Nutrition (Sensitive) Programme and Policy Officer
Nutrition (Sensitive) Programme and Policy Officer
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Job Description
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
17 July 2025-23:59-GMT01:00 Central European Time (Rome)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.
To learn more about WFP visit our website: 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).
JOB TITLE:
Nutrition (Sensitive) Programme and Policy Officer
TYPE OF CONTRACT:
International consultant
UNIT/DIVISION:
Nutrition & Food Quality Service/ Programme Policy & Guidance Division
DUTY STATION:
Rome Italy (HQ)
DURATION:
4 months (9 September- 31 December 2025)
BACKGROUND:
In 2024 WFP released a Nutrition Strategy committing to providing immediate nutrition assistance in emergencies while also addressing the root causes of malnutrition enabling communities to access nutritious foods for health productivity and resilience. This strategy reinforces WFPs vital role in tackling malnutrition and improving diets particularly for at-risk populations.
The strategy emphasizes increased government investments in nutrition-sensitive social protection food and health systems as integral to sustained dietary improvements and malnutrition reduction.
It also highlights the importance of leveraging WFP programmatic expertise and partnerships to scale up proven approaches for increasing healthy food availability.
Under the Strategic Plan 2022-2025 WFP aims for 80% of in-kind General Food Assistance (GFA) transfers to meet nutritional adequacy standards by end-2025. However Annual Performance Reports revealed only 12% (2023) and 22% (2024) met standards. While funding constraints posed barriers planning-stage improvements are possible. To address this WFP convened a High-Level Task Force (HLTF) in September 2024 tasked with optimizing the nutritional adequacy of food transfers. However achieving the 2025 target necessitates corporate-level enhancements in different areas including system alignment for facilitating the process analytical tools for data-driven decisions targeted sensitization for stakeholder alignment as well as capacity-building initiatives for implementation.
The upcoming Strategic Plan reaffirms WFPs commitment to integrating nutrition across its 3 strategic objectives explicitly positioning nutrition as a core component of emergency response and a critical enabler for resilience building human capacity development and national and local systems strengthening.
In line with the WFP Strategy and to support the implementation of the WFP Nutrition Strategy Nutrition and Food Quality Service needs to develop innovative corporate initiatives tools and guidance to ensure that WFP staff and stakeholders recognise the importance of and are empowered to design implement and monitor the integration of nutrition and HIV/TB across its operations. In addition there is a need for building the capacity of countries to find long-term solutions and contribute to the broader policy dialogue and support national systems.
OBJECTIVE:
Support the Nutrition and Food Quality Service to enhance country capacity to adequately integrate nutrition across systems and programmes with a specific focus on household food assistance social protection as well as school-based programming ensuring that no one is left behind.
ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under these terms of reference the consultant will assist in the implementation of the work carried out in the Nutrition and Food Quality service as follows:
Under the Nutrition Sensitive social protection workstream
- Lead coordination with PPG-S (SBP and SP teams) to develop joint advocacy materials and technical tools including a nutrition-sensitive business case and handbook.
- Coordinate with PPG-S and the partnership teams to engage with International Financial Institutions (IFIs) including the World Bank to advance nutrition-sensitive social protection.
- Identify opportunities to test and disseminate the nutrition-sensitive shock-responsive social protection capacity assessment tool. Expand the toolkit to facilitate country offices utilization of these materials.
- Contribute to evidence generation and lesson learned initiatives around nutrition and social protection support including HIV considerations.
- Lead internal and external dissemination of the WFP Guidance Note on Protecting and Improving Diets through Social Assistance to Prevent Acute Malnutrition.
- Coordinate with PPG-S (SBP team) to advance work on the nutritional adequacy of school meals by defining entry points methodologies and adapting/using corporate systems (e.g. COMET Optimus School Connect) for design implementation and monitoring.
Nutrition and HIV integration workstream
- Develop and update corporate guidance and tools to support country offices in integrating nutrition and HIV into programming and systems.
- Support formulation and review of Country Strategic Plans and Budget revisions to mainstream nutrition and HIV across relevant programmes.
- Lead dissemination of guidance on optimizing nutritional adequacy in general food assistance and build capacity to increase uptake of nutritional targets and food basket improvements (aligned with global standards).
- Coordinate with Fortification team to develop and disseminate guidance on linking demand/supply for healthy diets focusing on fortification.
- Support global initiatives fora and networks in integrating nutrition and HIV into social protection including developing workplans preparation of sessions attending conference calls and meetings and representing WFP.
DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:
Final module on linking supply and demand of fortified food as part of the WFP food fortification guidelines Updated final drafts of corporate guidance and tools on integrating nutrition and HIV into programming and systems. Disseminated WFP Guidance Note on Protecting and Improving Diets through Social Assistance to Prevent acute malnutrition Global rollout of Guidance Note on nutritional adequacy for General Food Assistance (GFA) Established road map and tools to support uptake of nutritional adequacy for WFP-led school meal programmes.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
Masters degree in nutrition public health or any other relevant field
Experience:
Extensive experience in coordination and implementation of nutrition and HIV operations including in emergency settings.
At least 8-year experience with UN agencies or/and NGOs
Knowledge and Skills:
Understanding of UN UNAIDS and cluster response
Knowledge and ability to interpret literature and analysis of nutrition and HIV operations including in emergency settings.
Strong interpersonal skills: ability to liaise with a wide range of people at different levels and across different cultures and to act with credibility and diplomacy.
Self-motivated and able to work with a high degree of autonomy strong time management skills.
Ability to manage and coordinate efforts from multiple stakeholders for common and purpose.
Languages:
Strong writing skills and verbal fluency in English a second language desirable
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 committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation please contact:
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 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.
Required Experience:
Unclear Seniority
Employment Type
Full-Time
