DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
30 July 2026-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome)
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 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
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: Senior Designer
TYPE OF CONTRACT: Consultant level II
DIVISION/UNIT: Brand Management & Multimedia, COM
DUTY STATION: Rome/HQ
DURATION: 11 months
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
Within the Communications Division (COM), the Brand management & Multimedia unit leads WFP's global visual identity across digital platforms, social media, digital advertising and institutional communications. As WFP's digital presence becomes increasingly strategic to donor engagement and humanitarian advocacy, the Brand Management and Multimedia unit requires a senior design leader capable of driving both creative excellence and technical rigour.
The senior design lead will report to the Brand Manager and will act as the primary design authority for branded products, UX/UI systems, brand design, accessibility, and social media campaigns. Drawing on 8 years of experience, the consultant will lead the development and maintenance of WFP's design language across all supporter-facing and institutional touchpoints.
This is a senior consultancy role requiring a collaborative, detail-oriented professional who can independently manage end-to-end design projects, bridge creative and technical teams, and produce high-impact communications aligned with WFP's humanitarian mandate.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
Brand Design & Visual Identity
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Develop and maintain WFP's digital brand standards, including visual identity guidelines and design principles for supporter-facing and institutional communications;
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Design and produce brand assets for global campaign launches, emergency response activations, ensuring full compliance with WFP corporate branding guidelines;
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Conduct regular brand audits across internal and external digital channels; produce updated standards documentation and brief Global HQ and country communication offices on correct brand application;
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Champion digital accessibility as a non-negotiable design requirement across all WFP products and communications; covering colour contrast, alt text, focus states, keyboard navigation and screen-reader compatibility; provide prioritised remediation roadmaps on every design project both offline and online.
Digital Product Design & UX/UI Leadership
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Lead UX/UI design for wfp.org and related digital platforms, applying human-centred design principles across the full product lifecycle — from discovery and wireframing through to delivery and continuous iteration;
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Create high-fidelity interactive prototypes and design specifications using Figma or equivalent tools; facilitate structured design reviews and usability walkthroughs with product leads and engineering teams;
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Liaise with web development teams to ensure accessibility requirements are formally captured in technical specifications and verified before public deployment;
Social Media Creative & Display Advertising
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Conceptualise and produce high-impact social media content for WFP's global platforms (Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube), including animated graphics, carousel formats, reels covers, story templates and short-form video assets;
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Design and deliver display advertising campaigns — including static banners, animated HTML5 rich media and programmatic formats — for international marketing, donor acquisition and brand awareness efforts;
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Develop content toolkits and seasonal campaign frameworks in collaboration with the Social Media and Content teams; provide visual guidelines and creative briefs to country offices and implementing partners;
Strategy, Reporting & Collaboration
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Supervise and lead project work with designers in the wider GHQ team.
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Coordinate and brief external design agencies and freelance designers; ensure all outputs meet WFP quality, brand and accessibility standards;
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Liaise with the social media, web, content and development teams for ongoing input, guidance and cross-functional design alignment;
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Perform any other duties as assigned within the COM Division.
DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:
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A suite of social media and digital advertising assets supporting major communications campaigns, with accompanying performance insights where applicable
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An accessibility assessment of wfp.org and selected digital properties, including practical recommendations for improvement
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A set of digital design outputs (web, social, campaign materials) demonstrating improved consistency, accessibility, and user engagement
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Updated brand guidance and supporting materials shared with regional and country offices and relevant partners
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
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University degree in one of the following disciplines: graphic design, media and communication, fine arts, or other related field.
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An exceptional design portfolio that demonstrates an excellent understanding of design principles, information design, typography, social media, and integrated campaigns.
Experience:
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At least 8 years of progressively responsible experience working as a designer with a focus on digital products, with demonstrated clear and mature design style;
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Good knowledge of programming languages and principles of usability and user interaction related to web interfaces and device-based apps.
Knowledge & Skills:
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Expert knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat Professional, After Effect, Premiere);
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Good knowledge of M365, especially Powerpoint, Word and Sway;
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Good knowledge of video editing, motion graphics and coding for different outputs;
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Good knowledge of project management cloud-based tools like Asana;
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Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter and good attention to detail;
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Problem solving attitude, to the use of digital supports.
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Ensures clients are informed in a timely manner if priorities need to change or if the project requires additional time/has delays;
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Proven and demonstrable experience in analysis of information and capacity to visualize the information;
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Ability to anticipate teamwork needs, ask questions when needed, and take direction from team members;
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Ability to present and communicate ideas clearly and compellingly;
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Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work or meeting deadlines. Adjusts plans and actions as necessary;
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Ability to work under pressure on multiple projects simultaneously.
Languages: Good knowledge of English is required.
Working arrangements: Position is based in Rome, Italy
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, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation 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.