Social Protection Support (SC5)

Support access to finance, gender and social protection activities across various programmes.

FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Open positions at FAO
Logo of FAO

Application deadline in 12 days: Tuesday 21 Jul 2026 at 21:59 UTC

Open application form

Overview

Support access to finance, gender and social protection activities across various programmes.

You have:

  • University degree in business administrations, development studies, social sciences or project management, or related field from a recognized university/institution.
  • At least three years of work experience in social protection, access to finance and delivery of cash transfer.
  • Working Knowledge (Level C) Of English.
  • National of Somalia.

Organizational Setting

The key mission of the FAO Representation in Somalia, which is led by FAO Representative (FAOR), is to assist and support the national government to develop policies, strategies and programme aimed at accelerating the Implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in FAO's global mandate and Strategic Objectives. More specifically, FAO's response aims to address national needs and priorities in achieving food security, reducing hunger and malnutrition, developing agricultural, fishery and forestry sectors, and ensuring the sustainable use of environmental and natural resources and respond to recurrent emergencies. The current portfolio of activities of the FAO Representation in Somalia includes a wide scope of technical support interventions ranging from policy support through livestock and crop production, to natural resource management, Nutrition, value chain, food security analysis and water and land information management. FAO is also implementing several emergency, resilience-building, and development interventions, with the support of its five field offices and close to 400 staff in partnership with the Federal and State line ministries.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Somalia, the general guidance of the Head of Programme, and the direct supervision of Social Protection Specialist.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will be responsible for supporting access to finance, gender and social protection activities across various programmes, including TCLP, GCF, CANADA, SDG, Cadre, and Climb. The Social Protection Support will liaise closely with the programme team to ensure that access to finance and social protection activities align with FAO’s strategic focus and FAO-Somalia’s Country Programming Framework (CPF). The incumbent will provide day-to-day support for implementing programme activities and programming.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Ensure that programme activities on social protection, financial inclusion (e.g., VSLAs), and gender are aligned with FAO’s Strategic Framework and Somalia’s Country Programming Framework (CPF). • Provide day-to-day operational support, including reviewing partner reports, supporting LoA/LoU processes, organizing training and capacity-building activities, and facilitating knowledge sharing. • Support policy development and capacity-strengthening efforts with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) and other stakeholders to advance Somalia’s social protection agenda. • Contribute to data collection, research, and documentation of lessons learned, challenges, and best practices in linking social protection with resilience, nutrition, and climate change. • Facilitate collaboration between FAO, partners, and communities by providing secretariat and coordination support for workshops, policy dialogues, and social protection meetings. • Participate in field missions to monitor progress, identify challenges, and recommend improvements for programme delivery. • Review reports submitted by the partners against LoA/LoUs, across the on-going projects. • Support the technical teams in liaising with partners to ensure proper implementation, and monitoring of the LoA/LoUs. • Initiate LOAs/LoUs payments based on the activities undertaking in the field. • Organize training and capacity building events related to Social Protection, access to finance and gender related to the projects/program with the consultation of the technical team. • With the guidance of the technical teams develop an implementation plan and successful delivery of protection activities, including social protection monitoring. • Support Data Collection for Research on Social Protection and access to finance, and Climate change. • Support FAOSO Social Protection knowledge repository on SharePoint. • Participate in field missions to review progress, learn from challenges, recommend improvements, and identify best practices. • Support the team with any administrative duties where required. • Perform any other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in business administrations, development studies, social sciences or project management, or related field from a recognized university /institution. • At least three years of work experience in social protection, access to finance and delivery of cash transfer. • Working Knowledge (Level C) Of English. • National of Somalia.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus • Teamwork • Communication • Building Effective Relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience in Social Protection, access to finance, workshop management, and delivery of cash transfer. • Excellent communication, writing, and reporting skills. • Familiar with Project Cycle Management. • Strong organizational and planning skills. • Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
  • Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
  • Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
  • For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
  • Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

Potential interview questions

Can you describe your experience in social protection and how it aligns with FAO's objectives? This question aims to evaluate the candidate's relevant experience and its relevance to the organization's missions. Highlight specific roles, contributions, and how they relate to FAO's goals.
How would you approach collaboration with stakeholders in implementing social protection strategies? The interviewer seeks to understand your collaboration skills and stakeholder engagement strategies. Pro members can see the explanation.
What are the main challenges you expect to face in ensuring access to finance for vulnerable populations? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you give an example of a successful capacity-building event you facilitated? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe a time you had to gather data for a project. What steps did you take? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How can social protection contribute to achieving food security in Somalia? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What strategies would you employ to monitor and improve social protection programs? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How would you handle conflicts among project stakeholders during program implementation? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 1 day ago - Updated 9 hours ago - Source: fao.org