Food Security Sector Coordinator (NOB) - Damascus VA014-2025

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  • Added Date: Thursday, 09 October 2025
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DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS8 October 2025-23:59-GMT+03:00 Eastern European Time (Damascus)

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 worldโ€™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 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).

    Organizational context:

    Syria remains one of the worldโ€™s most complex and protracted humanitarian crises. Over a decade of conflict, economic collapse, and climate-induced shocksโ€”including drought, fire, and earthquakesโ€”have significantly weakened national systems and exacerbated vulnerabilities. Humanitarian needs are immense, with over 14 million people estimated to require assistance, including 3 million facing severe food insecurity.

    Although early signs of stabilisation are beginning to emerge, the operating environment remains highly volatile and susceptible to sudden-onset emergencies, political shifts, and recurring natural disasters. The recent increase in rates of returnees, both internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugee returnees, is placing additional strain on already overstretched services and communitiesโ€”further escalating needs at a time when humanitarian funding is in decline.

    These dynamics underscore the urgent need for robust emergency preparedness and response systems that are agile, anticipatory, and responsive to the evolving context.

    As the leading humanitarian agency providing food assistance in Syria, and the sole actor delivering school meals, the World Food Programme (WFP) plays a pivotal role in addressing food insecurity and supporting resilience-building efforts. In partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), WFP co-leads the Food Security Sector (FSS); a coordination platform that brings together UN agencies, international and national NGOs, and other stakeholders to ensure a coherent, effective, and principled response to food security needs across the country

    Job Purpose:

    The role of the National Food Security Sector Coordinator is to lead and oversee operational and strategic coordination of partners to ensure a timely, coherent, and effective food security response in line with this roleโ€™s competencies, responsibilities, and set standards.

    The coordination architecture has evolved over the years in Syria, and as of June 2025, transitioned from a three-hub coordination model (Humanitarian Country Team, Northeast Syria, and Northwest Syria) under the Whole of Syria umbrella, into a unified coordination model led nationally from Damascus, and supported by six sub-national coordination teams across Syria.

    The National Coordinator will operate in a complex, dynamic environment that requires strong leadership, diplomacy, and a deep understanding of the humanitarian-development nexus. The sector coordinator will work impartially with all sector members, represent the interests of the group, and ensure collaboration across UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and donors.

    The Sector Coordinator will work closely with key counterparts: the FAO contracted Sector Coordinator and with the NGO Contracted Coordinator/or government counterparts, based on the agreed set-up for sector coordination with the authorities in the coming months.

    The Sector Coordinator will be accountable to WFP and FAO as Sector Lead Agencies, and the incumbent will directly report to the WFP Deputy Head of Programme.

    The position is based in Damascus with frequent travel to the field to support the subnational coordination teams as required.

    KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive):

    The Sector Coordinator will provide overall leadership for the implementation of the six IASC core functions of the sector throughout Syria:

    To drive service delivery:

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