Programme Policy Officer (Social Protection & Nutrition ) SC8 Arua | WFP 7 views

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

27 December 2025-23:59-GMT+03:00 East Africa Time (Kampala)

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 world’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).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

WFP works with governments and partners to expand the coverage, comprehensiveness, adequacy, and quality of social protection and nutrition services. The aim is to ensure that more people—especially the most vulnerable—have access to strong national systems that help them meet their food security, nutrition, and other essential needs, while also managing risks and shocks.

Building on the achievements and lessons of the Child Sensitive Social Protection (CSSP) Programme, the Integrated Social Protection Programme (ISPP) was developed to support the Government of Uganda in scaling up social protection. Aligned with the National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS), the ISPP promotes lifecycle interventions and a rights-based approach to service delivery. It brings together WFP (as Grant Manager), UNICEF, ILO, and FAO, and will be implemented in three Refugee-Hosting Districts in the West Nile region. The programme is closely harmonized with the World Bank-funded NUSAF4, which also focuses on social protection.

In the eight refugee settlements under the Arua Area Office, WFP supports nutrition interventions targeting children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls, and people living with HIV/TB in both refugee and host communities. These efforts include the provision of nutrient-rich foods and gender-transformative Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) to combat all forms of malnutrition. With the support of cooperating partners and in collaboration with District Local Governments and other stakeholders, WFP is increasingly adopting nutrition-sensitive programming by integrating nutrition objectives across all its activities.

As part of these efforts, WFP seeks to strengthen its staffing capacity through the recruitment of a Social Protection and Nutrition Officer, to be based at the Arua Area Office.

JOB PURPOSE: 

To support the design, implementation, and monitoring of integrated nutrition and social protection interventions aimed at addressing and preventing malnutrition and enhancing food security and nutrition outcomes.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under the supervision of the Head of Programme, close collaboration with UN Agencies (UNICEF, ILO and FAO), District Local Governments (DLGs) and Nutrition implementing cooperating Partners (CPs) the incumbent will:

I.    Provide project management support to the AO/FO, the DLGs and cooperating partners in the implementation of the social protection components under the Refugee Self Reliance Model (SRM) and in integrating nutrition sensitive interventions across all WFP interventions to ensure healthy diets.

II.    Support cooperating partners and District Local Governments (DLGs) in the development of detailed annual workplans that clearly outline key processes—such as targeting, enrolment, benefit delivery, and complaints and feedback mechanisms—and ensure alignment with national social protection and nutrition policies, frameworks, and guidance.

III.    Provide project management support for social protection and nutrition programmes, ensuring coordination with broader government initiatives—such as health and nutrition TWG, NUSAF4 and DRDIP2—and alignment with WFP standards, procedures, and strategic priorities.

IV.    With support from the IDM Unit, follow data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained across social protection and nutrition programmes. 

V.    Support implementing District Local Governments (DLGs) and cooperating partners in conducting research and analysis on policy and operational issues to inform the design and implementation of social protection and nutrition policies, programmes, and activities.

VI.    In collaboration with the RAM Unit, contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reports on social protection, nutrition, and related programmes to support informed decision-making and ensure consistency in information shared with stakeholders.

VII.    Liaise with WFP internal counterparts and the line departments at the DLG level to ensure effective collaboration, and joint monitoring of ongoing social protection and nutrition projects and activities. 

VIII.    Support  the identification, development, and management of strategic partnerships that enhance collaboration and contribute to improved food assistance packages under social protection and nutrition programmes.

IX.    Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and sub national governments to define and implement learning initiatives (Knowledge Management) on nutrition sensitive social protection programming. 

X.    Provide technical guidance to WFP staff at area and Field Offices, assisting them with analysis, troubleshooting, and capacity strengthening.

XI.    Supervise the Programme Associate for Social Protection, ensuring the development and implementation of a comprehensive Performance and Competency Enhancement (PACE) plan and an individual development plan aligned with programme objectives.

XII.    In coordination with Country Office (CO) and Field Office (FO) colleagues, ensure that donor missions and joint monitoring visits by UN agencies and Government stakeholders are effectively planned, executed, and documented.

XIII.    Support oversight missions to District Local Governments and Cooperating Partners to monitor HACT fund use and nutrition commodity utilization, in coordination with Finance and Risk units.Perform any other duties as required to support the effective implementation of social protection and nutrition programmes across the Area Office operations.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

•    Advanced university degree in one of the following disciplines: Nutrition, Social Sciences, Development Studies, International Relations, , or a related field.

•    Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in social protection or nutrition programming, including hands on experience in social protection and nutrition system strengthening and nutrition-sensitive interventions. 

•    Proven experience working with DLGs and Community Structures and designing and implementing capacity strengthening (CS) programmes/Initiatives.

•    Experienced facilitating and coordinating multi-stakeholder planning processes 

•    Proven experience in managing and implementing community-based nutrition programmes including malnutrition treatment and nutrition-sensitive interventions. 

•    Strong understanding of malnutrition treatment protocols, nutrition-sensitive programming, and resilience-building strategies. 

•    Proficiency in food and nutrition security data collection, analysis, and reporting tools. 

•    Knowledge of change management theories and best practices in line with nutrition sensitive social protection.

•    Takes initiative and consistently drives for high quality performance for self and colleagues.

•    Possess leadership qualities and ability to create synergies where applicable. 

•    Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team. 

•    Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills. 

•    Knowledge on nutrition sensitive social protection programming is highly desirable.
 

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:  [email protected]

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

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs or spontaneous applications by email.

• If you experience challenges while submitting your online application, please contact us at [email protected] for technical support only.

• Please note that applications sent to this email address cannot be considered.

• 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.

• 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

• 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.