Legal Officer
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Rome
Italy
December 11, 2025
Full-timeDecember 11, 2025
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 dedicated to saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build pathways to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impacts of climate change. Established in 1961, WFP operates in over 80 countries, employing thousands of staff members who are committed to the mission of eradicating hunger and ensuring security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security for all. WFP is recognized for its efforts in providing food assistance and has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its work in combating hunger and promoting peace. The organization values diversity and inclusion, encouraging qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply for positions within its ranks. WFP is dedicated to creating a healthy and inclusive work environment that reflects the communities it serves, and it actively invests in the personal and professional development of its employees through various training and mentorship programs.
Job Overview:
The School Meals Partnership Officer will play a pivotal role in the newly established School Meals Accelerator, which aims to support low- and lower-middle-income countries in enhancing their national school meal programs. This position is crucial for operationalizing the Accelerator’s country support model, which involves enabling country teams to assist governments in designing, implementing, and sustaining effective national school meal programs. The Officer will be responsible for aligning global networks and expertise with national priorities, thereby strengthening collaboration and expanding the reach of government-led school meal systems. The ultimate goal is to create resilient, locally owned ecosystems that can thrive independently of external support. This role requires a proactive approach to building partnerships, providing technical assistance, and fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration to ensure that school meal programs are effectively integrated into national health and nutrition strategies.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The key accountabilities for the School Meals Partnership Officer include leading the Rome-based technical assistance team and coordinating with country teams to implement the Accelerator’s country support model. The Officer will provide hands-on coaching and support to country teams and partners, including WFP Country Offices, to align with government priorities for national school health and nutrition commitments. Responsibilities also include designing and implementing technical assistance plans through participatory processes, co-developing operational tools and templates, identifying and mapping partner capacities, providing technical advice on program and policy issues, and fostering government-led coordination across sectors. The Officer will also support the timely delivery of strategic technical assistance, promote adaptive implementation, develop strong partnerships, generate strategic insights, and lead the Technical Assistance Cell team to ensure high performance and professional growth.
Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in fields such as Political Science, International Development, Development Economics, International Relations, Law, Marketing, or Communications. Alternatively, a first university degree with additional relevant professional experience is acceptable. The position requires a minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience in areas such as advocacy, fundraising, marketing, strategy development, or partnership roles, preferably within international organizations or companies. Candidates should demonstrate exceptional skills in building strategic alliances and navigating complex power dynamics, as well as experience in resource mobilization and negotiating strategic agreements.
Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree in a relevant field such as Political Science, International Development, Development Economics, International Relations, Law, Marketing, or Communications. A first university degree may be considered if accompanied by additional years of relevant professional experience. This educational foundation is essential for understanding the complexities of international development and the specific challenges associated with school meal programs.
Experience:
The role requires a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience, particularly in advocacy, fundraising, marketing, strategy development, or partnership roles. Candidates should have experience working in international organizations or companies, and ideally, they should have a background in managing multi-stakeholder partnerships aligned with government priorities. Experience in establishing multisectoral coalitions and coordinating across diverse networks is highly desirable, as is a proven track record in resource mobilization and negotiating strategic agreements.
Languages:
Fluency in English (level C) is mandatory, along with intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, or Portuguese. Proficiency in additional languages is considered an asset and may enhance a candidate's suitability for the role, particularly in a multicultural and diverse working environment.
Additional Notes:
This position is classified as an International Professional role, open to candidates of all nationalities. The selected candidate will be appointed on a fixed-term contract for an initial period of two years, with the possibility of renewal based on operational requirements, performance, and funding availability. A one-year probationary period will apply. The position is open to both internal and external applicants, and specific return rights will be in place for current WFP employees on a Fixed-Term Contract. WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package in line with ICSC standards, including a basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, visa, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days of annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance. The selected candidate will be required to relocate to Rome, Italy, to take up this assignment.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization dedicated to saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build pathways to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impacts of climate change. Established in 1961, WFP operates in over 80 countries, employing thousands of staff members who are committed to the mission of eradicating hunger and ensuring security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security for all. WFP is recognized for its efforts in providing food assistance and has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its work in combating hunger and promoting peace. The organization values diversity and inclusion, encouraging qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply for positions within its ranks. WFP is dedicated to creating a healthy and inclusive work environment that reflects the communities it serves, and it actively invests in the personal and professional development of its employees through various training and mentorship programs.
Job Overview:
The School Meals Partnership Officer will play a pivotal role in the newly established School Meals Accelerator, which aims to support low- and lower-middle-income countries in enhancing their national school meal programs. This position is crucial for operationalizing the Accelerator’s country support model, which involves enabling country teams to assist governments in designing, implementing, and sustaining effective national school meal programs. The Officer will be responsible for aligning global networks and expertise with national priorities, thereby strengthening collaboration and expanding the reach of government-led school meal systems. The ultimate goal is to create resilient, locally owned ecosystems that can thrive independently of external support. This role requires a proactive approach to building partnerships, providing technical assistance, and fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration to ensure that school meal programs are effectively integrated into national health and nutrition strategies.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The key accountabilities for the School Meals Partnership Officer include leading the Rome-based technical assistance team and coordinating with country teams to implement the Accelerator’s country support model. The Officer will provide hands-on coaching and support to country teams and partners, including WFP Country Offices, to align with government priorities for national school health and nutrition commitments. Responsibilities also include designing and implementing technical assistance plans through participatory processes, co-developing operational tools and templates, identifying and mapping partner capacities, providing technical advice on program and policy issues, and fostering government-led coordination across sectors. The Officer will also support the timely delivery of strategic technical assistance, promote adaptive implementation, develop strong partnerships, generate strategic insights, and lead the Technical Assistance Cell team to ensure high performance and professional growth.
Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in fields such as Political Science, International Development, Development Economics, International Relations, Law, Marketing, or Communications. Alternatively, a first university degree with additional relevant professional experience is acceptable. The position requires a minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience in areas such as advocacy, fundraising, marketing, strategy development, or partnership roles, preferably within international organizations or companies. Candidates should demonstrate exceptional skills in building strategic alliances and navigating complex power dynamics, as well as experience in resource mobilization and negotiating strategic agreements.
Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree in a relevant field such as Political Science, International Development, Development Economics, International Relations, Law, Marketing, or Communications. A first university degree may be considered if accompanied by additional years of relevant professional experience. This educational foundation is essential for understanding the complexities of international development and the specific challenges associated with school meal programs.
Experience:
The role requires a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience, particularly in advocacy, fundraising, marketing, strategy development, or partnership roles. Candidates should have experience working in international organizations or companies, and ideally, they should have a background in managing multi-stakeholder partnerships aligned with government priorities. Experience in establishing multisectoral coalitions and coordinating across diverse networks is highly desirable, as is a proven track record in resource mobilization and negotiating strategic agreements.
Languages:
Fluency in English (level C) is mandatory, along with intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, or Portuguese. Proficiency in additional languages is considered an asset and may enhance a candidate's suitability for the role, particularly in a multicultural and diverse working environment.
Additional Notes:
This position is classified as an International Professional role, open to candidates of all nationalities. The selected candidate will be appointed on a fixed-term contract for an initial period of two years, with the possibility of renewal based on operational requirements, performance, and funding availability. A one-year probationary period will apply. The position is open to both internal and external applicants, and specific return rights will be in place for current WFP employees on a Fixed-Term Contract. WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package in line with ICSC standards, including a basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, visa, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days of annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance. The selected candidate will be required to relocate to Rome, Italy, to take up this assignment.
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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.
