Policy Officer, Director’s Office and Strategy Team at WFP, Rome, Italy

Deadline: 16 May 2023

The World Food Programme (WFP) is currently seeking applications from the eligible applicants for the post of Policy Officer, Director’s Office and Strategy Team in Rome, Italy. The duration of this post is 11 months.

World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.

Key Job Responsibilities

The Policy Officer, Director’s Office and Strategy Team will perform the following functions:

• WFP and PPF internal policy development:
  • Author, contribute to, and coordinate PPF’s inputs for WFP’s new or updated policies, regulations, ED Circulars, and others related to private sector engagement;
  • Facilitate PPF leadership’s involvement in key decision points related to WFP’s new or revised policies, frameworks and strategies, in line with PPF strategic priorities (i.e. WFP Strategic Plan 2022-2025, PSPF Mid-Term-Evaluation, etc.);
  • Author or provide PPF’s timely inputs to PA-department in response to evaluations, audits, and similar exercises as conducted on an ongoing basis;
  • Advise and support DOST on change-management planning and implementation for PPF teams as needed, to ensure alignment with WFP and UN-wide frameworks and policies (i.e. unrestricted income allocation procedure);
  • Support DOST’s efforts in facilitating communication within and across teams within PPF to ensure understanding and coherence between overall divisional goals and wider WFP/UN systems initiatives;Advise DOST on how to best facilitate implementation of changes required to achieve divisional goals and targets as set out in 2020-2025 PSPF strategy;
  • Help DOST ensure strong working relationships and smooth collaboration between PPF and key WFP divisions (i.e. Legal, Procurement, others) to advance policy development and implementation.
• Executive Board (EB) engagement:
  • Provide high-quality and timely updates to WFP senior leadership and Executive Board on PPF’s policies/frameworks, including development of PPF’s quarterly and bi-annual reports to EB on implementation of PSPFS 2020-2025;
  • Working with PPF’s DOST, facilitate PPF’s regular updates to the Executive Board on implementation of PSPFS 2020-2025;
  • Provide updated briefings and materials for PPF Director’s Executive Board meetings as required.
• UN systems-wide policy engagement and coordination:
  • Actively participate in inter-UN agency discussions on UN-wide rules and regulations related to engagement with the private sector (ranging from partnering with companies, to procurement, to fundraising from individuals), and facilitating the involvement of specialized PPF, technical unit or field-level teams as needed;
  • Support DOST in regularly review new and updated policies, papers and events from peer organizations to understand changing landscape of UN system and peer organization private sector successes, challenges, and new initiatives that might be relevant for WFP.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicant must have:

• University degree in Business Management, International Development, International Relations, Political Science, Economics, Marketing, Communications or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
• Minimum 6 years progressively responsible experience working in an International Organization, (experience in the UN is a plus), in policy advisory roles, multi-stakeholder coordination and liaison, and/or strategic and advisory roles.
• Essential computer skills in Microsoft Office applications: proficiency in Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Proven ability to conceptualize, plan, manage, develop and monitor processes
• Excellent understanding of global issues and an ability to translate an Organisation’s mission
• Excellent writing skills in particular in policy document preparation.
• Excellent command of spoken and written English
• Intermediate knowledge of another official UN language would be a plus (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish).

How to Apply

Applicants must submit applications through online process.

For more information, visit WFP.