DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS20 June 2025-23:59-GMT+02:00 Central Africa Time (Lusaka)
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).
BACKGROUND:
In July 2023, the World Food Programme (WFP) Zambia Country Office commenced a new five-year Country Strategic Plan (CSP), informed by, and aligned with national and United Nations priorities and global commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It embraces the Governmentโs long-term Vision 2030; aligns with 16 key strategic areas of the 8th National Development Plan (NDP8); and contributes to the joint Zambia-United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).
WFP Zambiaโs integrated and pragmatic CSP shifts away from unsustainable localized and micro-level interventions, to embrace more effective advocacy and engagement with national policies, systems, and programmes to achieve national impact on SDG2. Given the Governmentโs commitment to budget support for nutrition, social protection, and agriculture, despite the constraints in the countryโs fiscal position, WFPโs overarching strategy seeks to enable the government to meet its national priorities with better systems, expertise, and resources for implementation. This means a decisive shift of WFPโs country positioning towards the provision of innovative, sustainable, upstream technical assistance for nationally owned solutions.
Advancing the global WFP Strategic Plan (2022-2025), the CSP addresses both SDG2 and SDG17, and WFPโs Strategic Results 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. WFP will implement seven activities to achieve five Strategic Outcomes (SO). These SOs include: responding to crises and shocks, including support to refugees (SO1); addressing the root causes of malnutrition (SO2); building the resilience, enabling environment and market access for smallholder farmers, especially women and youth (SO3); supporting government institutions to provide social protection systems (including home grown school meals) and disaster preparedness and response and anticipatory actions (SO4); and improving access to supply chain services for humanitarian and development actors (SO5).
REPORTING
The Programme Associate- Market Systems Development (ELSAM) will report to the Programme Policy Officer (Activity 4 Manager) โ Market Systems Development.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Under direct supervision of the Programme Policy Officer (Activity 4 Manager) โ Market Systems Development, the Programme Associate will be the interlocutor between field implementation and the Country Office on aspects of the ELSAM project across various value chains, including non-timber forest products and other sub-sectors, through the private sector (Micro Finance Institutions, agro-dealers, agro-processors) and Government (Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Ministry of Small, Medium and Enterprise Development, and Ministry of Community Development and Social Services). The role will also support the promotion of Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) approaches to ensure sustainable and inclusive development across targeted landscape. Furthermore, the Programme Associate will provide technical support to field officers and agribusiness focal point staff from Government, Green Nexus partners and implementing partners managing the ELSAM and other market-related interventions.
Specific tasks and responsibilities will include the following:
Support the implementation of the market access model on the ELSAM project for climate -sensitive value chains through partnerships including other Green Nexus Programme Partners, UN agencies, NGOs and government institutions to increase Market linkages for smallholder farmers.
Support capacity and systems strengthening in market systems development including Digital Agricultural Marketing Solutions, non-timber forest products, processed products, postharvest technologies, fisheries and livestock with a focus to aligning these efforts with integrated landscape principles.
Collaborate with the private sector to support growth of aggregation networks in the 20 operational districts under the ELSAM project to improve access to agricultural input and output markets for smallholders and other value chain players, especially women and youth.
Support market linkages to the Home-Grown School Meals programme for smallholder farmers under the ELSAM project.
Support the scaling-up of the e-commerce platform โMaano-Virtual Farmers Marketโ into ELSAM operational districts to enhance equity and inclusive access to various agribusiness services including financial services, markets, logistics, weather and market information, and insurance products.
Support the development of training and user modules and provision of agribusiness training for Aggregators on aggregation, post-harvest management and storage, business development, savings for trade, and financial management on the ELSAM project.
Provide support to monitoring, learning and evaluation processes of market access activities including tracking, data collection, market data analysis and preparing a range of reports highlighting trends/issues on the ELSAM project with attention to the environmental and socio-economic impacts in line with integrated landscape management.
Identify and report risks or challenges in ELSAM programme delivery and recommend mitigation strategies.
Provide technical support to policy reforms and implementation of Government agricultural policies and advocate for Integrated Landscape Management approach in policy reforms.
Work closely with the Programme Associate โ Market Systems Development to deliver the goals and objectives of the ELSAM project.
Perform any other tasks required by the Manager and Team Lead of Smallholder Farmers Support Unit and Head of Programme.
REPORTING
The Programme Associate will report directly to the Activity 4 Manager.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education: University Degree in one or more of the following disciplines: Agribusiness, Agriculture/Agronomy, Horticulture, Agriculture Economics, and Agricultural Extension or any equivalent qualification from a recognized institution
Experience:
Have minimum of 3 years working experience working in comparable and/or relevant position in the public service or private sector or an International Organization.
Experience in project management, with proven results in achieving programme milestones preferably in areas related to sustainable agriculture, market systems development, or integrated landscape management.
Knowledge & Skills:
Demonstrate ability to analyze and write report as well as engage with external relevant stakeholders such as Government, UN Agencies, NGOs and Private Sector.
Understanding of food security vulnerability and ability to link analysis to Programme design, in the context of WFP programmes.
Knowledge of Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) approaches and their application in sustainable market systems development, natural resource management, and climate-resilient value chains.
Languages: Fluency (level C) in English. Working knowledge of a second official UN language is desirable.
Due Date: 20th June 2025 at 23:59hours (Zambian Time)
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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.