Programme Policy Office (Cash Based Transfer) - NOB

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

7 September 2026-23:59-GMT+03:00 Arabian Standard Time (Aden)

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 climate change.

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.

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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).

GENERAL INFORMATION
JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer (Cash Based Transfer)
TYPE OF CONTRACT/LEVEL: Fixed Term NOB
SUPERVISOR: Head of the CBT/IDM Unit
UNIT/DIVISION: Programme
DUTY STATION (City, Country): Aden, Yemen

DURATION: 12 Months

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

WFP operations across Yemen represent one of the organization’s largest and most logistically complex emergency portfolios globally. To deliver life-saving food and cash assistance accountably within a highly volatile and politically fragmented environment, WFP relies heavily on secure, data-driven Cash-Based Transfers (CBT) and robust Identity Management (IDM) frameworks.

The Programme National Officer (CBT), based in Yemen reports directly to the Head of the CBT/IDM Unit. The incumbent provides high-level technical, operational, and coordination leadership to manage, improve, and protect WFP's cash-based assistance programs in Yemen. This role requires an experienced professional capable of driving team performance, refining standard operating procedures, managing complex financial service provider (FSP) networks, and leading inter-agency technical forums to ensure cash distributions are executed in strict alignment with corporate policies, data privacy standards, and humanitarian objectives.

JOB PURPOSE

To lead the Country Office CBT operational lifecycle, oversee technical end-to-end data controls, and manage a team of multi-disciplinary national personnel. The incumbent will standardize distribution mechanisms, drive FSP diversification, govern macro-level reconciliation loops, and steer strategic policy coordination with UN counterparts and government authorities regarding Identity Management architectures, data-minimization rules, and national social protection single registries.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

Within delegated authority and under the direct supervision of the Head of CBT/IDM Officer, the National Programme Officer will execute the following core accountabilities:

1. Strategic Leadership & Team Management

• Team Leadership: Lead and manage the Country Office CBT team, providing clear operational coordination, technical oversight, performance management, and targeted capacity building.

• Strategic Programming: Advance WFP’s approach to CBT programming in Yemen through cash, value vouchers, and innovative transfer modalities, ensuring assistance remains secure, cost-effective, and fully assured against fiduciary risks.

• Capacity Strengthening: Assess, design, and implement comprehensive CBT training modules and learning sessions for WFP personnel and cooperating partners to maintain operational excellence across the delivery chain.

2. Operational Controls & Pipeline Assurance

• SOP Standardization: Author, update, and institutionalize comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for CBT business processes, ensuring they are user-oriented, auditable, and fully compliant with corporate headquarters directives.

• Data Verification & Clearance: Analyze, review, and clear monthly Field Office distribution plans and pipeline requirements. Enforce strict quality control and structural consistency over all beneficiary distribution lists prior to routing them for official Programme clearance.

• Reconciliation & Accountability Control: Oversee the execution of all CBT assurance and compliance tracking frameworks, guaranteeing that end-of-cycle financial reconciliation reports are delivered by FSPs, rigorously verified, and approved without delay.

• Pipeline Data Consolidation: Coordinate the systematic gathering, consolidation, and cleaning of monthly transfer data to feed into the centralized Country Office pipeline report, ensuring data integrity and information consistency for senior leadership decision-making.

3. FSP Planning, Innovation & Interoperability

• FSP Strategic Planning: Formulate and execute a comprehensive FSP diversification strategy to mitigate institutional risks, evaluate market readiness, and pioneer the integration of multi-channel digital payment networks (e.g., PlugPay and blockchain-linked building blocks).

• Inter-Agency Social Protection Interoperability: Coordinate technical actions and legal clauses required to formalize high-level Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with UN sister agencies to enable WFP data contribution toward Yemen's future unified Social Protection Single Registry.

4. Identity Management (IDM) & Data Governance

• IDM Policy Coordination: Coordinate operational and cross-cutting policy decisions with relevant units regarding beneficiary identity management, data minimization principles, and the contextual, safe deployment of biometric verification platforms.

• Data Protection & Maturity: Formulate operational guidance notes on identity management, establish clear parameters for data collection, secure processing loops, and beneficiary information protection across all active Programme activities.

• Architecture Alignment: Evaluate and align localized digital systems currently supporting cash, value voucher, in-kind, and commodity voucher tracking against corporately endorsed software modules under WFP’s global IDM Target Architecture.

5. Sector Coordination & Representation

• Cluster Leadership: Lead and coordinate the technical sessions, strategic agendas, and tracking notes for the localized Cash & Market Working Group (CMWG) meetings.

• Inter-Agency Representation: Represent WFP externally across high-level inter-agency coordination mechanisms, including the National Cash Working Group (CWG), to champion WFP’s technical positions and promote strategic cash alignment.

DELIVERABLES

• Optimized Operational SOPs: Updated, corporate-compliant CBT and IDM operational manuals formally approved and rolled out to all Field Offices.

• Reconciled Financial Pipelines: Reconciled monthly FSP cash distributions and voucher liquidations cleared with zero data variances.

• FSP Expansion Strategy Documented: A verified market-diversification and multi-channel digital payment implementation plan finalized.

• Inter-Agency Interoperability Frameworks: Structured technical input notes and draft MoU templates delivered to support the Single Registry data-sharing framework with UN partners.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Advanced University Degree (master’s or equivalent) in International Affairs, Economics, Public Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences, or another field relevant to international humanitarian/development assistance. Alternatively, a First University Degree (Bachelor's) combined with a minimum of three (3) additional years of directly related progressive professional work experience.

Experience:

• Total relevant 7 years of experience including 3 years of professional experience specifically focused on strategic design, field implementation, and technical evaluation of cash-based assistance programs.

• Direct experience planning and implementing safety net or emergency response operations at the implementation level in developing countries or complex emergency settings.

• Desirable: Proven experience establishing corporate standard operating procedures with Financial Service Providers (FSPs) or managing identity management database transfers.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong technical mastery across the design, delivery, and compliance tracking of multi-modality cash and voucher programs.

• Deep technical understanding of food security, livelihoods, and social protection safety net models within fragile states.

• Comprehensive understanding of UN and WFP programming requirements, with practical knowledge of Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR), data assurance protocols, and funds management.

• Excellent analytical, negotiation, and diplomatic communication skills (both written and oral), with a demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships with local government authorities, donors, and UN agencies.

• Proven leadership capability to direct diverse, multi-cultural teams and monitor complex individual and collective work plans under pressure.

Languages:

Fluent in written and oral English and Arabic

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.