DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

28 October 2024-23:59-GMT+02:00 Eastern European Standard Time (Cairo)

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.

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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).

• JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer for Anticipatory Action and Climate Risk Management – Consultant Roster (Multiple locations within MENAEE region)
• TYPE AND LEVEL OF CONTRACT: CST II
• UNIT/DIVISION: Resilience and Climate
• DUTY STATION (City, Country): Multiple
• REPORT TO (Job title): Regional Head of Resilience and Climate, or respective Country Office Programme Leads
• DURATION & START DATE: As per operational needs – 11 months with the possibility of extension

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Anticipatory Action (AA) is a critical part of WFP’s global strategy to reduce the humanitarian impacts of climate change and natural disasters. As climate-related shocks, including droughts, floods, and extreme temperatures, continue to intensify, the traditional model of responding after disasters strikes has become insufficient. WFP’s AA approach aims to shift from reactive to proactive interventions, ensuring that communities are better prepared and protected before disasters occur. By linking early warning systems to timely, forecast-based interventions, AA enables WFP and its partners to act early, mitigating the worst impacts of disasters and reducing the costs of emergency responses.

At a global level, WFP is committed to scaling up AA initiatives as part of its mandate to address food insecurity and malnutrition in vulnerable populations. AA is recognized as a key tool for resilience-building, aligning with WFP’s broader disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategy. By anticipating crises and acting in advance, WFP can protect livelihoods, reduce the risk of displacement, and prevent the escalation of hunger and malnutrition. Furthermore, AA supports WFP’s vision of strengthening the humanitarian-development nexus by ensuring that immediate responses are integrated with long-term resilience-building efforts.

In the MENAEE region, the need for anticipatory action is particularly urgent. This region is highly vulnerable to climate-related hazards, such as prolonged droughts, desertification, and flash floods, which exacerbate existing challenges related to food insecurity, water scarcity, and conflict. Countries like Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Palestine face compounding crises driven by conflict, fragility, and environmental degradation, making it imperative to adopt proactive strategies to prevent further humanitarian catastrophes.

WFP’s AA initiatives in the MENAEE region aim to strengthen the capacity of governments and communities to respond to climate risks. By embedding AA within national systems, WFP is helping countries develop early warning systems that trigger actions before a disaster hits, such as distributing cash transfers, pre-positioning food stocks, or reinforcing social protection systems. In doing so, WFP not only reduces the human and economic toll of disasters but also enhances the resilience of vulnerable populations.

In the region, WFP is playing a leading role in multi-stakeholder partnerships, including its co-convener role with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in the MENA Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Action. Additionally, WFP is working with key donors such as Swiss and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to deliver critical projects like the Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa (WISER) initiative in Yemen and Iraq. These partnerships are vital for advancing AA and ensuring alignment with broader donor commitments, such as those focused on early warning systems and climate risk management.

