Resilient Food Systems Programme Policy Officer

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, color, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status, physical or mental disability.

JOB TITLE:

Resilient Food Systems Programme Policy Officer

TYPE OF CONTRACT:

CST

UNIT/DIVISION:

PROR-F

DUTY STATION (City, Country):

Rome, Italy

DURATION:

6 months

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Under the supervision of the Food Systems Programme Officer, the incumbent will provide, in coordination with other team members, support to expand resilient food systems work in the field, ensuring programmatic coherence and alignment with WFP’s corporate strategies and thinking as well as post-Food Systems Summit work. This includes review and support to design Country Strategic Plans (CSPs), ensuring Food Systems are effectively integrated under the various Strategic Objectives (SOs), as well as support for the team developing integrated approaches for resilient food systems, focusing in particular on operationalizing existing strategies and theories in alignment with the new Strategic Plan and the Food Systems Summit actions. Additionally, the incumbent will support resilient food systems integration approaches by working closely with other teams in the Programme Department, Supply Chain, and CBT division and other relevant teams in HQ. The incumbent will also support the Food Systems programme officer with the actions and activities connected to the Global Response to support and strengthen food systems as required.

The incumbent also supports the corporate efforts to implement the Local and Regional Procurement Policy (LRFP) implementation in the field, particularly the efforts to foster integration. This includes in-person support to RBs/COs to assist with the LRFP activities and provide advice on integrating the LRFP into broader der food systems programming.

The incumbent is also expected to support Regional Bureau and Country Offices with remote and in-person support to design and implement programmes that contribute to strengthening and rebuilding food systems. This includes integration with resilient, smallholder agriculture market access and post-harvest losses, home-grown school feeding, nutrition-sensitive interventions, and other relevant programmes. Additionally, the candidate is expected to support the efforts to establish effective mechanisms to coordinate the relevant food systems programmes and activities with relevant stakeholders in the Regional Bureau, Country Offices and HQ.

Finally, the incumbent will also support the Food Systems Programme officer in establishing partnerships with research centres and academia (e.g. CGIAR) at the global and local levels to support operationalising conceptual models and theories into operational models that can be implemented in the different contexts in which WFP operates.

MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the close supervision of the Food Systems Programme Officer, the incumbent will:

• Support the work on resilient food systems and integration of operationalising concepts and theories for greater impact in vulnerable and shock-prone contexts.
• Provide technical assistance to Country Offices and Regional Bureau to design and implement food systems programmes, including through close support to CSP design and implementation.
• Assist in integrating the LRFP Policy into broader food systems programming, providing inputs and technical assistance to RBs and COs in implementing the LRFP.
• Support and provide inputs to corporate guidance material and technical notes, particularly on resilient food systems, CSP design and other relevant food systems guidance and strategies.
• Contribute to the research and learning efforts in the areas of food systems, in particular best programming practices, capturing lessons learned on food systems work in different contexts (e.g. protracted crisis; unstable and fragile etc.)
• Identify capacity development needs in the area of food systems in the RBs and at the COs level to define capacity-building efforts and develop plans to address them.
• Support the Food Systems Summit Hub, including attending meetings, ensuring coherence with WFP’s programming and providing technical advice as required.
• Maintain effective relationships with other relevant units and divisions by providing inputs, attending meetings and ensuring the flow of information between relevant parties as required.
• Any other duties as appropriate and needed

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: (optional)

Knowledge & Skills:

Education

Experience

• Sound understanding of Food Systems concepts and programmes.
  • Excellent skills in designing and implementing food systems, smallholder support and resilience programmes and strategies.
  • Excellent knowledge and previous experience in designing and implementing market access, smallholder support, local procurement and resilience programme.
  • Extensive field experience combined with skills to engage with relevant actors, internal and external, at different level
  • Strong experience in providing technical assistance, in-person and remotely, to Country Offices and Regional Bureau
  • Excellent interpersonal skills to build effective relationships with all stakeholders.
  • Track-record of strong performance

Advanced University degree in Agriculture, Food Systems, Rural Development, Agronomy, International Affairs, Economics, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or other fields relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

A minimum of 6 years of experience in the areas of food systems, smallholder support, agriculture market access, resilience and rural development. Relevant experience in providing technical assistance to develop and implement programmes. Strong field experience and willingness to travel are required for this position.