Insurance Officer P4 (Underwriting)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

30 April 2026-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome)

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. 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 trainings and programs, as well as internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides opportunities to work across country, regional and global offices around the world, with colleagues dedicated to delivering humanitarian assistance worldwide.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

Organizational Context And Job Purpose

The Operational Risk Mitigation Service (INS) oversees WFP’s operational risk exposure. INS develops and implements risk transfer and global insurance programmes to respond to evolving organizational needs, offering wide ranging insurance programmes. INS works with relevant services to design and implement risk mitigation solutions, provide loss prevention guidance, coordinate causes of loss assessment and manage damaged cargo recovery.

This position is based in WFP’s Global Headquarters in Rome, Italy, and reports to the Director, Operational Risk Mitigation. The Insurance Officer provides technical leadership and strategic advice to Global HQ Divisions and Country Offices on insurance and risk management matters, supporting the effective management of organizational risk and the development of risk financing solutions.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not All-inclusive)

• Advise on the structuring and management of commercial insurance programmes, including placement, risk assessment, renewals and claims oversight, ensuring alignment with organizational risk management frameworks and advising senior management on coverage strategy and exposure.
• Lead the review and assessment of insurance policies, including broker engagement, policy wordings, clauses and endorsements, providing expert advice on pricing adequacy, coverage optimization and risk exposure. Identify, evaluate and recommend innovative insurance solutions to strengthen the Captive’s risk management strategy and financial resilience.
• Provide strategic advice on the underwriting and financial management of the Captive Scheme, including: Captive pricing and reserving; Assessment of overall solvency needs and solvency management; Development of underwriting philosophy and risk strategy mapping; Oversight of risk management strategy including maintenance of risk registers, assessment of risk appetite and insurability; Monitoring and advising on solvency capital position; Oversee the analysis of risk assessment information to identify changes in exposure and recommend appropriate insurance coverage and risk retention or transfer measures.
• Partner with HQ business units to embed risk management practices, supporting loss prevention initiatives and ensuring alignment between insurance strategies and operational risk controls.
• Regularly monitor and ensure the effective maintenance of frameworks to assess the financial impact of risks, providing timely analysis and strategic recommendations to mitigate material exposures to the Captive.
• Support the design, structuring and placement of insurance solutions for Disaster Risk Financing (DRF), including parametric products and Insurance-Linked Securities (ILS); lead coordination of selected insurance placement activities, engage with brokers and market participants, and facilitate collaboration between Insurance (INS) and DRF teams to ensure effective development and placement of disaster risk insurance solutions.
• Guide and make recommendations to the design and structuring of selected indemnity insurance policies, advising on coverage terms and conditions through engagement with brokers and insurers to ensure alignment with the organization’s risk profile.
• Provide strategic advice and support in the preparation and presentation of reports to oversight committees, and coordinate documentation for internal and external audits and governance bodies, including the Executive Board, ensuring alignment with risk, compliance and governance frameworks.
• Lead, motivate and develop the team through coaching, training and career guidance as required to enable high performance.
• Perform other related duties as required by the Operational Risk Mitigation Service.

Qualifications & Key RequirementsEducation

• Master of Business Administration, or advanced university degree in insurance, insurance law or related field; or first university degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training such as Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) qualification or equivalent, actuarial science or professional qualification in risk management.

Experience

• At least 8 years of post-graduate professional experience in insurance and risk management.
• Experience in reserving and solvency management for insurance entities.
• Strong background in underwriting, pricing, and insurance program administration.
• Familiarity with actuarial concepts and techniques.

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).

DESIRED EXPERIENCES, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Experience in pricing and reserving.
• Experience in Overall Solvency Needs and Solvency Management.
• Experience in updating and monitoring solvency capital position.
• Experience and knowledge in general commercial insurance with a specialization in wordings, claims, underwriting, pricing or brokerage.
• Experience and knowledge in risk management.
• Excellent written communication skills for policy wordings and recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence key stakeholders across and beyond the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within the Service strengthening the performance of the team

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• This is an International Professional position and is open to all nationalities.
• Mobility is and continues to be a core contractual requirement in WFP. This position is however classified as “non-rotational” which means the incumbent shall not be subject to the regular reassignment process unless the position is reclassified as rotational. The selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term contract with a probationary period of one year. This position is 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 candidate will be required to relocate to Rome, Italy to take up this assignment.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

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, or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. If you receive a solicitation for a fee, disregard it. Be cautious of emblems, logos, names and addresses.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or other channels are not considered.
• Ensure your Workday profile is accurate and complete, including employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is complete, apply and submit your application.
• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, contact [email protected]. This inbox is for technical issues only and unsolicited documents will not be replied to.
• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents 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, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.