Programme Policy Officer (Head of Emergencies & Resilience) CSTII Islamabad

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About the Job

Job Title:Programme Policy Officer (Head of Emergencies & Resilience)

Grade: CST II

Type of contract:Regular Consultant

Duration: 6 months

Duty Station: Islamabad Pakistan

Date of Publication: 5 May 2026

Deadline of Application:8 May 2026

This Vacancy Announcement has not been posted publicly. This is to facilitate a recruitment and selection process through roster.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:
Pakistan is one of the most populous countries in the world (250 million) and is also ranked 10th on the World Risk Index due to the number and scope of natural disasters which regularly impact social and economic development of the its Country Strategic Plan (2023-2027) WFP Pakistan has prioritised a shift from providing food assistance to providing support for inclusive and equitable national policy and capacity development. As such Outcome 1 of the CSP focuses on enhancing the capacity of national institutions for risk reduction risk financing and emergency preparedness and response.
In the first years of the CSP WFP country office was still responding to the disastrous 2022 floods which affected more than 33 million people along the Indus River basin. However by mid-2024 the Government of Pakistan through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was well positioned to lead country-wide preparations for the annual monsoon season which often results in floods from monsoon rains as well as flash flooding from summer glacial melt in the far north. The Disaster Management Authority structure reaches all the way down through four provinces and into 170 districts across the country with various levels of capacity. Despite strong leadership in planning and coordination the NDMA and its constituencies across the country still require strategic and technical support from various agencies including WFP to effectively plan for and respond to any localized or large-scale event.

JOB PURPOSE:
In the first years of the CSP WFP country office was still responding to the disastrous 2022 floods which affected more than 33 million people along the Indus River basin. However by mid-2024 the Government of Pakistan through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was well positioned to lead country-wide preparations for the annual monsoon season which often results in floods from monsoon rains as well as flash flooding from summer glacial melt in the far north. The Disaster Management Authority structure reaches all the way down through four provinces and into 170 districts across the country with various levels of capacity. Despite strong leadership in planning and coordination the NDMA and its constituencies across the country still require strategic and technical support from various agencies including WFP to effectively plan for and respond to any localised or large-scale event.

As WFP Pakistan continues to shift from saving lives to changing lives/enabling the host Government the Country Office requires a Programme Policy Officer to focus on leading this process for the Country Office and Provincial Offices for the next 2 years of the country strategic plan working with management programme and supply chain which will inform the development of the CSP 2028-2032.

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RESPONSIBILITES:
Reporting to the Deputy Country Director the incumbent will be responsible for the following areas of work:

• Lead and manage WFP Pakistans Emergency Preparedness Response and Resilience portfolio ensuring coherent delivery across crisis response anticipatory action climate resilience and capacity strengthening in line with corporate policies and country strategic priorities.

• Provide strategic leadership and coordination of emergency operations ensuring timely effective and principled responses to shocks including oversight of programme design targeting transfer modalities and operational delivery in close collaboration with programme supply chain and field offices.

• Oversee and strengthen WFPs emergency preparedness architecture including contingency planning early warning and anticipatory action systems pre-positioning strategies and internal readiness across country and field offices.

• Lead WFPs engagement with Government counterparts (NDMA PDMAs MoCC and relevant ministries) on emergency preparedness response and climate resilience ensuring strong alignment with national systems and supporting capacity strengthening where required.

• Coordinate WFPs role within inter-agency and governement emergency preparedness and response mechanisms including engagement with OCHA/RCO UN agencies clusters/working groups and partners ensuring effective coordination complementarity and advocacy.

• Drive the development and implementation of resilience and risk climate programming including integration of climate adaptation disaster risk reduction and community resilience approaches across WFPs portfolio.

• Lead engagement on disaster risk financing and anticipatory action including collaboration with government IFIs and partners to develop and operationalise financing mechanisms and support resource mobilisation for innovative financing solutions.

• Oversee the design and implementation of externally funded projects (e.g. GCF ECHO Norway and other donor-funded initiatives) ensuring quality delivery compliance and alignment with broader country office objectives.

• Strengthen institutional capacity of WFP government and partners in emergency preparedness and response including training simulation exercises (SIMEX) systems development and operational learning.

• Ensure effective internal coordination across programme supply chain and field operations enabling integrated planning pipeline management and rapid operational scale-up where required.

• Lead knowledge management lessons learned and continuous improvement processes related to emergency preparedness and response ensuring that operational learning informs future programming and strategy.

• Represent WFP at senior technical and coordination forums on emergency preparedness response and resilience contributing to strategic dialogue with government donors and partners.

• Any other responsibility assigned by the supervisor within the job level of expertise.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

Education:
Advanced University degree in social sciences economics international development or public policy or First University degree in the same subjects with an additional two years of relevant experience.

Experience:
At least 8 years of relevant progressively responsible experience in emergency preparedness risk reduction emergency planning and response in developing -country experience is a must while regional experience is welcomed. Experience in working with host governments UN and NGO partners. Some experience engaging donors including IFIs.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Ability to work across units and functions.

• Ability to develop strategic and planning documents.

• Technical knowledge in various areas of anticipatory action and shock-responsive social protection

• Ability to prepare technical concepts and reports for donors.

• Understanding of emergency planning preparedness response and recovery.

• Excellent spoken and written English.

Language:
Fluency (level C) in English language.

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