Programme Policy Officer (ESS) SC8
Kabul
- Organization: WFP - World Food Programme
- Location: Kabul
- Grade: Consultancy - SB-4 (SC8/SC9), Service Contract, Local Contractors Agreement
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Occupational Groups:
- Legal - Broad
- Political Affairs
- Project and Programme Management
- Closing Date: 2025-12-18
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
18 December 2025-23:59-GMT+04:30 Afghanistan Time (Kabul)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).
This position is a National Officer Role and a UN common VA and is based in Kabul.
The Role:
WFP strives to be a leader in environmental sustainability within the UN system. In pursuit of this goal, WFP adopted a new Environmental policy in February 2017, and an Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework (ESSF). The Policy commits the organization to avoiding unintended harm to the environment, its beneficiaries, or any other affected populations as a result of our operations and programmes, and to maximize environmental benefits. The ESSF contains 3 tools: a set of environmental and social standards, risk screening of activity design and mitigation/ management plans (safeguards), and an environmental management system (EMS) consistent with the international standard ISO 14001. Collectively, these three elements are known as WFP's Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework (ESSF). The incumbent will help roll out and mainstream the application of environmental & social safeguards across country strategies and programmes.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Technical support to CO activities: ensure compliance with WFP and donor environmental and social safeguard standards across programme and operational activities . Support identification of environmental and social risks for CO-based agreements and projects in close coordination with relevant units (i.e security, cp management, procurement, admin etc). Based on outcomes of screenings, support the development and implementation of environmental and social management instruments such as Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), donor-specified Environmental and Social Management Frameworks (ESMF), labour management and stakeholder engagement plans, ) as required to promote safe, sustainable, and socially responsible programming. Revise and/or implement Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) of high-risk projects when required.
Capacity Building and Training: support WFP staff and cooperating partners in applying environmental and social safeguards tools and instruments, including risk screening; Promoting awareness of WFP’s potential environmental and social safeguards and the WFP sustainability framework as a systematic management tool; deliver in-person and online training sessions to build capacity on compliance with safeguard requirements, ensuring these trainings are integrated into broader programmatic learning initiatives.
Incident Management and Response: support the logging, documentation, and escalation of Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) incidents to relevant stakeholders within the Country Office and Area Offices; Support the identification of draft and share incident reports in compliance with WFP corporate standards and donor requirements, maintaining confidentiality and data integrity; coordinate follow-up actions to address identified risks, including environmental site audits where applicable; ensure incidents are tracked systematically and escalated appropriately for resolution .
Monitoring: support field monitors in tracking environmental and social risks during programme implementation and oversee compliance with WFP safeguards by the Country Office and partners; monitor and record ESS implementation of WFP interventions including those implemented through partners; Drafting safeguard components and review of partners’ ESS implementation reports for purposes of developing progress reports and donor submissions; Ensure medium and high-risk activities are captured in the corporate risk register.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
Advanced University Degree (master's or equivalent) in one of the following areas: Environmental Studies, Environmental Management, Social Science, or a related field. or bachelor's degree with two additional years of relevant professional experience.
Experience:
At least one (1) year of postgraduate professional experience in areas related to: environmental and social sustainability, environmental and social safeguards/protection.
Language:
- Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and local languages (Pashto/Dari)
DESIRED/REQUIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE
- Work experience with the UN, particularly with WFP, or with WFP's donors.
- 6 years of experience in the role will be considered a significant factor in our evaluation, especially for external candidates.
Experience in developing and delivering training.
Experience completing and implementing Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) including risk identification, Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), and/or corporate sustainability for national and/or international environmental and social safeguards frameworks and regulations.
Knowledge of different ESS frameworks amongst IFIs.
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
We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified
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.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.