Special Assistant to the Country Director - CST I

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

8 September 2026-23:59-GMT+02:00 Eastern European Standard Time (Cairo)

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).

JOB TITLE:  Special Assistant to the Country Director

TYPE OF CONTRACT: International Consultant Level I

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Cairo, Egypt

DURATION: 11 months (extendable, subject to funding availability and successful performance)

This vacancy is being recruited under the international consultant modality. Eligibility and selection will be assessed in accordance with WFP's consultant recruitment provision.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Under the overall supervision of the Country Director and in close coordination with the Deputy Country Director, the consultant will:

• Prepare strategic briefing materials, talking points, analytical notes, presentations, and background papers for senior management engagements.

• Analyze and synthesize information from programme, operations, partnerships, and support units to facilitate strategic decision-making.

• Coordinate the preparation, organization, and follow-up of leadership meetings, donor engagements, strategic discussions, and senior management missions.

• Draft meeting summaries, decision notes, action trackers, executive correspondence, and management updates.

• Support corporate reporting requirements, including Country Strategic Plan reporting, annual reporting exercises, donor updates, Global HQ requests and taskings.

• Facilitate cross-functional coordination across programme, operations, partnerships, and support functions to ensure timely delivery of high-quality inputs and coherent organizational messaging.

• Document key findings, recommendations, and lessons learned from field visits, strategic missions, coordination engagements, and stakeholder consultations.

• Contribute to strengthening knowledge management, information management, and internal communication practices within the Country Office.

• Provide ad hoc analytical, coordination, and executive support services to the Country Director and Deputy Country Director as required.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in International Relations, Political Science, Public Policy, Economics, Development Studies, Business Administration, International Development, or another relevant field.

Alternatively, a first university degree with an additional two years of relevant professional experience beyond the minimum experience requirement may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least three years of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic planning, programme management, development cooperation, humanitarian operations, policy analysis, partnerships, executive support, or related fields.

• Experience working with international organizations, United Nations agencies, government institutions, development partners, NGOs, or other relevant stakeholders.

• Demonstrated experience supporting senior-level decision-making through strategic analysis, coordination, reporting, or advisory functions.

• Proven experience preparing high-quality reports, briefing notes, presentations, and strategic communication products.

• Experience coordinating across multidisciplinary teams and managing competing priorities in a dynamic environment.

Knowledge & Skills

• Excellent analytical, conceptual, and problem-solving skills.

• Strong drafting and communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into concise and actionable recommendations.

• Excellent stakeholder engagement, coordination, and relationship management skills.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgement when handling sensitive information.

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

• Knowledge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and applications is desirable.

Languages:

• Professional working proficiency in English (oral and written) is required, with demonstrated ability to draft high-quality reports, briefing notes, and correspondence.

• Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

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.