DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
21 March 2026-23:59-GMT-03:00 Suriname Time (Paramaribo)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).
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:
The World Food Programme (WFP) 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. WFP Caribbean Multi-Country Office (MCO) supports 22 countries and territories across the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean. Leveraging its global expertise, WFP implements a cross-functional programme of activities aimed at strengthening regional and national preparedness, as well as building systems to deliver timely and appropriate assistance to people affected by shocks and disasters. This includes technical assistance in the areas of social protection, climate and disaster risk financing, vulnerability and risk analysis, end-to-end supply chain management, food security and food systems and resilient livelihoods. During crises that exceed national and regional capacities, WFP collaborates with governments and their partners to provide emergency in-kind and cash-based food assistance or by supporting emergency logistics and telecommunications services.
JOB PURPOSE:
The Programme Policy Officer (PPO) for the Caribbean MCO Southern Cluster will advance WFP’s technical assistance efforts aligned with the national priorities of the Government of Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago. The PPO will lead the development and management of programmes and partnerships, focusing on strengthening social protection systems, school feeding programmes, supply chain, enhancing emergency preparedness and response and building long-term resilience. Key responsibilities include setting priorities, developing and monitoring workplans, coordinating technical support, managing risks, fostering collaboration across functional teams, and engaging with partners including national government institutions, civil society, United Nations agencies and country specific national agencies or partners. The PPO will be based in Suriname and will coordinate closely with WFP MCO in Barbados and manage the WFP Satellite Offices based in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Co-design with Barbados Units and senior management, as well as Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, strategic and operational plans, activities and projects for all three countries, ensuring coherence with WFP’s mandate and programmatic areas, regional strategies, and national priorities.
2. Ensure project and staff management and oversight across Suriname, as well as Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes and strategies in the Caribbean region, and compliance with WFP standards and procedures.
3. Develop, monitor, and adjust workplans to achieve results, ensuring the efficient and effective use of assigned financial resources to deliver objectives within agreed scope, budget, and timelines.
4. Identify and manage risks that may affect programme delivery and propose appropriate mitigation measures.
5. Liaise with internal and external counterparts in Suriname (as well as Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago as required), on strategic and operational plans, to strengthen collaboration, coordinated implementation, monitor progress, and address potential challenges to programme implementation.
6. Strengthen WFP’s leadership and visibility in relevant forums—such as those on food security, social protection, emergency preparedness and response, supply chain, disaster resilience and disaster risk financing—through active participation, presentations, briefings, and the development of information products and related materials.
7. Conduct research and analysis on policy and operational issues to inform programme development, and systematically capture and share key lessons learned and best practices to enhance strategic planning and implementation.
8. Support government counterparts and partners in identifying opportunities for WFP support, and provide technical expertise for the planning, formulation, and implementation of programmes that strengthen social protection systems and improve emergency response capacity.
9. Establish and maintain operational partnerships to identify opportunities for collaborative approaches and initiatives that improve institutional capacities in social protection, lead Anticipatory Action, Disaster Risk Financing and other key areas of WFP’s expertise.
10. Contribute to resource mobilization by articulating programme needs and opportunities, and monitor the resource situation of projects—including commodity and cash availability—seeking guidance from senior colleagues as required.
11. Lead emergency preparedness efforts in Suriname, including contingency planning, cross-functional coordination, and stakeholder engagement, to ensure WFP’s readiness to respond to shocks and disasters.
12. Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on programmes and activities that enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
13. Provide guidance and supervision to junior staff in Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, serving as a point of reference and supporting them in addressing queries and delivering quality outputs.
14. Other activities as required.
OTHER POST REQUIREMENTS:
WFP provides emergency response support to the 22 English and Dutch-speaking countries in the Caribbean as needed. In this role, the incumbent may be required to:
The post will report to the Deputy Country Director/Head of Programme, Barbados Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean
Support the Programme Unit's emergency response activities across the region as required.
Deploy to affected countries to assist with Programme operations as required.
Work beyond regular working hours to support emergency response efforts as required.
DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:
Workplan for Suriname finalised, operationalised, monitored
Performance plans and assessments for all supervisees completed and monitored
Analysis conducted of regional and country-level opportunities to support food systems and smallholder farmers, e.g. access to markets, post-harvest loss, risk insurance.
Feasibility analysis of market-led and climate-responsive agrifood value chain development to strengthen the resilience and livelihoods of Indigenous communities
Completion of assessments for the Shock Readiness Index (SRI)
Follow up work on supply chain SCAN capacity strengthening work completed
Proposals and strategic offers developed in consultation with colleagues in priority countries, including for climate finance
Technical exchanges conducted with key partners and governments
DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:
Demonstrated experience in programme design, management and implementation, including leading projects of significant size and complexity.
Proven ability to engage with technical teams and apply specialized knowledge in areas such as social protection, food security, resilience building, supply chain and emergency preparedness.
Track record of building and managing partnerships with government institutions, civil society, UN agencies, or regional organizations.
Experience contributing to policy dialogue and providing technical inputs that inform government strategies, programme priorities, or institutional decision-making.
Professional experience in international development, preferably within international or regional institutions, or the United Nations system considered an asset.
Experience in emergency response considered an asset.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
Advanced University degree in in International Affairs, Economics, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with two (2) additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
Experience:
Five to ten years of relevant progressive professional experience for the role.
Has experience working across the Program portfolio including on food systems, smallholder farmer access to markets, supply chain analysis, and related topics - preferred
Has experience working with UN agencies, governments and/or regional institutions
Has experience designing and managing programmes and people
Desired: Experience in small island developing states; experience in the Caribbean
Knowledge & Skills:
In-depth understanding of food systems, climate adaptation, and resilience strategies
Excellent ability to coordinate across multiple units and organizations
Ability to write clear and concise reports
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
Proven team building and leadership skills.
Experience inputting into climate fund proposals (e.g. Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund)
Has experience on strengthening smallholder farmers access to markets
Languages:
Fluency (level C) in both oral and written communication in English. Fluency in Dutch would be an asset.
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.