Programme Policy Officer (Nutrition) at World Food Programme

Kabul, Kabul Province, Afghanistan -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

25 Jul, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

26 Apr, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Public health nutrition, Emergency nutrition, Operational management, Data analysis, Capacity strengthening, Coordination, Monitoring and evaluation, Strategic planning, Multi-sectoral response, Report writing, Team leadership, Stakeholder engagement, Nutrition assessment, Policy development, Supply chain coordination

Industry

Non-profit Organizations

Description

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS 28 April 2026-23:59-GMT+04:30 Afghanistan Time (Kabul) 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). As WFP continues to scale up its Nutrition programmes across the country, there is a need to ensure that interventions are implemented with optimum quality. This requires active and close collaboration and engagement with WFP’s area offices, implementing partners and other stakeholders, including UN agencies. To support this effort, WFP Afghanistan is looking for a senior nutritionist to contribute to the operational management of nutrition interventions. JOB TITLE: Emergency Nutritionist (Deputy Head of Nutrition) TYPE OF CONTRACT: CST 2 (Equivalent to P3) UNIT/DIVISION: Programme DUTY STATION (City, Country): Kabul, Afghanistan DURATION: 11 months REPORTING LINE: International Nutritionist – Head of Nutrition BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT: In Afghanistan, food and nutrition situation of women and children remains poor and continues to worsen. The rapid decline of the health sector amidst economic crisis is compounded by high level of food insecurity across the country, and outbreak of diseases such as measles. The country is witnessing a rapid and significant decline in access to food – demonstrated by a sharp decline in dietary diversity and food consumption in households. Preventing and mitigating a drastic increase in malnutrition will only be achieved through a scaled up and sustained complementary food security & nutrition intervention. WFP is scaling up to reach people with a malnutrition prevention and treatment package as part of its emergency assistance. As WFP continues to scale up its Nutrition programmes across the country, there is a need to ensure that interventions are implemented with optimum quality. This requires active and close collaboration and engagement with WFP’s area offices, implementing partners and other stakeholders, including UN agencies. To support this effort, WFP Afghanistan is looking for a senior nutritionist to contribute to the operational management of nutrition interventions. ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES: Under the direct supervision of the Head of Nutrition, the Senior Nutritionist will support WFP’s nutrition portfolio in the country as Deputy head of unit with special focus on providing support to field operations to implement, supervise and monitor, and improve quality of services to treat and prevent acute malnutrition. Support to the Head of Nutrition (HoN): Provide advice to the HoN in establishing the annual work plan, including developing strategies and determining priorities, targets and performance measurements. Supervise operations team to ensure results are achieved according to schedule and performance standards, and report to HoN critical issues for timely action. Demonstrate good practices for staff management, coaching, mentoring, and clear tasking within the section. Perform as OIC of the HoN in his/her absence if required. Nutrition Operations Lead Role: With the support of a team of national colleagues: Ensure effective operational management of the Nutrition activities. Contribute to the design and lead tracking of the comprehensive response plan in full coordination with concerned units and AOs. Coordinate with WFP AOs/SOs to ensure smooth implementation including regular identification of operational risks and blockers, and actively follow up to resolve problems and provide technical support Participate in the finalization of the Implementation Plan (IP) in coordination with AOs and other concerned units/sections. Ensure incorporation of any amendments to the plan. Lead additional operational workstreams as required, including winter prepositioning in full coordination with planning, Logistics, and AOs. Strengthen systems for tracking, coordinating, and ensuring the completion of regular monthly activities required to operationalize activities with timely reporting, coordinating with internal units as required. Supervise the preparation and submission of new FLAs and amendments for all CPs. Coordinate the review process to ensure timely finalization in full coordination with AOs and CPs management section. Review CPs evaluation and closely work with AOs on the improvement plans. Follow-up on Nutrition grants/funding commitments to fully utilize funds and distribute the food before the TDD. In addition, support AOs and Log team on any food incidents related to Nutrition commodities. Provide technical assistance and advice to colleagues including nutrition focal points in the field offices on programming and implementation to enable achievement of performance objectives. Support capacity development needs of both WFP Programme team and Cooperating Partners, and corresponding trainings or improvement measures, to ensure efficient implementation. In close coordination with Supply Chain focal point, follow up on SNF pipeline to mitigate pipeline breaks, including proposed informed substitutions or adaptations to ensure continued programme implementation where possible. Conduct field missions to AOs and implementation sites with a focus on improving the program quality. Oversee accurate and timely reporting of activities. Provide support for operational partnerships, including inter-agency collaboration, to ensure a strong multi-sectorial response to nutrition in both emergency and non-emergency settings. Technical Nutritionist Role: Participate