City: Douala Posted: 04-Mar-2026
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 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 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).
MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Shipping Management and Port Operations
· Supervise the arrival of vessels carrying WFP cargoes to ensure timely reception and proper coordination with port authorities.
· Plan the offloading, handling, and temporary storage of shipments to maintain efficiency and minimize delays.
· Ensure compliance with port free-time limits to avoid demurrage and storage fees, thereby reducing operational costs.
· Monitor vessel allocation and plan dispatches to warehouses and destination countries, ensuring smooth onward movement of commodities.
2. Customs Clearance and Regulatory Compliance
· Oversee customs clearance processes and proactively anticipate potential bottlenecks to ensure smooth movement of WFP cargo.
· Ensure compliance with Cameroon and CEMAC customs regulations, including:
o CEMAC Customs Code provisions governing regional trade and transit.
o Tax exemptions and fiscal facilities applicable to NGOs and humanitarian organizations.
o Import/export procedures required for food and non-food commodities.
o Applicable taxes and duties for different categories of commodities.
o Customs transit procedures for shipments destined for Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR).
· Manage relationships with freight forwarders and customs authorities to expedite clearance formalities and ensure smooth coordination.
· Identify challenges related to customs restrictions, import licenses, and duty suspension regimes, and propose solutions to mitigate delays.
· Ensure proper handling and follow-up of customs documentation, including exemption certificates, customs declarations (DAU), and shipping documents such as Bills of Lading (B/L) and Air Waybills (AWB).
· Maintain close monitoring of customs declarations and the issuance of “mains levées” to ensure timely regularization of shipment files and compliance with customs requirements.
· Monitor the homologated prices of all services related to customs and port charges.
3. Risk Management and Cost Optimization
· Actively contribute to risk mitigation activities by checking and verifying shipment data and/or documents, identifying and resolving straightforward issues, or escalating them to a Shipping Officer.
· Identify and anticipate customs and logistics risks, including administrative delays, port congestion, and price fluctuations, to ensure proactive mitigation.
· Develop strategies to reduce costs associated with demurrage, storage, and transit, thereby improving operational efficiency.
· Ensure rigorous management of contracts and financial commitments related to shipping and customs clearance, maintaining accountability and cost-effectiveness
· Monitor the homologated prices of all services related to customs and port charges.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education: · Completion of secondary school education. · University degree in Logistics, International Trade, Customs & Freight Forwarding, Maritime Transport, or Supply Chain Management. · Specialization in CEMAC Customs Regulations or International Trade Law is an asset
Experience: · At least 5 years of experience in port operations, shipping, or customs clearance in Central Africa. · Experience in managing freight forwarders, shipping lines, and road transporters. · Experience in performance monitoring and analyzing supply chain data related to contracts and shipments, payments, pipeline information, insurance claims and/or food stocks, including trend analyses · Expertise in INCOTERMS and special customs regimes for humanitarian imports.
Knowledge & Skills: · Strong knowledge of Cameroon and CEMAC customs clearance procedures Ability to compile relevant data to support decision-making · Strong organizational and problem-solving skills · Clear communication, coordination, and interpersonal skills.
Languages:
· Fluency (level C) in French language · Intermediate or advanced knowledge of English (level B or C)
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Position: Logistics Assistant (Shipping)
