Programme Policy Officer (School Feeding Programme Capacity Building) NOA, Dushanbe

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

28 October 2026-23:59-GMT+05:00 Tajikistan Time (Dushanbe)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of extreme weather shocks.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP? 

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer (School Feeding Programme Capacity Building)

 

TYPE OF CONTRACT & LEVEL: Fixed-Term, NOA

 

UNIT: Programme (School Feeding Programme)

 

DUTY STATION: Dushanbe, Tajikistan

 

DURATION: One year (Extendable)

This vacancy announcement is for Nationals from Tajikistan.

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

WFP offers a competitive compensation package including tax free salary, pension, leave, and medical insurance.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

 

Tajikistan faces persistent structural challenges to food and nutrition security, driven by limited arable land, high dependence on food imports, widespread rural poverty, and frequent exposure to natural hazards including floods, landslides, and earthquakes. Climate change compounds these risks, and approximately 1.52 million people require food and nutrition assistance.

 

WFP currently implements its Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023–2026 in line with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for the same period, pursuing a strategic shift from direct implementation towards strengthening national and subnational capacities to deliver food security and nutrition outcomes. WFP supports achievement of SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), and operates across the whole country through a network of field offices in Bokhtar, Gharm, Khorog, and Khujand complementing the country office in Dushanbe.

 

WFP’s programme portfolio covers emergency preparedness and response, resilience and livelihoods, nutrition, and school meals. Across these areas, WFP is placing greater emphasis on anticipatory action, shock-responsive social protection, evidence generation, and support to national systems for risk-informed planning and response. As WFP Tajikistan transitions to its next CSP for 2027–2030, it is further positioning itself as a technical and operational partner to the Government, with a stronger focus on nationally led solutions and earlier action ahead of crises.

The Programme Policy Officer will support the operationalization of the MINFIN Concept and the School Feeding transition agenda through coordination of capacity strengthening interventions, technical support, partnership management, monitoring and reporting. The position contributes to strengthening national ownership, institutional capacities and sustainable financing mechanisms for school feeding systems.

 

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

The incumbent will report to the School Feeding Programme Coordinator and will:

 

1. Contribute towards the development of School Feeding projects, implementation plans, operational processes and activities, including initiatives related to School Feeding transition, sustainable financing, institutional strengthening, Capacity Development and Augmentation (CD&A), Income-Generating Activities (IGA) and school canteen modernization, ensuring alignment with WFP policies, corporate guidance and national priorities.

 

2. Provide project management, technical and operational support to specific School Feeding initiatives and activities, working closely with government counterparts, cooperating partners and relevant stakeholders to plan, implement and monitor activities against agreed objectives, workplans, donor requirements and WFP standards and procedures.

3. Follow data collection, monitoring and reporting systems for School Feeding activities, ensuring rigorous quality standards are maintained, programme performance information is available for decision-making, implementation progress is monitored, and operational issues, risks and bottlenecks are identified and escalated with recommendations for corrective actions.

4. Research and analyse programme, policy and operational issues related to School Feeding, Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF), capacity strengthening, sustainable financing and programme transition to support senior colleagues in the development of policies, strategies, programmes and activities.

5. Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reports and programme documentation, including briefing notes, donor reports, annual reports, presentations, concept notes, project proposals, feasibility assessments, action plans, technical reports and other documents that support informed decision-making, programme implementation, sustainability and national ownership.

6. Liaise with internal counterparts and relevant functional units, and support coordination with the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education and Science, local authorities, SIFI and other relevant stakeholders to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing activities and support achievement of programme objectives.

7. Support the identification, development and management of partnerships with government institutions, development partners, cooperating partners, financial institutions and other stakeholders, and facilitate coordination meetings, consultations, workshops, field missions and technical discussions to strengthen programme implementation and sustainability.

8. Support the capacity strengthening of government counterparts, cooperating partners, schools and other stakeholders through training, technical assistance, knowledge-sharing activities, learning initiatives and the development and rollout of capacity strengthening tools, approaches and materials related to School Feeding and programme transition.

9. Provide guidance to support staff, acting as a point of referral and assisting with programme-related analysis, implementation issues and operational queries.

10. Contribute to programme learning, accountability and evidence-generation processes by supporting assessments, reviews, evaluations and audits; reviewing reports, studies and technical documentation submitted by partners and service providers; documenting good practices and lessons learned; and facilitating follow-up on recommendations to improve programme performance and results.

11. Ensure adequate integration of gender, disability inclusion, protection and other cross-cutting priorities into programme planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting and knowledge management activities.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education: Advanced University Degree in International Development, Public Administration, Economics, Education, Agriculture, Nutrition, Social Sciences, Business Administration, Project Management or a related field OR First University Degree with additional years of relevant experience.

Experience, Knowledge & Skills:

• At least one year of progressively responsible postgraduate professional experience in programme management, project implementation, capacity strengthening, partnership management, monitoring and reporting or at least 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience with a first university degree.
• Strong analytical, drafting, coordination, stakeholder engagement and project management skills.

Languages: Fluency in English, as well as Tajik and/or Russian. Fluency in both Tajik and Russian is an advantage.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

 

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

 

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

 

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact:  [email protected]

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

 

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

 

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.

• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at [email protected]. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.

• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.