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.
The HR Officer (P4) – Payroll, Time & Audit Operations Lead – is based in headquarters in Rome and reports to the Chief HRMOI (P5). The role provides senior‑level functional oversight of payroll‑critical HR systems and services, ensuring accuracy, compliance, resilience, and continuous improvement of payroll, time, benefits, and audit‑sensitive HR processes across WFP.
Key Accountabilities
Payroll, Time & Audit Systems Governance
* Lead the governance, design, and continuous improvement of payroll, time, benefits, and audit‑sensitive HR systems to ensure accuracy, compliance, operational resilience and exception handling.
* Ensure HR systems fully support WFP’s payroll policies, contractual frameworks, and statutory obligations across staff categories and duty stations.
* Oversee the integrity, completeness, and consistency of payroll‑related master data across Workday, SAP, and downstream systems.
Controls, Compliance & Audit Readiness
* Establish and maintain strong payroll controls, validation rules, and reconciliation mechanisms to ensure audit readiness and risk mitigation.
* Lead responses to internal and external audits, inspections, and oversight requests related to payroll, time, and HR data integrity.
* Proactively identify systemic risks, recurrent issues, or control weaknesses and drive corrective and preventive actions in collaboration with HR, Finance, and TEC.
HR Systems Operations & Service Delivery
* Ensure the reliable delivery of payroll‑critical HR systems services, including time‑critical payroll cycles, mass processing, retroactivity handling, and year‑end activities.
* Provide senior‑level escalation management for complex payroll, time, and system issues affecting staff payments or compliance.
* Monitor service performance, trends, and incident patterns, using data‑driven insights to improve system stability and service quality.
Change Management, Enhancements & Projects
* Translate new or revised HR policies, contractual frameworks, or legislative changes into system requirements and implementation plans.
* Lead the preparation of complex business requirements for payroll and time‑related system changes and enhancements.
* Oversee functional design, testing, deployment, and post‑implementation stabilization of enhancements to payroll and time systems.
* Contribute to enterprise HR projects and transformation initiatives, ensuring payroll and compliance considerations are fully embedded.
Stakeholder Engagement & Inter‑Agency Coordination
* Serve as advisory focal point for HR, Finance, Budget, and Management Services on payroll and time system matters.
* Maintain operational relationships with external and inter‑agency stakeholders, including pension funds, social security entities, insurers, and UN system counterparts.
* Represent WFP in inter‑agency fora related to payroll, ERP, and HR system standards, ensuring WFP requirements are reflected in common solutions.
Leadership & People Management
* Lead and manage a multidisciplinary team of HR systems professionals, fostering accountability, technical excellence, and continuous learning.
* Plan and allocate resources to ensure business continuity during payroll‑critical periods while supporting system evolution and improvement.
Other Responsibilities
* Act as Deputy to the Chief HRMOI, as required, contributing to branch‑level coordination and decision‑making.
* Perform other related duties as required in line with organizational priorities.
Qualifications and Experience
Education
Advanced university degree in Human Resources Management, Information Technology, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field. A first‑level university degree with additional relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.
Experience
At least eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience in HR information systems, payroll and time management systems, or related areas in a large, complex organization.
Experience in a global, decentralized organization and exposure to UN or international public‑sector environments is required.
Mandatory experience includes:
* Leadership for payroll‑critical HR systems and services
* Translation of HR policies, contractual rules, and legislative requirements into system configurations
* Preparation of complex business requirements and support to system testing and deployment
* Management and leadership of staff or multidisciplinary teams
Desired experience includes:
* Direct experience with Workday HCM payroll, time, and benefits modules
* Experience with SAP HR payroll ecosystems in a large, decentralized organization
* Familiarity with UN system payroll, pension, insurance, and social security arrangements
* Experience supporting payroll‑related audits or inspections
More About You
* Profound knowledge of enterprise HR information systems supporting payroll, time and attendance, and audit‑sensitive processes (e.g. SAP HR, Workday HCM)
* Deep functional expertise in payroll, time management, benefits, and core HR processes, including retroactivity, mass processing, and reconciliations
* Strong understanding of payroll controls, HR data integrity, audit requirements, and compliance frameworks
* Demonstrated ability to translate policy and regulatory requirements into sustainable system configurations
* Experience preparing complex business requirements and supporting testing, deployment, and production stability
Language
Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese (a WFP working language).
Terms and Conditions
* This position is classified as an International Professional role and is open to candidates of all nationalities.
* Mobility is and continues to be a core contractual requirement in WFP. These positions are however classified as “non‑rotational” which means the incumbents shall not be subject to the regular reassignment process unless the positions are reclassified as rotational. The selected candidates will be employed on a fixed‑term contract with a probationary period of one year. These positions are open to both internal and external candidates.
* WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package in line with ICSC standards including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, visa, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance.
* The selected candidates will be required to relocate to Rome, Italy to take up this assignment.
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: global.inclusion@wfp.org
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