Chargé(e) de Programme / (Projet IGNITE CHALLENGE)

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 alleviating hunger and improving nutrition. WFP's vision is to create a diverse, skilled, and high-performing workforce that operates in a healthy and inclusive work environment, embodying values such as Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion. The organization has received numerous accolades, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, recognizing its efforts in combating hunger and promoting peace.

Job Overview:
The position of Chargé(e) de Programme for the IGNITE CHALLENGE project in Kananga, Democratic Republic of Congo, involves strategic leadership and technical expertise in the design, management, and coordination of a medium to large-scale resilience program. The project aims to enhance food and economic resilience through an inclusive innovation approach, transforming local agricultural products like maize, soybeans, and cowpeas into fortified flour to improve community nutrition. The role requires collaboration with local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and producer organizations, focusing on women's and youth inclusion. The Project Manager will work closely with various stakeholders, including government ministries, to ensure alignment with national priorities and promote social cohesion among communities, producers, and SMEs. This position is crucial for implementing policies and strategies that address interconnected challenges related to security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security, livelihoods, access to basic social services, social cohesion, and family planning.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leadership and Institutional Coordination: Establish and maintain relationships with sector ministries and local authorities to ensure political and technical alignment of the project; coordinate relationships with SMEs, producer organizations, donors, and private partners; promote social cohesion by facilitating dialogue and collaboration among producers, SMEs, and communities.
• Technical Implementation: Oversee the acceleration of local SMEs for fortified flour production; facilitate supply contracts between SMEs and producers, ensuring at least 50% participation from women and youth; conduct training on post-harvest management, fortification, packaging, and quality control; promote digital innovations, including climate-smart applications, market platforms, and mobile payment solutions.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning: Establish a results-based monitoring framework covering income, inclusion, nutrition, and social cohesion; document project impacts and organize experience-sharing and visibility events; produce regular reports for donors and partners.
• Communication and Visibility: Ensure dissemination of results to communities, partners, and investors; organize an agri-tech hackathon and showcase events to mobilize additional funding.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a minimum of three years of professional experience following the completion of their university degree. Additionally, candidates should have four more years of relevant professional experience, including work in fragile contexts, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Expertise in resilience, food security, nutrition, social safety nets, and social protection programs is highly desirable. A solid background in agro-food transformation and/or nutritional fortification of food products, especially local flours, is essential, along with knowledge of quality and food safety standards. Experience in managing and coordinating multi-sectoral resilience programs that integrate transformation, fortification, and economic inclusion is required. Candidates should also have experience collaborating with multi-stakeholder consortiums, including government agencies, NGOs, SMEs, and producer organizations, and possess excellent oral and written communication skills. Experience in monitoring and evaluation and joint program management is an asset, as is prior work with UN agencies or international NGOs.

Educational Background:
A minimum of a Master's degree or equivalent in international affairs, economics, nutrition/health, agriculture, environmental sciences, social sciences, or any other relevant field for international development assistance is required. Alternatively, a Bachelor's degree with additional years of relevant professional experience and/or complementary training/courses may be considered.

Experience:
The position requires at least three years of professional experience after obtaining the university degree, with a strong preference for candidates who have four additional years of relevant experience in similar roles. Experience working in the Democratic Republic of Congo is highly desirable, particularly in areas related to resilience, food security, and nutrition in fragile contexts. Candidates should demonstrate a solid understanding of local agro-food value chains and mechanisms to support SMEs in the transformation sector.

Languages:
Fluency in French (level C) and English (level C) is mandatory. Knowledge of other local languages is considered an asset, enhancing communication with local communities and stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
The contract type is SSA 9, with a duration of 9 months. The position is based in Kananga, Democratic Republic of Congo. WFP emphasizes a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment, investing in the personal and professional development of its employees through various training and mobility opportunities. The organization offers an attractive compensation package, and all applications must be submitted through the online recruiting system. WFP is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities throughout the recruitment process.