UNWFP - Beirut - Programme Associate (CBT) SC 6

Job Purpose

We are seeking to fill the position of Programme Associate for Cash Based-Transfers to support the ESSN implementation in addition to the ongoing refugee and national responses. The position will be based in Beirut, Lebanon with frequent travel to field offices, as needed.

The incumbent will report to Programme Policy Officer in the Cash Based Transfers Unit (CBT) in the WFP Lebanon Country Office, under the overall guidance of the Head of CBT.    

Key Responsibilities (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive):

With delegated authority and under direct supervision of the Cash Based Transfers (CBT) Programme Policy Officer and overall supervision of the Head of CBT, the programme’s associate main accountabilities and responsibilities involve the following:

• Follow up on weekly and monthly distributions with the sub-offices in coordination with the various teams managing the refugee’s response, Livelihood, National Poverty Targeting Programme (NPTP) and Emergency Social Safety Nets-Social Protection teams (ESSN-SP), including plans, tracking of cards/PINs and ensure the processes are in line with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place and share the same with the relevant WFP units in timely manner.
• Act as a focal point for daily prepaid cards and cash transfers maintenance activities including cards and cash transfers related issues received from WFP field offices, WFP call centre, NPTP, ESSN-SP and Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA).
• Act as a focal point of contact for resolution of general and daily prepaid card and cash transfers operational queries requesting assistance where necessary.
• Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to ensure WFP is able to quickly respond and deploy needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis.

More specifically, the Programme Associate tasks will include the following to support business continuity in the CBT Unit:

• Generate monthly distribution lists for Cards and PINs to be distributed and make available for WFP field offices.
• Consolidate the different ESSN payment components for food transfers and education to form the monthly master payment list.
• Process monthly payment cycle in WFP’s system along with the payment documentation.
• Receive newly issued Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) from the bank, match it with the requests sent and dispatch to respective sub-offices by keeping record of incoming and outgoing activities.
• Follow up on the activation of distributed cards.
• Follow up and tracking of cards/PINs to be cancelled with NPTP and ESSN-SP and Field-offices.
• Follow up on cash transfers related issues until resolution
• Follow up on consolidated payment to schools upon receiving confirmed notification.
• Assist in drafting/updating SOPs for each activity related to the CBT Unit and specifically for ESSN.
• Prepare quarterly interim financial report per intervention on the receipt of funds by beneficiaries to be submitted 30 days after the end of each quarter and will include (a) statement of cash contributions/receipts and expenditures; and (b) explanatory notes, including schedules showing breakdown of funds received, including any relevant anonymized identifier.
• Prepare final project report that includes a consolidated financial summary on the use of funds for Outputs, lessons learned, etc
• Monitor the receipt of necessary shipping, freight or other documents and notify the appropriate WFP officer of non-receipt
• Verify records of prepaid cards activities available of WFP systems dashboards and make available for Cash Based Transfers (CBT) Unit briefs.
• Assist in processing and registering payments using the WFP corporate system(s) WINGS
• Assist in monitoring open Purchase Orders (POs) and ensure closure upon completion of activities.
• Keep all records and documents up-to-date and archived in a safe place.
• Follow up on cash pay-out related issues until resolution.
• Attend meetings and draft the “minutes of meeting”; follow up on each of the notes and assure to respect the timelines.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Desirable Knowledge and Skills:

• Very good knowledge in tracking POS (Point of Sales) and ATM (Automated Teller Machine) disputes
• Experience in payment system will be an asset.
• hands-on experience in using databases and information systems, including SQL server.
• Knowledge of WFP activities and procedures in the country is an advantage.

Standard Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Completion of secondary school education. University degree in the field of Banking, Business Administration, Management Information System (MIS), Business computer or other related fields is desirable.

Experience:  At least five years of experience in reports development and in-depth data analysis.

Language:  Fluency in both oral and written communication in Arabic and English. Fluency in French is an advantage.