Job Description

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

1 October 2026-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome)

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: Programme Policy Officer (Child Safeguarding and Child Protection Mainstreaming)

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Regular Consultant level II

UNIT/DIVISION: Gender Protection and Inclusion Unit/ PO

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Home based

DURATION: 11 months

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

In line with increasing donor expectations, emerging safeguarding standards across the humanitarian sector, and WFP's Strategic Plan 2026–2029 commitment to uphold zero tolerance for child exploitation, abuse and harm, this assignment will support the strengthening of WFP's approach to child safeguarding, while also advancing the integration of child protection considerations into programme design and implementation.

The Programme Policy Officer will lead the development and institutionalization of WFP's Child Safeguarding Framework, including the elaboration, consultation, approval and operationalization of the Executive Director's Circular on Child Safeguarding. The position will also provide technical support to strengthen child protection mainstreaming across selected programme areas, ensuring that WFP assistance is delivered in a safe, inclusive and child-sensitive manner.

Sitting within the Design and Capacity Strengthening Team in GPI, the consultant will support corporate guidance, capacity strengthening, CSP design and country office support, with a particular focus on translating safeguarding commitments into operational practice.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive):

The assignment will be organized around four priority workstreams:

Lead the development and operationalization of WFP's Child Safeguarding Framework

Lead the drafting, revision, consultation, clearance and approval process for the Executive Director's Circular on Child Safeguarding.

Coordinate consultations with HQ divisions, Regional Bureaux, Country Offices and external stakeholders.

Develop supporting guidance, tools, SOPs and implementation materials required to operationalize the Circular.

Support the establishment of governance, accountability and implementation arrangements for child safeguarding.

Contribute to the development of corporate learning and awareness-raising initiatives related to child safeguarding.

Support engagement with donors and partners on child safeguarding commitments and standards.

Strengthen integration of Child Safeguarding and Child Protection Considerations into Programme Design

Provide technical support to Country Offices on integrating child safeguarding and child protection considerations into programme design and implementation.

Support CSP development and review processes, including FAR roll-outs, ensuring that relevant child protection risks, barriers and opportunities are reflected where appropriate.

Advise on child-sensitive programme design across relevant programme areas, including school meals, resilience, emergency assistance and social protection.

Promote the use of integrated context and risk analyses to identify risks affecting children and opportunities to improve programme quality.

Strengthen GPI Capacity and Learning

Support the integration of child safeguarding and child protection considerations into People-Centred Approaches (PCA) trainings and related capacity-strengthening initiatives.

Deliver and support trainings on child safeguarding, child protection mainstreaming, safe referrals and people-centred programming.

Work with Regional and Country Office GPI colleagues to identify capacity gaps and learning priorities.

Support the development of practical tools, guidance and learning materials for Country Offices and cooperating partners.

Evidence, Learning and Partnerships

Support the generation and dissemination of evidence on child safeguarding and child protection mainstreaming across WFP operations.

Strengthen collaboration with specialized child protection actors, UN agencies and NGOs.

Contribute to the integration of child safeguarding and child protection considerations in corporate frameworks, including FAR and GPI minimum standards.

Support learning and exchange between Country Offices on good practices and operational innovations.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

The deliverables will be confirmed at the beginning of the assignment to ensure they match the latest developments, and will include:

• Executive Director's Circular on Child Safeguarding finalized and approved.
• Child protection considerations integrated into relevant GPI frameworks, including minimum standards and FAR.
• Technical support provided to CSP development and review processes on child safeguarding and child protection mainstreaming.
• PCA and other relevant GPI training materials updated to reflect child safeguarding and child protection considerations.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

A postgraduate qualification in development studies, gender, international development, sociology other development-related fields.

Experience:

At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in protection, of which at least 5 years are focused on providing technical assistance, programme design, implementation, monitoring, reporting, or evidence generation on child protection.

Previous experience working in emergency and humanitarian settings.

Previous exposure to WFP operations, including providing technical GPI support.

Experience in working on policies desirable.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Proactive attitude, with initiative and a sense of accountability. Ability to provide technical advice that is actionable and can be understood by diverse stakeholders. Ability to develop user-friendly guidance. Team player. Excellent interpersonal, communication and facilitation skills (written and oral). Ability to work productively and in an organized fashion.

Languages:

English is required, French 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: global.inclusion@wfp.org

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 global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. 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.