ppbPosition: /bInternational Programmes Department - Operations specialist /ppbReporting Relationship: /bHead of International Programmes Department (IPD) /ppbLocation: /bhybrid working in Italy (home / Milan or Bologna offices), with travel to country offices as required, including short-notice field deployment where feasible /ppbType of contract: /bFixed-term, full-time employee contract (12 months) /ppbDeadline: /b13/08/2026 /ppbStarting date: /bASAP /ppThe International Programmes Department (IPD) oversees all international programmes at both the country and regional levels.
Within the Department, this role acts as the operational right hand of the Head of Department, ensuring country offices and cross-functional priorities receive timely, practical, high-quality support.
/ph3PURPOSE OF THE ROLE /h3pReporting to the Head of International Programmes Department, and acting as their deputy on operational matters, this role provides hands-on operational support across a diverse portfolio of international operations.
It filters and synthesises information from country offices and internal stakeholders, follows up on agreed actions, supports decision-making and directly carries forward tasks that require coordination, judgement and momentum.
/ppThe post holder will be particularly involved in backstopping Ukraine and Afghanistan country offices, coordinating roving/surge capacity, supporting cross-departmental coordination and prioritisation with Partnership, Grants and Operations colleagues,



and contributing to a time-bound initiative to strengthen IPD's internal tools and processes - while ensuring that urgent operational issues are escalated with clear options and recommendations.
/ph3KEY RESPONSIBILITIES /h3h3Country Office Backstopping and Operational Support /h3ulliServe as the first operational filter for selected country offices, initially Ukraine and Afghanistan, and multi-country programmes (such as Akelius Language), ensuring that information reaching the Head of Department is concise, decision-oriented and prioritised.
/liliFollow up directly with Country Directors, Heads of Programmes, HoSS and other key staff to clarify issues, unblock bottlenecks and ensure timely action.
/liliPrepare short decision notes, issue briefs, risk summaries and recommended options for the Head of Department.
/liliTrack key deliverables, deadlines, donor commitments, internal actions and unresolved operational issues for assigned countries.
/liliSupport country offices with operational planning, internal coordination and problem-solving while respecting country office authority and accountability lines.
/li /ulh3Cross-Departmental Coordination and Prioritisation /h3ulliSupport the Head of Department in coordinating with Partnership, Grants, Operations and other central departments, helping prioritise support requests and emerging issues based on risk,



strategic relevance and country office capacity.
/liliTranslate cross-departmental discussions into clear action points, responsibilities and follow-up mechanisms.
/liliEnsure timely follow-up after meetings with Country Directors, Heads of Region and central departments, maintaining visibility on decisions and pending issues.
/li /ulh3IPD Tools and Process Improvement /h3ulliContribute to a time-bound initiative (approx. 6-12 months) to map, centralise and improve existing IPD tools, trackers and planning documents, including support to a shared platform or dashboard to strengthen coordination and decision-making.
/liliMonitor the regular use and update of key departmental tools (e.g. BEAM, risk trackers, roving planners), flagging gaps or opportunities to simplify processes.
/li /ulh3Roving and Surge Team Coordination /h3ulliOversee the planning, prioritization and coordination of roving staff deployments and remote support, across country offices and thematic needs.
/liliMaintain an overview of roving team availability, ongoing deployments, terms of reference, deliverables and post-deployment follow-up.
/liliReview and prioritize deployment requests, ensuring appropriate justification and clear terms of reference.
/liliCoordinate with HR, Administration Finance and Control, Global Security Manager and relevant functional leads on deployment planning, duty of care and accountability.
/liliCapture lessons learned from deployments and remote support, recommending improvements to strengthen the roving support model.
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📌 International Programmes Department – Operations Specialist (Milano)
🏢 WeWorld
📍 Milano