Senior Programme Associate (HGSF expert)
World Food Programme (WFP)
Bishkek
Kyrgyzstan
December 18, 2025
Full-timeDecember 18, 2025
Senior Programme Associate (HGSF expert)
World Food Programme (WFP) About
Founded in 1961 and assisting 80 million people in around 80 countries each year, the World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.
WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special operations. Two-thirds of its work is in conflict-affected countries where people are three times more likely to be undernourished than those living in countries without conflict.
In emergencies, WFP is often first on the scene, providing food assistance to the victims of war, civil conflict, drought, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, crop failures and natural disasters. When the emergency subsides, WFP helps communities rebuild shattered lives and livelihoods. WFP also works to strengthen the resilience of people and communities affected by protracted crises by applying a development lens in its humanitarian response.
WFP is the largest humanitarian organisation implementing school feeding programmes worldwide and has been doing so for over 50 years. Each year, WFP provides school meals to between 20 and 25 million children across 63 countries, often in the hardest-to-reach areas.
Job Description
Job Posting Organization:
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, established to save lives in emergencies and to use food assistance as a means to build pathways to peace, stability, and prosperity for individuals recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impacts of climate change. WFP operates globally, with a mission centered around ensuring that people are at the heart of everything it does. The organization is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and high-performing workforce, selected based on merit and operating in a healthy work environment. WFP has received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, highlighting its significant contributions to humanitarian efforts. The organization invests in the personal and professional development of its employees through various training and mentorship programs, offering opportunities for career advancement across its numerous country, regional, and global offices.
Job Overview:
The Senior Programme Associate (HGSF expert) position is integral to the implementation of WFP’s Country Strategic Plan 2023-27 in the Kyrgyz Republic. This role focuses on enhancing the capacities of smallholder farmers and facilitating their engagement in local food systems, particularly in relation to school meals. The incumbent will work closely with government partners and stakeholders to ensure that the Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) model is effectively integrated into national policies and practices. The position requires a strong emphasis on project management, coordination, and the ability to foster partnerships that support security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security and nutrition initiatives. The Senior Programme Associate will be responsible for planning, executing, and reporting on HGSF-related agricultural activities, ensuring that they align with WFP’s strategic objectives and contribute to the overall goal of improving health and education outcomes for students in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Required Qualifications:
The ideal candidate should possess a strong background in agriculture, rural development, or food systems, with specific experience in smallholder farmer capacity development. They should have participated in implementing technical programs and have experience in project coordination, monitoring, and reporting. A good understanding of agricultural value chains, climate-resilient practices, and post-harvest management is essential. The candidate should also have experience in organizing training sessions and stakeholder workshops, and familiarity with the education and school feeding sector in the Kyrgyz Republic is an asset.
Educational Background:
Candidates are required to have completed secondary school education, with a post-secondary certificate in Agriculture, Agronomy, Rural Development, Food Systems, Economics, or related fields being desirable. A strong educational background will support the candidate's ability to effectively contribute to the role's responsibilities.
Experience:
A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible work experience in development, government aid programs, or related fields is required. The candidate should have a proven track record of implementing programs with increasing levels of responsibility and providing input to policy discussions. Experience with international organizations, government institutions, or NGOs is highly valued.
Languages:
Fluency in both oral and written communication in English is mandatory, with proficiency in the local languages (Russian or Kyrgyz) considered an advantage. This linguistic capability is crucial for effective communication with stakeholders and partners in the region.
Additional Notes:
This position is full-time and involves working closely with various stakeholders, including government agencies and local partners. The role may require travel within the Kyrgyz Republic to oversee project implementation and capacity-building activities. The compensation package is attractive and includes various benefits, reflecting WFP's commitment to its employees. The organization emphasizes an inclusive work environment and supports individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, established to save lives in emergencies and to use food assistance as a means to build pathways to peace, stability, and prosperity for individuals recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impacts of climate change. WFP operates globally, with a mission centered around ensuring that people are at the heart of everything it does. The organization is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and high-performing workforce, selected based on merit and operating in a healthy work environment. WFP has received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, highlighting its significant contributions to humanitarian efforts. The organization invests in the personal and professional development of its employees through various training and mentorship programs, offering opportunities for career advancement across its numerous country, regional, and global offices.
Job Overview:
The Senior Programme Associate (HGSF expert) position is integral to the implementation of WFP’s Country Strategic Plan 2023-27 in the Kyrgyz Republic. This role focuses on enhancing the capacities of smallholder farmers and facilitating their engagement in local food systems, particularly in relation to school meals. The incumbent will work closely with government partners and stakeholders to ensure that the Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) model is effectively integrated into national policies and practices. The position requires a strong emphasis on project management, coordination, and the ability to foster partnerships that support security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security and nutrition initiatives. The Senior Programme Associate will be responsible for planning, executing, and reporting on HGSF-related agricultural activities, ensuring that they align with WFP’s strategic objectives and contribute to the overall goal of improving health and education outcomes for students in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Provide specialized expertise and contribute to the development of project activities, ensuring alignment with WFP policies and guidelines.
- Coordinate and manage specific programs to ensure activities are performed within established targets.
- Prepare detailed reports and conduct data analysis related to food assistance needs and program performance.
- Ensure accurate and timely data recording within the technical area of work.
- Liaise with internal counterparts to enable effective collaboration and monitoring of project activities.
- Build partnerships with local agencies, NGOs, and government institutions to enhance food security analyses.
- Support capacity building for WFP staff and partners in the technical area.
- Act as an escalation point for complex queries within the area of responsibility.
- Manage a team of support staff, providing guidance and training. 1
- Follow emergency preparedness practices to ensure WFP can respond quickly to crises.
Required Qualifications:
The ideal candidate should possess a strong background in agriculture, rural development, or food systems, with specific experience in smallholder farmer capacity development. They should have participated in implementing technical programs and have experience in project coordination, monitoring, and reporting. A good understanding of agricultural value chains, climate-resilient practices, and post-harvest management is essential. The candidate should also have experience in organizing training sessions and stakeholder workshops, and familiarity with the education and school feeding sector in the Kyrgyz Republic is an asset.
Educational Background:
Candidates are required to have completed secondary school education, with a post-secondary certificate in Agriculture, Agronomy, Rural Development, Food Systems, Economics, or related fields being desirable. A strong educational background will support the candidate's ability to effectively contribute to the role's responsibilities.
Experience:
A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible work experience in development, government aid programs, or related fields is required. The candidate should have a proven track record of implementing programs with increasing levels of responsibility and providing input to policy discussions. Experience with international organizations, government institutions, or NGOs is highly valued.
Languages:
Fluency in both oral and written communication in English is mandatory, with proficiency in the local languages (Russian or Kyrgyz) considered an advantage. This linguistic capability is crucial for effective communication with stakeholders and partners in the region.
Additional Notes:
This position is full-time and involves working closely with various stakeholders, including government agencies and local partners. The role may require travel within the Kyrgyz Republic to oversee project implementation and capacity-building activities. The compensation package is attractive and includes various benefits, reflecting WFP's commitment to its employees. The organization emphasizes an inclusive work environment and supports individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process.
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We are not liable for any decisions or actions taken by applicants in response to this job listing. By applying, you agree that all application processes, interviews, and potential job offers are managed exclusively by the listed employer or organization.
Beware of fraudulent job offers. Do not provide sensitive personal information or make any payments to secure a job.
