Programme Policy Officer (Head of Programme) NO-B Sittwe

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

23 September 2026-23:59-GMT+06:30 Myanmar Time (Yangon)

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.

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).

THE ROLE

The Programme Policy Officer (Head of Programme) plays a key role in supporting the effective implementation of programme activities across the Rakhine Area Office by ensuring strong coordination, monitoring, reporting, and engagement with cooperating partners. The position focuses on providing operational oversight, ensuring compliance with established procedures, and maintaining quality assurance standards across all programme interventions. The Programme Policy Officer (Head of Programme) is responsible for the overall management and coordination of programme activities, including monitoring and evaluation (M&E) functions and cooperating partner management, to ensure the timely, efficient, and high-quality delivery of programme outputs in line with organizational objectives and expected results.

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

Support the Head of Area Office in ensuring the timely achievement of monthly implementation targets and programme objectives.     

• Provide technical guidance and operational support for all programme activities implemented under the Area Office.

• Coordinate the day-to-day planning, design, implementation, monitoring, and budget management of programme interventions.

• Identify operational risks and implementation challenges, including Transfer Authorization (TA) constraints, access issues, Hundi-related challenges, and Field Level Agreement (FLA) requirements, and develop appropriate mitigation measures.

• Manage and coordinate all FLA processes to ensure agreements are finalized and approved prior to programme implementation and distributions.

• Lead caseload planning and resource allocation based on vulnerability analysis, beneficiary targeting criteria, approved caseloads, and available resources.

• Monitor Cooperating Partners’ (CP) performance against agreed targets and quality standards, and support the implementation of partner improvement and capacity-strengthening plans.

• Review commodity stock levels and distribution requirements, forecast potential shortages, initiate call-forward requests, facilitate TA processes, and coordinate with the Country Office on commodity and ration adjustments.

• Plan, oversee, and monitor beneficiary verification, targeting exercises, and Community Engagement Mechanism (CEM) activities to ensure accountability and programme integrity.

• Ensure achievement of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) targets, including the verification and timely resolution of 100 percent of CEM cases through effective coordination with cooperating partners.

• Coordinate and facilitate joint programming initiatives and collaborative activities with UN agencies, NGOs, government counterparts, and other stakeholders.

• Prepare and submit monthly distribution plans and implementation schedules for review and approval by the Country Office.

• Strengthen the technical and operational capacity of Area Office staff and cooperating partners through coaching, mentoring, training needs assessments, and the delivery of orientation and capacity-building sessions.

• Support emergency preparedness and response activities, including anticipatory action planning, emergency assessments, and coordination with cooperating partners during emergency operations.

• Represent WFP at sub-national coordination forums, technical working groups, partner meetings, and Country Office coordination meetings, as required.

• Facilitate the preparation, consolidation, and timely submission of programme reports for government counterparts and the Country Office, ensuring receipt and review of all cooperating partner quarterly and final reports.

• Maintain effective coordination with internal and external stakeholders to ensure programme compliance, accountability, and achievement of expected results.

• Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analysis and queries.

• Act on behalf of the Head of Area Office during periods of absence, ensuring continuity of programme management, coordination, decision-making, and implementation oversight.

• Other as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education: Advanced University degree in business/public administration, finance, accounting, international development, audit or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional two years of relevant work experience and/or training/courses in audit, performance and risk management or other related fields.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:

• At least three or more years of relevant, progressively responsible experience in leading, undertaking and/or contributing to planning activities, or other relevant fields.

• Has deepened technical knowledge through exposure to technical teams.

• Has taken leadership of implementing programmes.

• Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.

• Has emergency field experience

• Has related management experience and oversight of external partners.

Language: Fluency in both spoken and written English and Burmese.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Job Title: Programme Policy Officer (Head of Programme)

Type of contract: Fixed Term

Grade: NO-B

Number of Post: 1

Duration: 12 months
Duty Station: Sittwe
Date of Publication: 9 September 2026
Deadline of Application: 23 September 2026

This vacancy announcement is open for Myanmar nationals only.
Female applicants and qualified applicants from minority groups are especially encouraged to apply.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

WFP offers a competitive benefits package including salary, pension and leave plus medical insurance.

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.