Localization Specialist

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

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 worlds 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 WFPs 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).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the worlds largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger and malnutrition June 2025 WFPs Executive Board approved the Localization Policy and its costed implementation plan to operationalize and guide implementation. The policy affirms WFPs commitment to placinglocal and national actorsat the center of our work. This means recognizing local and national actors notas transactional partners but as leaders and owners of humanitarian response and other efforts to combat food insecurity and malnutrition. Localization is defined asa process that shifts the way that WFPs humanitarian and development work is designed delivered and funded to better support locally led efforts that are responsive to the unique needs and priorities of affected people. Key localization actors are identified as both state and non-state actors with a focus on local and national NGOs(specifically NGO cooperating partners) community-based organizationsprivate sector enterprisesand entrepreneurs in local supply chains and marketsand government (national and sub-national). The policy is guided by principles of mutual respect and trust and supports the goals of the humanitarian reset by enhancing programme quality and efficiency and by elevating local and national actors as frontline leaders supporting a more devolved humanitarian system. WFPs commitment to localization is further reflected in the WFP Strategic Plan where promoting localization has been elevated as a cross-cutting priority across the organizations work.

The policy includes four main objectives including:

Progress from transactional to collaborative partnerships with local and national non-state cooperating partners. Strengthen engagement with community-based organizations as technical partners in food security and nutrition. Increase the roles of local entrepreneurs and small enterprises in supply chains and markets. Strengthen the influence of local and national actors in shaping policies operations and coordination spaces.

Across each objective the policy also identifies key pathways of change: leveraging strengthening and sharing capacities; strengthening participatory approaches and systematic inclusion; facilitating agile partnership models and flexible funding; and promoting mutual accountability and risk sharing.

At present work under Objective 2 has been operationalized through a 2-year US funded programme to create systems for better and more efficient on-boarding of CBOs. Under this project foundational research involving 111 CBOs across 3 varied contexts was completed in 2025. Stemming from this research a menu of options for strengthening CBO engagement and partnership was developed and 12 countries were identified for piloting a range of activities related to contractual modalities financial mechanisms and partnership models.

The purpose of this assignment is to provide technical level leadership steering and coordination to implement Objectives 2 as well as support wider localization policy coordination as needed.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

The consultant will sit within the Gender Protection and Inclusion Unit and report to the Localization Policy Coordinator. The consultant will be responsible for:

Lead/coordinate implementation of Objective 2 - Strengthen engagement with community-based organizations as technical partners in food security and nutrition. This entails:

• Lead implementation of key activities provide technical advice and coordinate across relevant headquarters divisions toward the adaptation of corporate frameworks (including financial and risk frameworks) partnership modalities capacity strengthening approaches risk management due diligence and audit processes among others to better enable WFP to formally partner with and/or meaningfully engage community-based organizations including women-led organizations organizations for people with disabilities refugee-led organizations and others;
• Consolidate lessons learned from pilot activities related to CBO engagement across 11 country offices (expected to be completed in 2026) and develop or refine corporate guidance based on lessons;
• Advise and provide technical assistance to country offices to identify articulate implement approaches and activities related to strengthening the engagement of community-based organizations;
• Conduct or contribute to relevant studies and/or analyses to strengthen WFPs engagement with CBO;
• Contribute to better organizational measurement and tracking of both the quantity and quality of engagement with CBOs including through Corporate Results Framework indicators

Support the implementation of Objective 4 in relation to CBOs - Strengthen the influence of local and national actors in shaping policies operations and coordination spaces.

• Develop guidance in collaboration with Global Headquarters divisions and Country Offices and provide technical advice to Country Offices to better identify opportunities and strengthen representation engagement visibility and amplify local voices through CBOs in relevant national and international mechanisms and processes;
• Advocate and engage with other UN agencies humanitarian coordination mechanisms and international organizations as relevant in knowledge exchanges and other activities in support of more harmonized UN approaches toward engaging with CBOs

Contribute to communications products funding proposals donor engagements reporting and broader coordination tasks as needed and assigned by the Localization Coordinator. Take responsibility for incorporating gender protection and inclusion perspectives in all areas of work.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

Final Consultancy Report Practical Guidance Document for Engaging CBOs within WFP

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Advanced University degree in International Development Economics Social Science or other field relevant to international development assistance

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years experience (of which at least 3 are international) of postgraduate professional experience in international development or humanitarian work
• Demonstrated experience in working or partnering with community-based organizations especially community-based representative groups including women-led organizations organizations for people with disabilities refugee-led organizations or similar in humanitarian and/or development settings
• Demonstrated experience working within an international organization including areas related to partner management grant management or other areas relevant to working with NGOs CBOs and other civil society actors

Knowledge & Skills:

• Demonstrated knowledge of community-based organizations how they operate their strengths and challenges including women-led organizations organizations for people with disabilities refugee-led organizations; or similar in the context of WFPs operations and broader humanitarian settings.
• Knowledge of community-driven mutual aid practices and approaches and organizational development practices especially in the context of grassroots movements and community-based organizations is an advantage
• Knowledge of organizational development and partnership principles practices and localization in a donor-funded environment
• Demonstrated skills in navigating and/or managing partnership grant management or related areas within an international organization
• Demonstrated ability to strategically engage and advise key stakeholders within an organization including field level teams at a mid to senior level
• Proven expertise in coordination and/or project management as well as working across multi-disciplinary teams
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to gain the assistance and cooperation of others toward shared goals
• Strong conceptual and analytical skills able to translate broader aims and evidence into actionable plans to move a project forward
• Knowledge of gender disability inclusion dynamics and protection issues in humanitarian settings

Languages:

International Professional: Fluency (level C) in oral and written English language. Knowledge of French or Spanish is an asset but not required.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

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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:

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REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email LinkedIn or any other channel.

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• At the application stage the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport certificates recommendation letters etc.) may be requested later in the process.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

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.