Programme Policy Officer (Protection and Risk Management)

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 people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impacts of climate change. WFP is committed to diversity and equal employment opportunities, encouraging qualified candidates from various backgrounds to apply. The organization operates globally, with a workforce that is diverse, skilled, and high-performing, dedicated to living WFP's core values of Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion. WFP has received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, highlighting its significant contributions to humanitarian efforts worldwide. The organization invests in the personal and professional development of its employees through various training and mentorship programs, fostering a healthy and inclusive work environment. WFP's mission is to ensure effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people globally, and it operates in numerous countries, providing a wide range of services and support to those in need.

Job Overview:
The Programme Policy Officer (Protection and Risk Management) position is crucial for strengthening and supporting the Protection and Risk Management functions within the WFP Pakistan office. The role involves aligning with corporate guidance and requirements to enhance the protection portfolio, which includes interagency coordination and linking WFP’s Complaint Feedback Mechanism (CFM) with that of government and partner organizations. The officer will support the Head of the Corporate Risk Management Unit by documenting and following up on risks identified from emergency responses and internal reporting systems. This position is designed to build a roster of prequalified applicants for future opportunities within the same job profile at the current or lower grade level in Pakistan, emphasizing the need for strategic and technical support in implementing corporate protection and accountability policies and procedures, integrating them into WFP operations, and enhancing the overall effectiveness of humanitarian assistance.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The incumbent will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including but not limited to:

• Providing strategic and technical support to the Country Office (CO) for the implementation of corporate protection and accountability policies and procedures, ensuring their integration into WFP operations. This includes collaborating with relevant teams to develop discussion papers and concept notes for research and special studies focused on protection and accountability.
• Contributing to the analysis, reporting, and utilization of findings to improve people-centered programming and advocacy.
• Supporting capacity development by creating or updating resource materials for knowledge transfer on protection and accountability elements.
• Advising on the development or update of practical documents, such as standard operating procedures, checklists, and tools to integrate protection and accountability where relevant.
• Representing WFP in interagency technical groups and coordination mechanisms related to protection and accountability.
• Reviewing key partner protection and accountability initiatives and systems, preparing resource materials for integration with existing partner systems, and collaborating with partners to enhance these initiatives.
• Contributing to preparedness actions, including contingency planning for rapid scaling up of protection and accountability mechanisms in the event of large-scale emergencies.
• Embedding risk management in planning and decision-making across the office by monitoring key risk appetite metrics and risk indicators, and regularly updating risk registers.
• Collecting information on training needs and contributing to the preparation of training programs or information sessions for colleagues and partners to enhance understanding of risk management and compliance with WFP policies. 1
• Preparing comprehensive reports summarizing compliance status of internal controls and highlighting areas of risk and compliance vulnerability. 1
• Overseeing and maintaining the centralized governance space, regularly updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and the Committees Compendium. 1
• Performing other duties as required within the job level of expertise, including potentially serving as the Business Continuity Management (BCM) and Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) focal point.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in Gender, Development Studies, Economics, Political Science, Law, Anthropology, or any other relevant Social Science discipline. Alternatively, a first university degree with two additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses is acceptable. The role requires a minimum of three years of post-graduation relevant professional-level work experience in community engagement, protection, gender, and/or accountability to affected populations, with some experience in risk management. Candidates should demonstrate proficiency in using various quantitative and qualitative analytical tools, methods, and approaches, along with excellent report writing, analytical, and communication skills. Experience in preparing and tracking budgets and advanced facilitation skills are also essential. Previous experience working with WFP or a broad understanding of WFP’s mandate is considered an asset, as is experience with program and project lifecycle tools, including implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree in relevant fields such as Gender, Development Studies, Economics, Political Science, Law, Anthropology, or other relevant Social Science disciplines. Alternatively, candidates with a first university degree and two additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses will also be considered. This educational foundation is essential for understanding the complexities of protection and risk management in humanitarian contexts.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of three years of relevant professional-level work experience post-graduation. Candidates should have experience in community engagement, protection, gender, and accountability to affected populations, along with some exposure to risk management. Familiarity with both quantitative and qualitative analytical tools, methods, and approaches is necessary, as well as a proven track record in report writing, analytical skills, and communication. Experience in budget preparation and tracking, as well as advanced facilitation skills, are also important. Previous experience with WFP or a solid understanding of its mandate will be advantageous, as will experience with program and project lifecycle tools, including implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

Languages:
Fluency in English and Urdu is mandatory for this position. Knowledge of an additional local language is considered an advantage, as it may enhance communication and engagement with diverse communities and stakeholders in Pakistan.

Additional Notes:
This vacancy announcement is specifically for Pakistan Nationals only and is intended to build a roster of prequalified applicants for future opportunities within the same job profile at the current or lower grade level in Pakistan. The position is classified at Level 9 within the UN Classification System, and the duty station is multiple locations within Pakistan. The deadline for applications is set for 3 July 2026 at 23:59 GMT+05:00 Pakistan Standard Time (Karachi). WFP emphasizes its commitment to diversity and equal employment opportunities, encouraging candidates from various backgrounds to apply. The organization offers an attractive compensation package, and all applications must be submitted exclusively through the online recruiting system.