Programme Policy Officer, SC9, Juba, South Sudan

Job Title: Programme Policy Officer

Type of Contract: Service Contract , Level 9 (SC-9)

Unit/Division: Emergency Unit/Programme

Duty Station: Juba, South Sudan

Duration: 8 months (subject to renewal based on performance and budget availability)

**BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF ASSIGNMENT:**

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading 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. It is an autonomous joint programme of the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). WFP was the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

In the new funding environment of 2026 and 2027, WFP has an opportunity to re-shape its long-standing food assistance operations in South Sudan, focusing on the highest impact interventions for those parts of the country most affected by hunger, conflict, climate shocks, and marginalization.

The Emergency Unit, in which this assignment is located, is responsible for designing and facilitating the delivery of crisis response activities under the WFP South Sudan Country Strategic Plan (CSP). It is the largest programmatic portfolio in the Country Office. In 2026, crisis response activities comprise a response to avert an acute food and nutrition crisis, a lean season response, transitional assistance for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees (including refugees from Sudan), and *ad hoc* responses to needs assessed by inter-agency bodies—delivered through distribution of in-kind food and specialized nutritious foods, cash-based transfers, and early recovery mechanisms.

Under this assignment, the programme policy officer will work in a team of 5-6 people to drive performance across the Emergency Unit’s crisis response portfolio. Responsibilities will span the entire programme cycle—in close consultation with technical colleagues across the Country Office.

The programme policy officer will report to one of 2 Team Leads in the Emergency Unit, with secondary supervision by the Head of Emergency. The position will be based in Juba, but the programme policy officer may be called upon to travel to the deep field.

**ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:**

- Develop and coordinate data gathering and monitoring systems and processes that produce useful and reliable information for the purposes of grants management. Draft accurate and timely reports, and prepare documents that interpret data and enable informed decision making.
- Contribute towards the development of emergency programming, ensuring alignment with applicable programme, and other corporate, policies, guidance, and processes.
- Provide project management support to established emergency programmes and projects, ensuring internal and external stakeholder coordination and coordination with the larger WFP South Sudan programme portfolio.
- Analyse policy and operational issues to inform the development of country office-level policies, programmes and activities.
- Coordinate internal and external counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects and highlight potential risks to project delivery.
- Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships for collaborative work, leading to improved food assistance packages.
- Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to prepare for and respond to food assistance needs, e.g. through providing inputs into training materials.
- Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analysis and queries.
- Produce other deliverables and support other tasks, initiatives, or processes, as assigned.

**QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:**

**Education**

University degree (required) in one or more of the following disciplines (preferred): agriculture, land / water resource management, economics, development, environment, public administration, public health, social sciences, disaster risk management, international affairs, law, or business management.

**Required Experience**

For master's degree holder or higher: **Four years** of progressively professional work experience in designing, coordinating, and/or managing the

implementation of emergency assistance at country- or field-level, at or alongside a UN organization, a cooperating partner, or another NGO.

For a candidate with a bachelor’s degree, at least **six years** of the above experience is required.

**Technical knowledge**

Specific knowledge and work experience in at least three of the following areas (required):

- Grants management and donor reporting.
- Relief to resilience programming.
- Food insecurity and vulnerability analyses.
- Refugee and IDP programming.
- Cash-based modalities.
- Early recovery and livelihoods programming.
- Monitoring & evaluation.

General knowledge of the UN system (preferred).

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