Programme and Policy Officer (Resilience, Ecosystems & Community Infrastructure), SC-8

About the Role

The World Food Programme (WFP) is seeking a Programme and Policy Officer (Resilience, Ecosystems & Community Infrastructure) at the SC-8 level. This role is primarily focused on providing technical support and capacity strengthening to Country Offices across Eastern and Southern Africa. The incumbent will help strengthen the design and implementation of food for assets (FFA) field-level activities, support participatory planning, and provide technical guidance for watershed management, water harvesting systems, rangeland regeneration, and small-scale community infrastructure. The objective is to ensure that asset creation contributes to improved food security outcomes and reduced reliance on humanitarian assistance.

Responsibilities

Support Country Offices on Food for Assets (FFA) and Ecosystem Restoration

• Support field officers and partners in designing ecosystem restoration and community infrastructure interventions at the watershed level.
• Ensure alignment with food security objectives and resilience outcomes, applying regenerative design principles to restore the hydrological cycle, soil health, and fertility.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance on regenerative land management practices, including half-moons, contour bunds, terraces, zai/tassa pits, infiltration trenches, stone bunds, and check-dams/gabions.
• Support alignment with socio-environmental assessments and nature-based solutions.
• Develop planning and reporting templates and technical guidelines tailored to country contexts.

Field Presence and Capacity Strengthening

• Support technical bootcamps and field trainings on watershed restoration, Soil and Water Conservation (SWC), and community infrastructure.
• Provide on-the-job coaching to Cooperating Partners (CPs), field monitors, and community groups.
• Develop practical training materials, manuals, and field guidance linked to FFA objectives.
• Facilitate community planning using community-based participatory planning methodologies.

Operational Backstopping

• Support field offices on design, targeting, sequencing, and monitoring of resilience activities.
• Integrate natural resource management and ecological regeneration within food systems, school feeding, nutrition, social protection, and climate services.
• Review partner proposals, workplans, and designs for technical coherence.
• Organize regional meetings and workshops to review progress and improve knowledge-sharing.
• Coordinate annual planning and reporting exercises for FFA and livelihood skills interventions.

Monitoring and Quality Assurance

• Conduct regular field monitoring missions to assess progress and quality.
• Support monitoring and evaluation (M&E) teams in collecting biophysical and geospatial monitoring data (GPS/GIS).
• Document lessons learned, cost-efficiency insights, and case studies.

Integration and Partnerships

• Strengthen coordination across WFP units (engineering, nutrition, school feeding, social protection).
• Engage with local authorities and line ministries to align with national management plans.
• Develop partnerships with universities and research institutions for nursery development and restoration.
• Enhance collaboration with the Asset Impact Monitoring from Space (AIMS) tool.
• Mainstream Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) throughout project cycles.

Resource Mobilisation

• Provide technical inputs to concept notes and donor proposals.
• Prepare technical annexes, maps, and evidence for donor visibility.

Requirements

• Experience: At least 2 years of progressively responsible experience in programme implementation related to food security, resilience, disaster risk reduction, or natural resource management.
• Technical Expertise: Demonstrated field-experience implementing SWC structures, water harvesting, or community infrastructure through participatory approaches.
• Sector Experience: Experience supporting programme implementation and operationalizing programmatic policies, ideally in fragile, dryland, or drought-prone contexts.
• Education: Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science, Civil/Environmental Engineering, or a related field; OR a First University Degree with additional years of related work experience/training.
• Languages: Working knowledge of English (Level C) is required. Intermediate knowledge of French is a plus.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should apply online via the World Food Programme career portal. Follow this link to be redirected to the application page: https://www.myjobmag.co.ke/apply-now/1216328. Please ensure you complete your profile on the WFP recruitment site (wd3.myworkdaysite.com) to be considered.