PROGRAMME POLICY OFFICER (FIELD COORDINATION), NOB – World Food Programme (WFP)

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate the day-to-day implementation of all CSP activities (Activities 1-5) ensuring interventions are layered and sequenced so that the same communities benefit from complementary support.
• Translate country office annual plans into district implementation plans with clear targets, timelines and responsibilities, and track progress against targets and budgets.
• Apply the three-pronged approach (integrated context analysis, seasonal livelihood programming and community-based participatory planning) to guide geographic targeting and programme design at district and community level.
• Serve as the field focal point for country office activity managers, consolidating field feedback to inform programme adjustments.
• Supervise, coach and manage the performance of all filed programme staff (programme associates, assistants and field monitors), acting as a point of referral for analysis and operational queries.
• Activity 1 – Crisis response and anticipatory action: oversee lean season and emergency responses (e.g., floods and cyclones), targeting and registration, leveraging national shock-responsive social protection systems and the unified beneficiary registry, cash-based and in-kind distributions, “cash plus” asset creation, and district-level anticipatory action and preparedness, including contingency planning and pre-positioning with Supply Chain.
• Activity 2 – Refugees, asylum seekers and host communities: support the delivery of food assistance and cash initiatives and social cohesion activities, in coordination with the activity manager, UNHCR and the relevant ministry.
• Activity 3 – Nutrition: coordinate the field delivery of malnutrition treatment and prevention activities, nutrition top-ups and SBCC with district health offices and district nutrition coordination structures.
• Activity 4 – School meals: oversee HGSF implementation in targeted schools and ECD centres, including cash transfers to schools, school procurement committees, linkages with farmer organisations, food safety and quality, and take-home rations where applicable, working closely with district education offices.
• Activity 5 – Integrated resilience: through the field offices oversee the implementation of Food Assistance for Assets (community planning, technical standards and asset quality), the Integrated Risk Management Programme (micro-insurance, savings groups), Smallholder Agriculture Market Support (aggregation, post-harvest management, market linkages), climate services and graduation of participating households.
• Contribute to cooperating partner selection, field level agreements and budgets; monitor partner performance, conduct spot-checks and capacity assessments, and verify invoices and distribution reports.
• Ensure compliance with WFP standards and procedures, including targeting and beneficiary verification, registration and identity management, cash assurance, distribution monitoring, food safety and quality, and warehouse and commodity accountability.
• Act as WFP’s primary programme interlocutor with district councils and sector offices (agriculture, education, health, social welfare and disaster management), traditional leaders and communities.
• Participate in district coordination structures, including District Executive Committees and coordinate with UN agencies and NGOs working in the same districts.
• Strengthen the capacity of district and community structures to plan, implement and sustain programmes, supporting the CSP’s transition and handover objectives.
• Ensure adequate field monitoring coverage in collaboration with RAM/M&E, and follow up on monitoring findings and corrective actions.
• Consolidate timely, accurate sub-office reports (monthly and quarterly progress reports, situation reports, Annual Country Report inputs) and document success stories and lessons learned.
• Contribute to food security, market and emergency assessments, including Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) processes, and coordinate donor and government field visits.
• Ensure the community feedback mechanism functions effectively, that cases are followed up, and that gender-based violence and child protection cases are referred to the appropriate authorities.
• Mainstream gender, disability inclusion, protection, AAP, PSEA and conflict sensitivity across all field activities.
• Work with Supply Chain, Finance, Administration and Security on movement planning, logistics and field security arrangements.
• Maintain the field programme risk register and ensure readiness to scale up and deploy rapidly at the onset of a crisis.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Requirements

• Education: Advanced university degree in International Development, Agriculture, Rural Development, Economics, Nutrition, Social Sciences or another field relevant to international development assistance, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
• Experience: At least three (3) years of post-graduate, progressively responsible professional experience in field-based humanitarian or development programme implementation, including coordination with district authorities and implementing partners.
• Broad knowledge of food assistance programming across crisis response, nutrition, school feeding and resilience, including cash-based transfers.
• Good understanding of Malawi’s decentralised government structures and district coordination mechanisms.
• Strong planning, coordination and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple activities and partners under pressure.
• Ability to lead and motivate field teams and to supervise junior staff.
• Good analytical and report-writing skills, and the ability to use data to inform decisions.
• Knowledge of, or the ability to quickly assimilate, UN/WFP processes and systems (e.g., COMET, SCOPE, WINGS).
• Language: Fluency (level C) in English language

How to Apply

REF Code: JR127061