DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

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).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The United Nations World Food Programme has been working in Armenia since 1994 to improve food security and resilience. What began as an emergency operation, transitioned to resilience building and recovery programming to reduce humanitarian needs by supporting food security, nutrition and rural livelihoods. And then from 2010 till now, WFP Armenia have embarked on a comprehensive set of activities related to food systems, school meals, social protection and disaster risk reduction. 

The upcoming WFP Country Strategic plan 2026-2030 (CSP) focuses on institutionalization of key capacities, models, methodologies and tools by 2030. This means that WFP will gradually transition its interventions, knowledge, skills to the government, with major key milestones to be achieved under the emergency preparedness and government capacity strengthening to respond to emergencies. 

In support to the government capacity strengthening for emergency preparedness and response, the World Food Programme (WFP) in Armenia is hiring a dedicated emergency preparedness and response officer specialised in capacity strengthening.

Purpose of the Assignment

The Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Officer specialized in government capacity strengthening will focus on supporting WFP country strategic plans to enhance the ability of national and local authorities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. The specialist will support the transition of emergency management from external, agency-led operations to sustainable, locally owned systems. 

The Emergency Preparedness Officer will support WFP Armenia in operationalizing the findings of the capacity gap assessment conducted by WFP. The role will focus on identifying, prioritizing and implementing concrete actions to strengthen government preparedness and response regulatory framework and systems, ensuring WFP’s support is strategic, coordinated, and aligned with national priorities.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Country Director and direct supervision of the Head of Programme, the Emergency Preparedness Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

Policy and Legislation

• Support to develop and update national EPR frameworks including disaster risk management action plan and sub-legislative acts creating synergies among all stakeholders engaged in EPR based on risk scenarios.
• Support to develop and update sector-specific national Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), activation check lists, decision support systems, and information workflows linked to early warning systems and response.
• Support to upgrade EPR systems making policy, legal frameworks and SOPs actionable including early warning systems, digital tools for coordination and communication etc.
• Support to develop scenario-based contingency planning and risk informed preparedness plans linked to specific SOPs, resource allocation and coordination mechanisms.
• Translate risk assessments and analysis into actionable programmatic recommendations for national response plans and implementation mechanisms (modality selection, targeting, transfer values, delivery mechanisms, actors etc.)
• Support to establish and enhance coordination and communication platforms and mechanisms ensuring structured engagement with national stakeholders and actors including donor community, non-governmental organizations, academia, and private sector actors.
• Contribute to establishing predictable, shock responsive financing mechanisms, including budget tagging, contingency funds, and pre-arranged financing for anticipatory actions
• Strengthen capacities of government institutions to operationalize policy framework, systems and tools through training, coaching, simulation exercises, and peer to peer learning
• Upgrade and align WFP EPR documents and processes in line with the national framework facilitating transfer of knowledge and experience.
• Represent WFP in inter agency coordination platforms, working groups, and United Nations coordination and EPR processes.
• Develop a clear roadmap of key emergency response and preparedness capacities to relevant ministries.
• Perform any other additional task delegated.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

• Capacity strengthening plan for EPR based on the findings and recommendation of the baseline assessment conducted by WFP identifying actionable initiatives and interventions.
• Reviewed and updated legislative acts, SOPs and check lists developed jointly with Government stakeholders
• National EPR implementation mechanisms/plans are strengthened and aligned.
• Capacity-building workshops and simulation exercises conducted.
• Enhanced collaboration between WFP, government ministries, and humanitarian partners.
• Integration of EPR measures into WFP Armenia’s programme portfolio.
• Development of clear roadmap of key emergency response and preparedness capacities to ministries.
• Regular progress reports and programmatic briefs, blueprints on the process, achievements, and challenges.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Advanced university degree in Economics, Social Sciences, Disaster Risk Management, Public Policy, or related fields.

Experience: 

• Minimum 7 years of experience in emergency response and preparedness or system strengthening. Strong familiarity with the UN humanitarian system; WFP experience is desirable
• Proven track record in capacity strengthening government ministries, ideally in middle-income contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to foster partnerships and work effectively with diverse teams.

Knowledge & Skills:              

• Strong analytical, planning, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills; knowledge of government structures and humanitarian coordination mechanisms.
• Good theoretical understanding of emergency preparedness management concepts and principles with a knowledge of best practices, techniques and processes.
• Ability to assimilate a range of information and make basic analyses to support the development of efficient solutions.
• Demonstrated communication skills and ability to adapt communication style to different situations and individuals.
• Knowledge of common business principals and processes and the ability to quickly assimilate UN/WFP specific processes and systems.

Languages:

Fluency (level C) in English and Armenian languages.

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.