WFP : Programme Policy Officer (Protection) NOB-San’aa CO – Sanaa

  • Location:
  • Salary:
    negotiable / YEAR
  • Job type:
    FULL_TIME
  • Posted:
    3 days ago
  • Category:
    Programme and Project Management
  • Deadline:
    20/12/2025

JOB DESCRIPTION

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

1 January 2025-23:59-GMT+03:00 Arabian Standard Time (Aden)

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).

General Information:

Title of Post: Programme Policy Officer (Protection)
Grade: NOB
Unit: Programme-Cross Cutting Area Team
Division/Country Office: Yemen CO
Duty Station: Sana’a
Duration of Contract: 12 months

Supervisor: Head of CCA

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The Cross Cutting Areas Team provides technical guidance and promotes a coordinated approach to the cross-cutting issues of gender and protection mainstreaming, conflict sensitivity, data protection, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), disability inclusion accountability to affected people (AAP) in WFP’s Yemen Operations and environmental and social safeguarding (ESS) focal point.

Under the overall supervision of the Head of Cross Cutting Areas (CCA), and working directly with the CCA team, relevant Programme Unit and Area Office colleagues, cooperating partners and other stakeholders the Protection Officer will be responsible to ensuring implementing of protection activities in WFP Yemen’s operations. The PO will provide strategic, operational, and programmatic advice on the implementation policy on protection approved by the WFP Executive Board during its First Regular Session in February 2012.

The PO will act as the deputy head of CCA unit and support the Head of Unit in the overall supervision and management of the gender and protection mainstreaming function. In the absence of Head of CCA unit, the PO will act as the OIC and will assume the overall responsibility of the team.

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

  • Contribute towards the development of a wide variety of projects, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance.
  • Provide project management support to specific and defined programmes and projects of considerable size/complexity, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes that complies with WFP standards and procedures.
  • Develop and coordinate data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained.
  • Research and analyse a range of policy and operational issues to inform the development of policies, programmes and activities.
  • Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on programmes and activities that enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
  • Liaise with internal and external counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects and highlight potential risks to project delivery.
  • Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships to collaborative working leading to improved food assistance packages.
  • Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to prepare for and respond to food assistance needs, e.g. through providing inputs into training materials.
  • Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analysis and queries.
  • Other as required.

Additional Key Accountabilities

  • Undertake protection analyses of issues that are impacting WFP beneficiaries and their communities and the linkages to food security and food assistance.

The PO will undertake an analysis of protection of protection issues – including gender-based violence – impacting food insecurity and vice-versa, and protection issues arising from WFP operations and presence. PO shall work with all relevant staff in developing responses, ensuring that these are integrated in WFP’s programming and operational activities. The PO will also assist the country office in monitoring and evaluating protection issues in the design and piloting of new programmes and initiatives.

  • Advise WFP and partners on the integration of protection in food assistance programmes.

Based on the analysis of protection issues, the PO will help WFP and its partners to develop responses and action points for the WFP Country Office for implementation of its programmes. These responses may include programmatic actions, advocacy measures, partnership building and coordination enhancement activities, etc. In this regard, the PO will work closely with WFP field staff; protection-mandated and non-mandated agencies; WFP NGO cooperating/implementing partners; and other relevant interlocutors on the ground.

  • Inter-agency coordination and representation

The PO will assist WFP to coordinate with other UN humanitarian agencies, NGO partners and other relevant interlocutors on assessments of current and emerging protection issues and response planning. In particular, the PO will assist WFP to strengthen its relationship with the national Protection Working Group and individual protection actors to ensure complementarity with the overall strategy on protection. The PO represent WFP in inter-agency protection for a and represent the interest of WFP in line with the corporate policy on protection.

  • Complaints and feedback mechanism and reporting system for protection.

In collaboration with the M & E and Risk Management units ensure protection issues can be captured through the Beneficiary Feedback Mechanism and responded to appropriately.Provide advice, guidance, and follow-up in relation to protection aspects of the Beneficiary Feedback Mechanism. It will also explore how a system of reporting of protection issues within the context of WFP’s programme delivery can be established and sustained.

  • Safe delivery of assistance

In collaboration with the Head of the Programme Unit, Head of Logistics and Head of Security provide advice, guidance, and follow-up in relation to any protection problems related to the safe delivery of food, cash, or vouchers to beneficiaries, either before, after or during distribution. Additionally, take lead in supporting capacity of Country Office to understand and implement within a conflict sensitive approach.

  • Advocacy and Sensitisation

Support Country Management to advocate and raise awareness on protection, conflict and gender issues, both emerging and protracted, as related to food and nutrition security. Audience may include UN General Assembly and/or Security Council, WFP HQ, Donors, Political audiences, South Sudan based interagency forums and agencies.

  • Staff training and capacity-building

The PO will undertake training for capacity building of staff on protection analysis, response development and gender and protection integration in WFP’s work. The PO will also review and reactivate the protection and gender network in the country and support the network with necessary expertise and training for them.

  • Other duties

Undertake any other activities as required by the Head of Programme or Head of the CCA unit.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education:

  • Advanced University degree, or First University degree with additional years of experience and training/courses in one or more of the following disciplines: International Law, Gender and Inclusion Studies, Humanitarian/Development Studies, Human rights, International Relations, Anthropology, Social Sciences, or other related fields.

Experience: 3 or more years of relevant professional work experience, with an advanced educational degree (OR) first university degree with 5 or more years of relevant work experience (relevance as per defined in the Terms of Reference for the position)

  • Administrative/Assistant/Secretariat work experience is not considered, except for years holding Associate positions or above (UN equivalent grade G-6 or above), in which case each year is counted at 50%

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:

  • Experience working with WFP and knowledge of WFP policies relating to cross cutting areas required.
  • Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  • Proven team management experience and skills; ability to build capacity of team through training and mentoring.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication; Ability to engage different stakeholders and partners during the I-CARA. Excellent writing skills for effective reporting.
  • Ability to multitask with tight deadlines and proven ability to work independently.
  • The person shall be culturally aware and able to establish effective relationships with a multicultural team. Context-relevant knowledge of gender dynamics and protection related themes, required.

Language: Fluency (level C) in English & Arabic languages.

Nationality: Only Yemeni citizens are eligible for this position.

Terms & Conditions:

  • By submitting your application, you have read the Terms of Reference for this position and agree that any false, wrong or incomplete information might lead to your disqualification in this recruitment process
  • WFP staff who are still under probation period are not eligible to apply for another FT position.
  • The applicant should be a Yemeni national.
  • Only candidates who are short-listed will be contacted.
  • Applications must be submitted online with:
    – Use English language only.
    – Indicate all your job TOR.
    – Indicate clear years of experience with each job (month/year)
  • (NB: Successful candidates vetted as viable candidates through the application process will be retained on internal roster for a two-year period and may be given further consideration for future similar specific position advertised in the duty station.)

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.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements