Programme Associate G6 - Home-Grown School Feeding

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 individuals recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impacts of climate change. 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 to vulnerable populations. The organization is committed to diversity and equal employment opportunities, encouraging qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply. WFP has a strong emphasis on creating a healthy and inclusive work environment, aligning with its core values of Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion. The organization has received recognition for its efforts, including being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 202

• WFP invests in the personal and professional development of its employees through various training and mentorship programs, offering opportunities for career advancement across its global offices.

Job Overview:
The Programme Associate position is located within the WFP Liberia Country Office, specifically in the Programme Unit. The job holder will report to the Programme Policy Officer (School Meals) and will play a crucial role in supporting the implementation of Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) activities as outlined in the Liberia Country Strategic Plan. This position is vital for ensuring the delivery of nutritious school meals through effective local food procurement, enhancing school-level implementation, fostering community participation, and engaging with government counterparts and various stakeholders. The role requires the job holder to demonstrate responsibility and initiative, respond independently to operational queries, and utilize judgment to resolve unforeseen implementation issues. The primary objective is to provide operational support for planning, implementing, monitoring, and reporting on HGSF activities, thereby improving access to nutritious meals and strengthening local food systems.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Programme Associate include providing technical and operational support for the planning, implementation, and monitoring of HGSF activities. This involves ensuring alignment with WFP program policies, school feeding guidance, donor requirements, and national priorities. The job holder will support the preparation and follow-up of annual workplans, implementation plans, distribution plans, budgets, operational trackers, and performance indicators related to school meals and local procurement. Coordination with various internal units such as Supply Chain, Finance, and Monitoring and Evaluation is essential to ensure timely delivery of school feeding activities and to resolve operational bottlenecks. The role also includes engaging with the Ministry of Education, local authorities, schools, farmer organizations, and other stakeholders involved in HGSF implementation. The job holder will contribute to local procurement planning, maintain accurate program records, undertake field monitoring visits, manage agreements with partners, prepare reports, and support capacity strengthening activities for government counterparts and community structures. Additionally, the job holder will promote the integration of nutrition, gender, protection, and environmental sustainability into HGSF planning and implementation, and support emergency preparedness and contingency planning.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires a strong ability to coordinate routine implementation processes across multiple actors and locations, track actions, resolve implementation issues, and document decisions. A good understanding of school feeding operations, local food procurement, and commodity delivery is essential. The job holder should possess the ability to collect, review, and analyze program data, identify trends, and translate findings into practical corrective actions. Effective partnership management skills are necessary to maintain relationships with various stakeholders, including national and local authorities, schools, and communities. Proficiency in using Excel and WFP corporate systems for record-keeping and reporting is also required.

Educational Background:
Candidates must have completed secondary school education, with a post-secondary certificate or university studies in relevant fields such as agriculture, education, economics, food security, nutrition, rural development, social sciences, sociology, or project management being desirable.

Experience:
A minimum of six years of progressively responsible experience in program implementation related to school feeding, food security, agriculture, education, or community development is required. Experience in supporting school meals, local procurement, and community-based program delivery is essential. Familiarity with government institutions, development partners, and donor-funded programs is also necessary, along with experience in field monitoring and report preparation.

Languages:
Fluency in oral and written English is mandatory. Knowledge of local Liberian languages would be considered an asset, enhancing communication with local stakeholders and communities.

Additional Notes:
This position is full-time and is based in Monrovia, Liberia. The WFP emphasizes the importance of an inclusive work environment and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. The organization does not charge any fees for application or recruitment processes, and all applications must be submitted through the online recruiting system. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stages of the recruitment process.