Programme Policy Officer Refugee Self-reliance and livelihoods, SC8 at World Food Programme: (Deadline 3 April 2025)

Programme Policy Officer Refugee Self-reliance and livelihoods, SC8 at World Food Programme: (Deadline 3 April 2025)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

3 April 2025-23:59-GMT+02:00 Central Africa Time (Kigali)

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).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

Under its ambitious 2025–2029 Country Strategic Plan, the World Food Programme (WFP) in Rwanda provides food and nutrition assistance to over 125,000 refugees in camps through cash transfers, a hybrid model combining cash and in-kind support, or in-kind food for new asylum seekers and Rwandan returnees. Strategically aligned with Rwanda’s CRRF commitments, the National Strategy for Transformation 2 (NST 2), and MINEMA’s Refugee Sustainable Graduation Strategy, WFP is advancing the self-reliance agenda and refugee graduation initiatives. By leveraging targeted mechanisms and supporting livelihood opportunities, WFP empowers refugees to build sustainable income sources, reduce dependence on humanitarian aid, and achieve economic inclusion. In addition, WFP prioritizes vulnerable groups by providing supplementary nutritious food to young children, pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls, and individuals with tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS, while also delivering daily school meals to children, including those from host communities, to promote social cohesion and shared development.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Within delegated authority and under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Head of Refugee Operations and Emergency Unit, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

• Support the design, development, and implementation of refugee livelihood and resilience activities, ensuring alignment with corporate policies,  guidelines, strategic objectives, the country strategic plan and applicable government policies.

• Conduct community engagement to ensure community-based design and implementation of self-reliance and livelihood activities, in coordination with local authorities and relevant stakeholders.

• Propose tailored livelihood support packages for targeted refugees and vulnerable populations.

• Foster collaboration between WFP, MINEMA, UNHCR, and other stakeholders in the refugee livelihood and self-reliance sector.

• Actively liaise with potential and existing partners, including NGOs, development actors, and the private sector, to strengthen referral mechanisms and facilitate recruitment or employment opportunities for project participants.

• Support negotiations and advocacy efforts with relevant ministries and national counterparts to advance refugee livelihood and self-reliance strategies.

• Oversee the implementation of livelihood and self-reliance programmes in refugee camps and host communities, ensuring effective, efficient, and timely delivery.

• Contribute to the contextualization of the refugee self-reliance strategy to each refugee community, ensuring activities are tailored to community-specific needs and capacities

• Provide technical guidance to cooperating partners implementing the activities and to supporting units and Field Offices

• Identify, develop, and manage partnerships that enhance refugee self-reliance and livelihood programmes.

• Provide technical inputs to other WFP activities to strengthen linkages between interventions and promote holistic support for refugees.

• Liaise with the Research Assessment and Monitoring (RAM) team to develop sound monitoring and evaluation plans, ensuring accountability and continuous learning.

• Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reports that enable informed decision-making and consistent communication with stakeholders.

• Provide timely feedback to refugees, community members, and stakeholders on activity implementation, addressing challenges and ensuring transparency.

• Build the capacity of cooperating partners and local authorities through guidance, consultations, and technical support.

• Support capacity building of WFP staff at CO and Field Office levels for effective implementation and supervision of the self-reliance activities

• Support budgeting and grant management for the refugee self-reliance in collaboration with the Budget and Programming unit.

• Support resource mobilization by providing input into funding proposals and donor reports

• Develop advocacy messages, strategic policy briefs, and drive advocacy activities to promote refugee self-reliance.

• Identify synergies between humanitarian and development approaches, fostering alignment between livelihoods policies and programme design for refugees and host communities.

• Contribute to linking humanitarian assistance with sustainable solutions, ensuring refugees transition to economic independence and resilience.

• Support the integration of refugee livelihoods into national development frameworks and food systems.
• Overall coordination, management and supervision of the refugee self-reliance programme and perform any other related duties as required and assigned.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:

• Demonstrated technical expertise in refugee self-reliance and livelihoods, including areas such as agriculture, refugee graduation strategies, value chains and food systems.

• Proven experience in leading the design, implementation, and coordination of programs, as well as managing cooperating partners in refugee operations.

• Significant contribution to the development and refinement of livelihoods and resilience strategies, policies, and frameworks.

• Exceptional reporting and writing skills, with the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and persuasively.

• Advanced data analysis skills, with a demonstrated ability to apply data insights to inform program design, implementation, and decision-making.

• Previous experience in WFP or other UN agencies, particularly in livelihoods, resilience, self-reliance, and refugee graduation programs is highly desirable.

• Strong ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, development actors, and private sector partners.

Experience:

A minimum of 3 years of Post graduate professional and relevant work experience in humanitarian and development program design and management, particularly in the areas of agriculture, livelihoods, self-reliance, resilience, food systems, refugee graduation, or other fields relevant to international development assistance.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE: 

Education

Advanced university degree or a first university degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training in Development Studies, Humanitarian Studies, Economics, Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, or other fields relevant to international development assistance.

Languages 

Working knowledge of English (proficiency/level C) is required. Working knowledge (proficiency/level C) of French is an added advantage

Experience

A minimum of 3 years of Post graduate professional and relevant work experience in humanitarian and development program design and management, particularly in the areas of agriculture, livelihoods, self-reliance, resilience, food systems, refugee graduation, or other fields relevant to international development assistance

Knowledge & Skills

• Excellent English writing and communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey complex information.

• Proficiency in Windows, MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access), and Statistical Programs (such as SPSS and STATA) for data analysis and reporting.

• General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations, and procedures governing administration.
• Added advantage: Relevant experience in journalism and/or reporting, as well as monitoring and evaluation of emergency operations, humanitarian and refugee programs, and development initiatives. Experience in working with both international NGOs (including UN Agencies) and government institutions. Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative survey techniques. Experience in the design and implementation of food aid programs.

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 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

• 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 [email protected] 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.

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