accessible candidate experiences throughout the selection process.Candidate management and experienceManage candidate communication with professionalism and timeliness, ensuring transparency on timelines, steps and outcomes.Coordinate logistics for assessments and interviews and provide clear feedback where appropriate.Contracting and HR operationsSupport selected contracting activities for consultants and short-term personnel, including document preparation, data accuracy checks and liaison with relevant WFP HR and administrative units to ensure compliance and timely processing.Maintain organized records and documentation required for audit readiness.Data insights and continuous improvementTrack and report recruitment metrics such as time to fill, pipeline diversity and candidate conversion, and use data to propose process improvements.Other HR projectsSupport additional HR initiatives as needed (e.g., onboarding design, induction and orientation, HR process mapping, vendor management for talent tools and HR analytics dashboards).Deliverables at the end of the contractSuccessful completion of assigned recruitments within agreed timelines with documented adherence to WFP HR procedures.Shortlists that demonstrate quality and diversity, including representation by gender and geography for priority roles.Candidate and hiring manager feedback evidencing a professional and timely process.Organized recruitment and, where applicable, contracting files that meet compliance and audit standards.Periodic recruitment reports with insights and recommendations that inform SMA workforce planning.Qualifications & Experience RequiredEducationUniversity degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Social Sciences or other relevant area.ExperienceAt least three years of hands‑on recruitment or talent acquisition experience in an international context covering a variety of functions and specializations.Experience working within or alongside WFP HR processes is essential for success in this role.Experience with contracting of consultants or short-term personnel is a strong asset.Knowledge and skillsStrong ability to design and execute sourcing strategies and engage passive candidates.Proficiency with applicant tracking systems, LinkedIn Recruiter and other attraction and selection tools.Excellent written and oral communication in English, tailoring messages to different audiences.Ability to draft clear vacancy announcements based on job requirements and competency profiles.Solid interviewing capability including competency-based and behavioral techniques.Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, navigating complex scenarios with senior managers.Project management discipline, managing multiple requisitions and timelines, prioritizing under time pressure.Data literacy for monitoring pipelines and process efficiency, and producing actionable insights.Demonstrated understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion principles and how to apply them in recruitment.Problem‑solving orientation, collaboration and continuous improvement mindset.Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and across virtual teams.LanguagesFluency in English is required.Intermediate knowledge of another UN language (French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Arabic or Portuguese) is desirable.WFP Leadership FrameworkWFP Leadership Framework guides the common standards of behaviour that guide how we work together to accomplish our mission.Reasonable accommodationWFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation please contact …No fee disclaimerThe 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