Programme Policy Officer SC-8 | Kharkiv in United Nations World Food Programme

The World Food Program (WFP) is a UN humanitarian organization that provides food aid in the form of cash, certificates or food to war-affected communities .

• Vacancy Announcement n°: JR103462
• Job Title: Programme Policy Officer SC-8
• Type of Contract: Service Contract
• Unit / Division: Programme Unit/ WFP Ukraine
• Duty Station: Kharkiv
• Duration: 12 months (renewable) 
• Closing date: 13 October, midnight (Central European Time) 

About WFP

The World Food Program 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 the 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: UN World Food Program (WFP) and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. 

What will you do in this position?  

You will provide effective specialized support and daily follow-up on WFP's Demining Project strategy and implementation while supporting WFP's regular program / Monitoring and Evaluation activities.

Why work with us?  

The war in Ukraine has had drastic consequences, both for people inside the country and for those around the world dependent on its huge grain supplies. It is inflicting untold suffering on civilians, displace families, and disrupt supply chains and food production. It has caused one of the fastest forced population movements since the Second World War. Close to 6 million Ukrainians are still living as refugees across Europe, and almost 5.1 million are internally displaced. Many have lost their homes and livelihoods. As food production and supply lines are disrupted by fighting, many families in the east and south do not have reliable access to nutritious food. 

WFP uses a flexible mix of food and cash assistance to support communities affected by the war wherever they are. This includes working with local partners to distribute food rations in areas near the frontline and providing cash transfers wherever people have access to banks and markets to buy food. Since March 2022, WFP has distributed food and cash assistance equivalent to 2.4 billion meals to families displaced and affected by the war, partnering directly with local responders. 

• 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 trainings, 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 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. 
• WFP offers a competitive benefits package including salary, leave plus a medical insurance. 

How can you make a difference? 

In this position, you will have to:   

• Conduct the assessments, community engagement and follow up on livelihoods of local communities, households and smallholder farmers as required to progress the demining project.
• Contribute to rapid market assessments as needed and under the guidance of the Country office Livelihood programme.
• Under the guidance of Kharkiv Programme officer – Mine Action, research and analyze policy and operational issues to support implementation project in Kharkiv, in the development of policies, programmes and activities. 
• Provide project management support, including the use of financial resources, to the assigned resilience and livelihood projects, ensuring a coordinated approach with other programmes.
• 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, in particular to the Government, 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 improve restoring livelihoods in the rural communities through mine action.
• Conduct regular field visits to the areas assigned to the WFP mine action operator and other parties and provide recommendations based on the mission outcomes.
• Support the capacity building of cooperating partners and local authorities within the specific technical area, providing them guidance and consultations on the operational activities.
• Produce timely feedback to the community members on project implementation and monitoring, including issues, challenges, implementation timelines and decisions made by the WFP project team in accordance with agreed protocols.
• Perform any other related tasks.

To join us in saving lives, changing lives, you will have: 

Education:  A degree in the following disciplines: international relations, political/social science, security management, business administration, economics or management is desirable.  

Experience: At least one year of relevant professional postgraduate working experience in international humanitarian NGOs, civil service, government, social impact organizations and/or similar corporations.  

Knowledge & Skills: 

• Has contributed to wider implementation of programmes/livelihoods interventions.

• Has assisted or developed policy discussions. 

• Project management or research experience. Good communication and negotiation skills. 

• Data analysis skills. 

• Good reporting and writing skills.

• Understanding and knowledge of the Kharkiv context (agricultural nature of the region, awareness of the context of conflict in the region) is desirable.

  Experience with other UN agencies or mine action INGOs/NGOs would be an asset.

Language: Fluency (level C) in both in English and Ukrainian languages.

Before you apply... 

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles. 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.  

We aim to achieve parity and inclusion in our teams in Ukraine.  

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 [email protected]. 

How do you apply... 

To be considered, you are invited to apply via WFP’s recruitment portal. CV and cover letter must be submitted in English language. 

Only those who are short-listed candidates will be contacted for the next steps of our recruitment process.  

We also encourage you to create your candidate profile and set up WFP job alerts to learn more about all the opportunities available to join us and make a difference in the lives of the people we serve.