Policy & Advocacy Officer (CST-2)

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 over 60 years ago, WFP operates in numerous countries worldwide, focusing on providing security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security and nutrition support. The organization is committed to diversity and equal employment opportunities, encouraging qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply. WFP has received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, highlighting its significant contributions to humanitarian efforts globally. The organization emphasizes a healthy and inclusive work environment, aligning with its core values of Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion. WFP invests in the professional development of its employees through various training and mentorship programs, fostering a diverse and multicultural workplace.

Job Overview:
The Policy & Advocacy Officer will play a crucial role within the Nutrition, School Meals and Social Protection Service at WFP, focusing on the School Meals Coalition Secretariat. This position involves contributing to the development and execution of advocacy and communications plans aimed at promoting school meals as a vital safety net for children, enhancing their access to education and improving their health and nutrition. The officer will engage with global and regional policy platforms to advocate for the universal adoption of school meals programs, ensuring alignment with global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The role requires collaboration with various stakeholders, including governments, UN agencies, and partners, to support the establishment and maintenance of nationally owned school meals programs. The officer will also be responsible for monitoring policy commitments and conducting research to inform evidence-based advocacy efforts.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Policy & Advocacy Officer will be responsible for several key areas:

• **Policy and Advocacy Strategizing and Planning**: Contributing to the design and execution of the 2026 Advocacy and Communications Plan, identifying global and regional policy platforms to position school meals as a strategic investment, and ensuring alignment with global frameworks.
• **Research and Policy Analysis**: Monitoring policy commitments by member governments, conducting research to inform advocacy, and developing communication products to support engagement with decision-makers.
• **Engagement with Global and Regional Platforms**: Drafting strategic inputs for events, engaging with key global platforms, and collaborating with the African Union on relevant policy processes.
• **Stakeholder Engagement**: Conducting stakeholder mapping, supporting engagement with Coalition members, and collaborating with WFP colleagues to ensure coherent messaging.
• **Results Reporting and Improvement**: Contributing to defining metrics for advocacy efforts and documenting outcomes and lessons learned.
• **Additional Duties**: Performing any other tasks in support of the Advocacy and Communications Team.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in Social Science, Political Science, International Relations, Journalism, Public Relations, Communications, or a relevant field. Alternatively, a first university degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training may be acceptable. The position requires a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in policy, advocacy, communications, or partnerships within international development and humanitarian sectors, including experience in developing and executing advocacy strategies at various levels.

Educational Background:
An advanced university degree in a relevant field is required, with a preference for candidates holding degrees in Social Science, Political Science, International Relations, Journalism, Public Relations, or Communications. A first university degree combined with additional relevant experience may also be considered sufficient for this role.

Experience:
The ideal candidate should have at least 7 years of relevant experience in policy, advocacy, communications, and partnerships, particularly within the international development and humanitarian sectors. This experience should include developing and executing high-level advocacy strategies and engaging with multiple stakeholders at global, regional, or national levels.

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, which are considered working languages at WFP.

Additional Notes:
This position is based in Rome, Italy, and is offered as a short-term consultancy contract with a duration of 11 months, subject to renewal based on performance and funding availability. The role is full-time, and WFP is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. The organization does not charge any fees for applications or recruitment processes, and all employment decisions are made based on merit and organizational needs.