By expanding AA initiatives in the MENAEE region, WFP is also positioning itself to attract further donor investment, scaling up successful models and unlocking additional resources for resilience-building. The Programme Policy Officer for Anticipatory Action and Climate Risk Management will play a key role in driving these efforts, ensuring that WFP’s AA agenda is implemented effectively across multiple countries and helping to secure the region’s readiness for future climate-related challenges.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide strategic and technical support for the implementation and scaling of Anticipatory Action (AA) and climate risk management initiatives, either at a regional level or within a specific Country Office (CO), ensuring alignment with WFP’s global strategies and frameworks on disaster risk reduction and resilience-building.
• Lead and coordinate AA efforts within WFP, either by supporting COs across the region or managing AA and climate risk management programmes directly at the country level. This includes integrating early warning systems with forecast-based action plans to mitigate the impacts of climate shocks on vulnerable populations.
• Develop and strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders, including national governments, humanitarian partners, and donors, to support the effective implementation of AA initiatives. Foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing to build national capacities in early warning systems, forecast-based financing, and disaster preparedness.
• Provide technical assistance and capacity-building to WFP teams and partners, ensuring that staff at the regional or CO level have the skills and knowledge to implement AA and climate risk management activities effectively. This includes designing and delivering training sessions, facilitating workshops, and developing guidance materials.
• Contribute to resource mobilization efforts by identifying and securing funding opportunities from donors such as the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, and other relevant partners. Assist in the development of funding proposals and strategic documents that enhance WFP’s ability to expand its AA portfolio.
• Coordinate and oversee the monitoring and reporting of AA and climate risk management activities, ensuring that all projects meet donor requirements and are implemented within the agreed-upon timelines and budgets. Regularly update senior management on progress, challenges, and successes.
• Support the development of operational frameworks for the integration of AA into national disaster risk management and social protection systems. This may include working with governments and other stakeholders to establish early warning protocols, trigger mechanisms for early action, and scalable shock-responsive social protection schemes.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders, including WFP’s Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) teams, emergency preparedness units, and external partners, to ensure the effective use of early warning information and climate services for decision-making.
• Contribute to knowledge management and advocacy by documenting best practices, lessons learned, and case studies from AA initiatives, and promoting WFP’s role in anticipatory action within regional and global forums. Engage in regional dialogues and platforms to advocate for the scaling of AA and climate risk management approaches.
• Adapt AA models and tools to suit local contexts, ensuring that WFP’s AA activities are tailored to the specific climate risks and vulnerabilities of the regions or countries where they are implemented.
• Perform other duties as required, depending on the needs of the regional bureau or CO, to advance the anticipatory action and climate risk management agenda.

DELIVERABLES:

• Successful implementation or support of Anticipatory Action (AA) initiatives across WFP’s areas of operation, whether at a regional level or within a specific country office.
• This includes the development of early warning systems linked to forecast-based action plans that mitigate climate risks.
• Development of tailored technical guidance and capacity-building materials for Country Offices or regional teams, enabling them to integrate AA and climate risk management into their operations.
• This may include training manuals, toolkits, or guidelines for operationalizing AA in varying contexts.
• Established or strengthened partnerships with key stakeholders, including governments, UN agencies, donors, and humanitarian organizations, contributing to the scaling of AA and climate risk management activities.
• This includes formal agreements, collaboration frameworks, or joint action plans. Timely delivery of donor reports, project updates, and monitoring and evaluation outputs, ensuring that all project activities meet donor requirements and deadlines, and that the results are communicated effectively to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Increased funding secured for AA and climate risk management activities, through the development of funding proposals, engagement with donors, and strategic positioning of WFP as a leader in anticipatory action.
• Successful knowledge management and dissemination of best practices, including the documentation of lessons learned, case studies, and key insights from AA activities.
• Contributions made to global and regional AA platforms, showcasing WFP’s leadership and innovations in the field. Operational frameworks and protocols developed or enhanced for integrating AA into national disaster risk management systems or shock-responsive social protection mechanisms.
• This includes early warning protocols, trigger mechanisms, and collaboration with national authorities.
• Clear and measurable improvements in the capacity of WFP staff and partners, as evidenced by training outcomes, improved operational delivery, and enhanced decision-making based on early warning information and climate forecasts.
• Adaptation of WFP’s AA models and tools to local contexts, ensuring that initiatives are tailored to the specific risks and vulnerabilities of different countries or regions where they are implemented.
• Regular progress updates and reports to senior management, outlining the impact, challenges, and successes of AA and climate risk management activities, with recommendations for scaling and future improvements.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education: Advanced university degree in political/social sciences, international development, climate science, disaster risk management, or related fields. A first university degree with additional years of experience may be accepted instead of an advanced degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in humanitarian and/or development fields, with a focus on climate risk management, disaster risk reduction, anticipatory action, or related areas.
• Proven experience in managing or implementing programmes related to AA, early warning systems, forecast-based financing, climate services, and broader disaster risk management.
• Experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, or climate-vulnerable contexts, preferably in the MENAEE region.
• Strong track record in developing partnerships, securing donor funding, and building operational capacity in resilience and climate risk management.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Demonstrated understanding of early warning systems, anticipatory action, and climate risk management approaches.
• Excellent coordination and networking skills, with the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders across multiple countries.
• Knowledge of donor policies, strategies, and priorities in relation to disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and resilience-building.

Languages:

Fluency in oral and written English. Knowledge of Arabic would be an asset.

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.