DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
28 March 2026-23:59-GMT+06:00 Kyrgyzstan Time (Bishkek)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
WFP’s vision is that the Kyrgyz Republic has resilient, inclusive, and shock‑responsive food and social protection systems that enable all people, especially the most vulnerable, to access healthy diets, sustain livelihoods, withstand climate and crisis shocks, and realize their full human potential, leaving no one behind. Derived from the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework , WFP Country Strategic Plan (2023-27 EN|RU) focuses its human capital development, capacity building and productive asset creation activities to enhance the resilience and livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable, with a focus on food systems strengthening across three core pillars: (i) Social Protection and Human Capital; (ii) Climate Change Adaption, Disaster Risk Management and Emergency Preparedness; and (iii) Schools as platforms for healthy diets. In addition, a contingent emergency response outcome can be activated in case of need.
ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT:
WFP has been supporting the Kyrgyz Republic’s National Development Programme (NDP) 2030 by leveraging its strengths in food security, nutrition, resilience, and logistics through scaling up nutrition‑sensitive school meals linked to local food procurement, and supporting adaptive, shock‑responsive social protection systems. WFP has been contributing to food security and rural development by building climate‑resilient food systems, supporting smallholder farmers and cooperatives, reducing post‑harvest losses, and integrating anticipatory action and disaster risk reduction in climate‑affected regions. In addition, WFP has been adding values by enhancing emergency preparedness and logistics capacity, improving food security data and early warning systems to support evidence‑based policymaking, and helping reduce regional inequalities through targeted interventions — all closely aligned with the NDP priorities on human capital, resilience, digitalization, and inclusive growth.
PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
Under the direct supervision of the Programme Policy Officer (Food Systems and Climate Resilience Team Lead) and the overall supervision of the Deputy Country Director, the incumbent will provide technical, operational, and coordinating support to the implementation and strengthening of the National School Meals Programme, including Home‑Grown School Feeding (HGSF) and WASH-related components. The incumbent will contribute to programme design, monitoring, and reporting; facilitate effective engagement with government counterparts at national and sub‑national levels; and ensure that activities are aligned with WFP policies, national priorities, and broader food systems and social protection objectives.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
1. Contribute towards the development of relevant projects, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance.
2. Provide project management support to specific and defined programmes and projects of small to moderate size that are relatively straight forward in nature, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes that complies with WFP standards and procedures.
3. Follow data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained.
4. Research and analyse policy and operational issues to support senior colleagues in the development of policies, programmes and activities.
5. 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.
6. Liaise with internal counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects.
7. Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships to collaborative working leading to improved food assistance packages.
8. Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to prepare for and respond to food assistance needs, e.g. through project management support of learning initiatives.
9. Provide guidance to support staff, acting as a point of referral and assisting them with analysis and queries.
SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS
10. Provide technical and operational support to outcome management and implementation of projects related to the National School Meals Programme, including Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) components funded by development partners, ensuring effective coordination with Country Office activities and compliance with WFP policies, standards, and procedures.
11. Analyse and monitor key contextual and operational factors affecting the national school meals programmes, and support coordination with the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Health, including school and preschool education authorities.
12. Support data management, analysis, and reporting related to the School Meals Programme, including information relevant to nutrition outcomes, social and behaviour change communication (SBCC), and social protection/safety net linkages, to strengthen evidence-based programme implementation.
13. Apply appropriate principles and practices for effective engagement with government counterparts at national and sub-national levels, supporting coordination, information exchange, and alignment of programme activities with national policies and priorities.
14. Contribute to the overall office work, including respective focal points and tasks beyond the above-mentioned, to jointly deliver the CSP results as one WFP team.
15. Perform any other tasks as required.
Has gained experience in implementing technical programs (i.e. nutrition, etc.).
Has implemented programmes and provided input into designing operations.
Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.
Has experience working with multi-disciplinary technical teams (e.g., nutrition, monitoring and evaluation, education, WASH), and ability to integrate technical inputs into programme implementation to support continuous programme improvement.
Has demonstrated contribution to the implementation or support of school meals programmes, or comparable initiatives aimed at improving nutrition outcomes, WASH conditions, and the overall school learning environment.
Has exposed to or participation in policy discussions or advocacy initiatives related to access to nutritious meals for schoolchildren, including engagement with school-level stakeholders (e.g., parents, school management, and communities) and collaboration with government counterparts, preferably at ministerial or national institutional level.
Experience: At least one year of postgraduate professional experience in programme implementation or policy support in development, social protection, education, nutrition, school meals/Home‑Grown School Feeding (HGSF), food systems, or related fields—preferably involving government partnerships, project coordination, data management/monitoring, or capacity‑strengthening activities.
Education: Advanced University degree in International Affairs, Economics, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
Language: Fluency (level C) in both oral and written communication in English and proficiency in the duty station’s language(s) (Russian or Kyrgyz, both considered an advantage).
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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.