DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS13 May 2025-23:59-GMT+01:00 West Africa Standard Time (Brazzaville)
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 worldโs 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 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: https://www.wfp.org and 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: Programme Policy Officer โ Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF)
TYPE OF CONTRACT: CST II UNIT/DIVISION: School Feeding Unit / Programme Unit
DUTY STATION: Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
DURATION: 6 months (initial, with possibility of extension)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger. In the Republic of Congo (RoC), WFP supports the government in the implementation of a national school feeding programme, including regular school feeding, emergency school feeding, and home-grown school feeding (HGSF).
As part of its broader integrated resilience strategy under the Country Strategic Plan (CSP), WFP is scaling up the HGSF component to support school-age children with nutritious meals while strengthening local food systems, promoting education, and increasing the incomes of smallholder farmers and local producers. The Home-Grown School Feeding programme is a cornerstone of WFPโs transition efforts toward national ownership, sustainability, and socio-economic development in the Republic of Congo.
To support this ambition, WFP seeks a Programme Policy Officer with strong operational capacity and a deep understanding of HGSF design, implementation, and scale-up, to manage the day-to-day operations of this component and support the integration of HGSF into broader programme efforts.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under the direct supervision of the Head of School Feeding and the overall guidance of the Deputy Country Director / Programme, the Programme Policy Officer (HGSF) will be responsible for the following:Lead the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of all Home-Grown School Feeding activities in line with WFPโs CSP and national school feeding strategies.
Coordinate the HGSF roll-out in the two newly targeted departments under the GPE-funded project and identify opportunities for expansion based on needs and resource availability.
Strengthen partnerships with key government entities (especially DAS), local authorities, smallholder farmersโ organizations, local processors, and school management committees to support sustainable local food value chains.
Develop tools and guidance to enhance the quality and nutritional value of meals sourced locally, while promoting safety, hygiene, and compliance with national standards.
Support the institutionalization of HGSF within national systems and frameworks through technical assistance, policy dialogue, and capacity strengthening activities.
Facilitate synergies between HGSF and other programmatic pillars such as nutrition, social protection, school health, resilience, and value chain development.
Act as the main liaison with HGSF partners including UNICEF, UNESCO, CRS, ALISEA, and local civil society actors.
Contribute to the development of funding proposals and donor reports specific to HGSF.
Support internal coordination within the School Feeding Unit and ensure effective collaboration with sub-offices in Nkayi, Ouesso, Betou, and Pointe-Noire.
Represent WFP in relevant technical working groups, workshops, and stakeholder engagements related to HGSF.
Provide coaching and technical support to junior staff and field teams working on school feeding and community-based food systems.
Identify programmatic challenges and risks and propose solutions, including contingency planning.
Ensure gender, protection, and inclusion are mainstreamed across all HGSF activities.
EXPECTED OUTPUTS:
A clear and operational roadmap for the scale-up of HGSF in at least two new regions, in alignment with national school feeding priorities and funding availability.
Effective integration of HGSF into WFPโs broader resilience and nutrition programming, with documented synergies and results.
Strengthened coordination mechanisms with local actors, farmers, and processors contributing to the school feeding value chain.
Robust monitoring framework for HGSF activities with periodic performance reports and lessons learned.
Funding proposals and advocacy materials developed to mobilize additional support for HGSF.
Increased Government engagement in the HGSF model, with capacity-building plans and ownership milestones clearly defined.
A functional and collaborative HGSF team contributing effectively to the overall success of the School Feeding Unit.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:
Education: Advanced university degree in one of the following fields: Agriculture, Education, Social Sciences, Development Studies, International Affairs, Public Policy, Nutrition, or another field relevant to international development assistance.
Experience: At least 6โ8 years of progressively responsible experience in designing, managing, and implementing school feeding or food security programmes, with a specific focus on home-grown or community-based models. Experience in working with smallholder farmers, local procurement, or food systems is highly desirable.
Knowledge & Skills:
Strong technical understanding of school feeding, particularly home-grown models.
Familiarity with supply chain processes, procurement, and market linkages for local products.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
Proven project management and coordination abilities.
Ability to work effectively across teams and with government counterparts.
Demonstrated ability to work in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and knowledge management tools.
Fluency in French and working knowledge of English are required.
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: global.inclusion@wfp.org
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 global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org 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.