in strategic programme discussions on the planning of nutrition programmes/projects and keep abreast of development trends to enhance programme management, efficiency, and delivery. Represent WFP at external meetings to contribute to technical discussions, exchange experiences, advocate for nutrition interventions and identify areas of potential collaboration. Strategically engage with nutrition and health coordination groups, authorities, WFP, NGOs, and other key partners to develop strategies and implement coordinated/multi-sectoral responses, ensuring appropriate positioning of nutrition in the response. Support the strengthening of national nutrition initiatives, including the development of national government policies related to nutrition as well as nutrition strategies, action plans, protocols, and guidelines in line with the SUN Movement and international guidance and current evidence. Provide technical support to ongoing/planned evidence building projects, including data interpretation. Lead discussions/arrangements with HQ and RBB team on conducting Nutrition Causal analyses. Act as focal point to CO, RB and HQ data requests. Develop graphical representation of nutrition information, required quick summaries and factsheets for different purposes as required. Participate in the review of any policy, operational or programme design documents. Perform other duties as required. SUPERVISION The direct supervision for this assignment will be with the Head of Nutrition in Kabul, with the Head of Programme acting as the second level supervisor. The incumbent will be responsible for direct supervision of a team of national staff supporting nutrition programme operations within the unit. QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Education: Advanced University degree in Public Health Nutrition, Nutrition, Food Technology, Medicine or other relevant field. Experience: Minimum of 5 years of field experience with nutrition/health/food security or related field. Experience working with the UN or an INGO is an added advantage. Familiarity with nutrition interventions (treatment of severe or moderate acute malnutrition, prevention, screening, and nutrition assessment), specialized nutritious products, and nutrition data analysis. First-hand experience in coordination and monitoring of nutrition services in complex environments Experience conducting nutritional assessments, analysed data and drafted recommendations for programme is an advantage. Strong analytical skills with ability to conceptualize complex issues, analyze data and produce thorough reports Knowledge & Skills: Demonstrated ability to develop and implement nutrition and/or multi-sectoral programmes. Strong skills in coordination, capacity strengthening, and the ability to work effectively with a range of stakeholders, including NGO partners and the health authorities. Conceptual knowledge of nutrition in emergencies. Demonstrated ability to analyze and synthesize nutrition data for decision-making Knowledge of global nutrition and global humanitarian architecture including the cluster approach. Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively in multicultural settings and teams. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Microsoft Proficient. Capacity to plan and organise own work, and work with minimum supervision. Able to work and achieve results under stress Languages: English and other UN languages 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 All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel. We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application. If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply. At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process. 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. If you used to have an account on our previous platform, please note that you will need to create a new account for future applications. However, this change will not affect any ongoing recruitment processes. To ensure that WFP is able to deliver on its mandate, a range of contract types exist depending on the duration and nature of work. Find out more here. These guidelines are here to help you use AI tools responsibly throughout WFP’s recruitment process. We also want to be transparent about how we use AI on our side. Curious? Find out more here. Our greatest strength is the people working around the world providing access to nutritious food and promoting lasting solutions to those we serve. WFP provides its staff with meaningful and impactful careers, continuous learning and training, and a multicultural and stimulating work environment. 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, physical or mental disability. The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are 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. Read more about WFP’s history here, and WFP’s mission here Want to hear what it’s like working for WFP? Check out our newsletter highlighting the career stories of our passionate staff here: Pathway to WFP | LinkedIn Integrity, collaboration, commitment, humanity, inclusion. These values inspire everything we do every day, allowing us to work towards a world with zero hunger. You can read more about the values here. Our behaviour guides us in how we accomplish our mission. All WFP employees are expected to demonstrate the standards of behaviour described in the WFP Leadership Framework. Learn more about the WFP Leadership Framework here. WFP is aware of fictitious employment offers being circulated via email or originating from online job boards. Many of these schemes consist of an alleged offer of employment or contract with WFP in return for the payment of fees or providing personal or banking information. Read more.

Responsibilities

The Senior Nutritionist will support the operational management of nutrition interventions, including supervising field operations and ensuring the quality of services to treat and prevent acute malnutrition. They will also provide technical advice, coordinate with stakeholders, and lead capacity development initiatives for WFP staff and partners.