Programme Associate – Nutrition Technical Support (SC6)

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 individuals who are committed to the mission of alleviating hunger and improving nutrition. WFP is recognized for its efforts and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its work in combating hunger and promoting peace. The organization values diversity and inclusion, ensuring that all employees are treated equally and fairly, regardless of their background or identity. WFP is committed to creating a healthy and inclusive work environment where employees can thrive and contribute to the organization's mission.

Job Overview:
The Programme Associate – Nutrition Technical Support (SC6) position at WFP is designed to provide technical and operational assistance to various nutrition-related initiatives. This includes supporting the National School Meal Programme and implementing Social and Behaviour Change interventions. The role is crucial for ensuring effective program implementation, aligning with WFP policies, and fostering collaboration with partners to achieve desired nutrition outcomes. The associate will be responsible for developing and implementing nutrition initiatives, managing projects to ensure timely delivery, preparing reports, analyzing data, and supporting business planning. The position requires collaboration with internal teams and external partners, capacity building for staff and government officials, and contributing to emergency preparedness and response activities. This role is integral to WFP's mission of providing effective humanitarian assistance and improving nutrition for vulnerable populations.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide technical assistance in developing and implementing nutrition initiatives, including the National School Meal Programme capacity strengthening, Social and Behaviour Change programmes, and other country office activities, ensuring alignment with WFP policies and guidelines.
• Support programme and project management to ensure timely delivery of activities in line with WFP procedures.
• Prepare reports and analyze data within nutrition and SBP, highlighting trends and issues while maintaining corporate standards.
• Assist business planning by reviewing progress, recording updates, and supporting implementation and monitoring of the Country Strategic Plan relevant outcomes. Ensure accurate data recording and consistency of information shared with stakeholders.
• Support studies and research related to the nutrition unit, providing technical backstopping during planning and implementation.
• Collaborate with internal teams to strengthen coordination, monitoring, and budget tracking. Review the work of support staff and field teams, providing guidance to ensure objectives are met to agreed standards and deadlines.
• Assist in coordination with partners including government institutions, NGOs, private sector networks including the SUN Business network, and other national networks as required.
• Support capacity building for WFP staff, cooperating partners, and government officials at national and local levels.
• Act as focal point for resolving operational queries and providing guidance within the nutrition unit. 1
• Contribute to emergency preparedness and response activities to ensure WFP can respond quickly and deploy resources to affected areas at the onset of crises.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a degree in social sciences, agriculture, nutrition, development studies, or a related field. Alternatively, completion of secondary school education along with a post-secondary certificate in the same areas is acceptable. The role requires a strong understanding of nutrition and related fields, as well as the ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders.

Educational Background:
A degree in social sciences, agriculture, nutrition, development studies, or a related field is preferred. Candidates with secondary school education and a post-secondary certificate in relevant areas will also be considered. This educational background is essential for understanding the complexities of nutrition programs and their implementation.

Experience:
At least six years of relevant work experience in the fields of nutrition, agriculture, health promotion, development, food science, or social science is required. Candidates should have experience working with technical teams, such as nutrition, monitoring and evaluation, and school nutrition initiatives. This level of experience is crucial for effectively managing and supporting nutrition-related projects and initiatives.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory, as it is the working language of WFP. Knowledge of additional languages, particularly local languages spoken in Sri Lanka, is considered an asset and may enhance communication with local stakeholders and partners.

Additional Notes:
The position is a Service Contract (SC) with a duration of one year, with the possibility of extension. It is based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and is open only to Sri Lankan nationals. The role is full-time and offers an attractive compensation package, which can be found in the Terms and Conditions section of the vacancy announcement. WFP is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities throughout the recruitment process.