Programme Policy Officer – School Feeding Team Lead

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

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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).

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:

WFP’s mission is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger by 2030 as per Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2. It works to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

WFP started implementation of the new Country Strategy Plan 2024-28 (CSP) that contributes to the overarching goal to achieve Zero Hunger and is structured along two broad priorities:

(a) human capital development with a focus on nutrition and social protection; and

(b) climate change adaptation with a focus on food systems and disaster risk management.

The new CSP is grounded in a strategic shift from direct implementation to capacity strengthening and technical assistance in line with national priorities. WFP’s programming approach also adopts a systems/ integrated approach across the whole portfolio to maximize the co-benefits of improving nutrition, social protection, food systems and disaster risk management.

All of WFP’s activities are underpinned by strong evidence generation mechanisms to effectively establish needs, set policy advocacy and operational priorities, and demonstrate the impact of WFP across its target sectors. The World Food Programme is excited to announce an opportunity for a Cambodian national to join our team in the role of,

Position Title: Programme Policy Officer – School Feeding Team Lead

Type of Contract: Fixed Term Appointment

Grade: NOC

Duty Station: WFP Country Office, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Reporting Line: This position will fall under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

• Provide advice and support to COs on moderately complex issues to clarify ambiguities and ensure that policy and programme operations are consistent with WFP policies, Executive Board decisions, and other relevant guidance.
• Establish and maintain operational partnerships to identify opportunities for collaborative approaches and initiatives that improve assistance packages and support advocacy work.
• Manage operational research and evidence building on issues relevant to food assistance.
• Manage the preparation and dissemination of timely analytical and critical reports, publications, and a variety of information products or proposals for internal or external use.
• Contribute to resource mobilization efforts for WFP projects, including clearly articulating the need for food assistance and related programme opportunities, and follow up on the resource situation of projects including commodity and cash availability, seeking advice from senior colleagues where necessary.
• Advise and support the development of functional training in areas of expertise to enhance the capacity of WFP staff and partner to design and deliver effective food assistance programmes.
• Lead, motivate and develop a team of staff to enable high performance.
• Ensure the best use of assigned financial resources for achievement of set objectives within a moderate budget.
• Other as required.

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Lead the formulation of WFP’s portfolio of work in school feeding, clearly articulating WFP’s value proposition, particularly in its technical assistance to the Government, as WFP continues to phase out of direct implementation.
• Lead a team of staff to design, implement and manage activities in WFP’s school feeding portfolio in Cambodia, including overseeing the technical assistance workstreams.
• Brief country office management team on progress, plans and challenges on a proactive and regular basis.
• In coordination with relevant units, support the identification and creation of resource mobilization opportunities including the development of concept notes and funding proposals.
• Ensure cross-functional collaboration with other country office teams, including social protection, research, monitoring and assessments (RAM), food systems and nutrition.
• Manage capacity strengthening efforts with government partners and other cooperating partners in accordance with the CSP.
• Lead / coordinate the development of future transition plans and technical assistance plans for the Government.
• Oversee the planning and tracking of programme quality and progress, including the implementation of oversight and evaluation-related actions, strong programme documentation and the identification of gaps and potential solutions.
• Oversee compliance with donor and corporate requirements, including regular donor reporting and communication.
• Manage the enhancement of WFP’s school-based programmes through the integration of gender, AAP, disability and other cross-cutting themes.
• Represent WFP during meetings with partners to contribute to technical discussions, exchange of knowledge and experiences, and identify areas for potential collaboration.
• Develop strategic partnerships and ensure collaboration with key stakeholders across government institutions, UN agencies, private sector and others, as relevant.
• Supervise, guide and coach staff including ensuring training and knowledge transfer on school feeding, technical assistance, etc.
• Provide policy briefs, talking points, best practices and other relevant documentation.
• Work with the school feeding and social protection units in HQ, Regional Bureau Bangkok and Washington as relevant for knowledge exchange, resource mobilization and program alignment with WFP’s broader portfolio.
• Perform other activities to support programme operations as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education: Advanced University degree in International Affairs, Economics, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences, or another field relevant to international development assistance; or a First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

Language: Fluency (level C) in English language and Khmer.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive work experience in school feeding, social protection or related field
• Proven track-record delivering government capacity-strengthening and systems strengthening programs at national and sub-national levels.
• Demonstrated experience applying innovations and data-driven analytics into national governance systems, preferably in relation to social protection.
• Experience managing donor-funded programmes in relevant fields, preferably at a UN agency or INGO.
• Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder forums and representation vis-à-vis external partners.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

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

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our recruitment process is inclusively crafted to welcome candidates of all backgrounds, celebrating diversity and ensuring a respectful environment for all. We aim for an accessible and fair recruitment journey. Should you need any reasonable accommodations or have accessibility concerns, please reach out to us confidentially at global.inclusion@wfp.org. Our DEI team is here to ensure your full participation in our recruitment process.

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

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).

• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language

• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter

• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time

• Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application

• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

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.