Programme Associate (Micronutrients)

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 operates in numerous countries around the globe, 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 candidates from various backgrounds to apply. WFP has received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, highlighting its significant contributions to humanitarian efforts worldwide. The organization emphasizes a healthy and inclusive work environment, where employees are valued and supported in their professional development through various training and mentorship programs. WFP's mission is to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people globally, and it operates with core values of Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion.

Job Overview:
The Programme Associate (Micronutrients) position at WFP Nepal is designed to advance the organization's food fortification agenda, particularly focusing on rice, millet, and sorghum fortification initiatives. The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Programme Policy Officer (Nutrition Lead) at the Country Office. This role involves providing technical, operational, and coordination support to strengthen the implementation and scale-up of food fortification initiatives in Nepal. The Programme Associate will be responsible for coordinating and supporting various fortification-related activities, including quality assurance, monitoring systems, policy discussions, capacity strengthening initiatives, and evidence generation. The overarching goal of this position is to promote the sustainable integration of fortified foods within Nepal's food system, thereby improving nutrition outcomes and supporting climate-resilient food systems. The role requires collaboration with various stakeholders, including government entities, academia, and the private sector, to ensure effective implementation of the fortification initiatives and to enhance the nutritional quality of food available to the population.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Programme Associate will carry out a comprehensive set of duties and responsibilities, including:

• Capacity Strengthening: Support capacity building for farmers and private sectors on farming, product innovation, branding, and market linkage. Provide technical and operational support to the Government of Nepal (GoN) in developing Social and Behavior Change (SBC) strategies and knowledge management products to promote fortified food consumption. Facilitate capacity strengthening of local governments on optimizing millet and sorghum value chains and integrating these into fiscal planning and existing school meal programs.
• Coordination and Partnership: Liaise with various stakeholders, including GoN, local government, and academia, to conduct studies that generate evidence on millet and sorghum value chains. Support the formation of technical working groups and facilitate regular meetings to develop national standards.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting: Facilitate joint monitoring visits to fortified food production sites and maintain monitoring tools to ensure program activities progress as planned. Document lessons learned and good practices from fortification activities and support the design of studies to generate evidence on the nutritional value of fortified products.
• Programme Support: Provide regular support to the nutrition and food fortification team, assist in periodic reporting, and prepare various documents for internal and external audiences. Undertake additional duties as required to support the day-to-day activities of the Country Office.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires a range of qualifications, including:

• Education: Completion of secondary school education is mandatory. A post-secondary certificate in a related functional area or a bachelor’s degree in food science, nutrition, or related fields is desirable.
• Experience: A minimum of six years of experience in public health, nutrition, food fortification, or related fields is required. Experience in delivering nutrition prevention and treatment programs, including social and behavior change communication, is essential. Knowledge of UN and government partnerships is an asset.
• Desired Skills: Knowledge of Nepal's food, nutrition, agriculture, and social protection policy landscape is preferred. Strong stakeholder engagement, negotiation, facilitation, and partnership-building skills are necessary. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and data management/reporting tools is required.

Educational Background:
Candidates should have completed secondary school education, with a preference for those holding a post-secondary certificate in a related functional area or a bachelor’s degree in food science, nutrition, or related fields. This educational background is essential for understanding the complexities of food fortification and nutrition-related initiatives.

Experience:
The position requires at least six years of relevant experience in public health, nutrition, food fortification, or related fields. Candidates should have experience in delivering nutrition programs, including social and behavior change communication, and should possess skills in negotiation, training, and advocacy. Familiarity with UN and government partnerships will be beneficial.

Languages:
Fluency in both written and spoken Nepali and English is mandatory for this position. Knowledge of local languages will be considered an added advantage, enhancing communication with diverse stakeholders in Nepal.

Additional Notes:
The position is a Service Contract at Level 6, with a contract duration of 12 months and the possibility of extension. The duty station is Kathmandu, Nepal. WFP emphasizes an inclusive work environment and encourages applications from female candidates and individuals with disabilities. The organization offers an attractive compensation package and invests in the personal and professional development of its employees through various training and mobility opportunities. All applications must be submitted through WFP's online recruiting system, and candidates are advised to ensure their profiles are complete and accurate.