Background and Purpose of the Assignment
The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.
Food insecurity across Somalia has persisted due to recurrent shocks experienced by the country adversely impacting the vulnerable population of internally displaced persons, rural populations, and urban poor. WFP Somalia’s four-year Country Strategic Plan 2022-2025 partly focuses on emergency response with more flexible modalities (e-vouchers, mobile money), conflict sensitivity, gender mainstreaming, and referral pathways between programme activities.
Position Overview
This position is based in Mogadishu to provide strategic and operational support across WFP emergency response. The incumbent will closely work with other Country Office Programme teams and WFP offices in the field at improving the quality, efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of WFP relief assistance in Somalia. The incumbent will spend 30% of his time in the field providing on-the-job formative supervision to WFP, and Partners staff and coordinating with authorities and other UN agencies on humanitarian access and integration of humanitarian response.
Responsibilities include supporting the country office team in the design, planning, implementation, and coordination of WFP’s emergency response in Somalia, leveraging linkages with nutrition, livelihood, food systems, and social protection programmes, ensuring a strong contribution to government priorities and plans, strengthening WFP leadership as the largest humanitarian actor in Somalia.
The Emergency Officer will report to the Crisis response and recovery portfolio lead with technical support and engagement with the WFP Somalia head of programme.
What will you do?
- Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Understands WFP’s Strategic Objectives and the link to own work objectives.
- Assess emerging requirements in consultation with Country Office Programme team and Heads of Field Offices and the feasibility of incorporating it in the WFP relief response, as determined
- Manage accurate and timely emergency information and reporting to enable informed decision-making at the Country Office level, ensuring consistency of information presented through briefing notes, talking points, and presentations.
- Support coordination and development of response activities at the inter-agency level, with government stakeholders, NGO partners, and other stakeholders for an integrated cross-sectoral response where feasible and appropriate.
- Support the development of a Country Office strategy and action plan for WFP’s engagement and contribution to the inter-agency coordination mechanism and Rapid Response Mechanisms/Minimum Response Package.
- Contribute to cross-functional discussions and planning for extending WFP’s operations to hard-to-reach areas through country-level access mapping, conflict sensitivity analysis, risk identification, and mitigation.
- Provide field-level support for WFP operations, including activity design, implementation, and monitoring. measures, and options for partnering and contracting to ensure adherence to WFP best practices and minimum requirements where WFP access is hindered.
- Support the capacity strengthening of WFP staff, partners, and national government to prepare for and respond to food assistance needs.
- Ensure compliance with WFP’s policies, criteria, and procedures with respect to emergency food assistance under the current Country Strategic Plans project.
- Work independently, and alongside country office teams to identify, gather, and analyze relevant data to produce high-quality, evidence-based reports and other analytical outputs that meet the office needs.
- Support the development of the country office emergency exit strategy, positioning the county office to adapt a multiapproach emergency recovery effort.
- Develop and support a research & learning agenda that enhances the capacity of WFP.
Do you meet the minimum requirements?
- Advanced university degree in International Affairs, Political Science, Economics, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences, or another field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.
- 5 years of relevant experience in the field of humanitarian assistance in various field locations. Experience in managing emergency operations is a plus.
- Direct relevant experience in Operations Management activities at Country Office/Field Offices.
Knowledge & skills
- Proven experience in leading, motivating, and developing high-performing teams.
- Has participated in designing and implementing programs focusing on food security.
- Ability to quickly develop and cultivate networks and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Driven to continuously improve processes, systems, and products expected from the unit.
Language
International Professional: Fluency (level C) in the English language
- Create your profile on E-Recruitment, apply and submit your application.
- Please note, the only documents required at this stage is your CV and cover letter.
- Applications that do not meet the above requirements will be disregarded.
- Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Terms & Conditions:
- This is an international position and candidates must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment. (Female candidates are encouraged to apply)
- This position is based in Mogadishu, the selected candidate will be required to relocate to take up the assignment.
- The contract duration is 11 months (initial)
