Program Support Officer

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 security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security. WFP's vision is to create a diverse, committed, skilled, and high-performing workforce that operates in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living by the values of Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion. WFP has been recognized for its efforts, being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, and continues to invest in the personal and professional development of its employees through various training and mentorship programs. The organization emphasizes the importance of teamwork and collaboration, working with partners to ensure effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions globally.

Job Overview:
The Program Support Officer position at WFP is designed to provide effective coordination and specialized support for a wide range of policy and program activities aimed at meeting food assistance needs. The role involves managing a moderate portfolio of activities that may include direct management of programs of moderate complexity or contributing to policy formulation and providing technical advice at the regional bureau or headquarters level. The job holder will operate with considerable independence in their area of expertise and may manage a substantial team of junior professionals and support staff. The position is crucial for ensuring that WFP's programs align with corporate standards and effectively address the needs of vulnerable populations in the Caribbean region.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The key accountabilities for the Program Support Officer include:

• Providing specialized expertise and contributing to the development of project activities, plans, and processes within the specific technical area of work, ensuring alignment with wider program policies and guidelines.
• Offering efficient coordination and specialized project management support to a range of specific programs to ensure that activities are performed within established targets and in accordance with WFP’s policies and procedures.
• Preparing a variety of detailed reports and conducting substantial data analysis related to food assistance needs, resource utilization, program status, and performance, making recommendations to supervisors to ensure adherence to corporate standards.
• Leading the accurate and timely recording of data within the specific technical area of work, ensuring consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
• Coordinating and liaising with internal counterparts on complex matters to enable effective collaboration and monitoring of ongoing project activities.
• Fostering relationships and supporting partnership-building with local partners, agencies, NGOs, and government institutions to perform accurate food security analyses and ensure efficient delivery of food assistance.
• Supporting the capacity building of WFP staff, cooperating partners, and national government within the specific technical area.
• Acting as an escalation point for complex query resolution within the area of responsibility.
• Managing a team of support staff, providing advice, guidance, and training to ensure individual and team objectives are met to agreed standards and deadlines. 1
• Following standard emergency preparedness practices to ensure WFP can quickly respond and deploy needed resources to affected areas at the onset of a crisis.

Required Qualifications:
The required qualifications for the Program Support Officer position include:

• Completion of secondary school education, with a post-secondary certificate in a related functional area being highly desirable.
• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible work experience in the relevant business stream, particularly in general administrative work.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing technical programs, such as nutrition, with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Proven ability to provide input to policy discussions and contribute to program development.

Educational Background:
Candidates must have completed secondary school education, and a post-secondary certificate in a related functional area is preferred. This educational background is essential for understanding the complexities of food assistance programs and the operational requirements of WFP.

Experience:
The position requires at least seven years of progressively responsible work experience in a relevant business stream, with a strong emphasis on general administrative work. Candidates should have a proven track record of implementing technical programs and contributing to policy discussions, demonstrating their ability to handle increasing levels of responsibility effectively.

Languages:
Fluency in both oral and written communication in the UN language in use at the duty station (English) is mandatory. Additionally, proficiency in the local language, if different, is also required to facilitate effective communication and collaboration with local stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
This is a Fixed Term, Full-Time position with a contract duration of 12 months, which is eligible for extension based on satisfactory performance and operational requirements. The duty station is Bridgetown, Barbados, and the selected candidate may be required to travel regionally and internationally to support missions, emergency responses, and training. Full medical clearance will be necessary for travel. The position offers a competitive salary, up to 30 days of annual leave, pension contributions, health, life and disability insurance, sick leave, compassionate leave, and parental leave for both birth and non-birth parents. The salary scale for this position can be found on the WFP salary survey website.