Head of Aden Field Office

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

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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.

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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).

General Information
Title of Post:  Head of Aden Field Office
Grade: CST II
Supervisor: Head of Field operations
Unit/Division:  Field Operations
DUTY STATION (City, Country): Aden, Yemen
Duration of Contract: 11 months

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT: JOB PURPOSE:

WFP operations in the Southern Areas of Yemen are conducted in a highly complex, volatile, and high-risk operating environment. Protracted conflict, economic deterioration, climate-related shocks, and constrained access to essential services continue to drive widespread humanitarian needs. In Government of Yemen (GoY) controlled areas, approximately one in two people experience acute food insecurity, as declining household purchasing power, inflation, and disrupted livelihoods leave millions unable to meet their basic food needs.

Nearly 5.4 million people are experiencing IPC Phase 3 or above (Crisis or worse) acute food insecurity between June to September 2026, with 1.6 million people experiencing IPC Phase 4 (Emergency). Despite the harvest season, urgent needs are expected to persist from October–December 2026, with 5.4 million people in IPC Phase 3 or above and deepening severity. 

The Head of Field Office will provide strategic leadership and overall management of field office operations, ensuring the effective and efficient use of human, financial, and operational resources to deliver high-quality programme activities aligned with the approved Interim Country Strategic Plan (ICSP and organizational policies.

The role places a strong emphasis on fostering and sustaining strategic partnerships with government authorities, United Nations agencies, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), and WFP cooperating partners within the area of responsibility to strengthen coordination, enhance operational effectiveness, and maximize programme impact.

The incumbent will report directly to the Head of operations and will be responsible for the following tasks and responsibilities.
 

Leadership & Management

• Provide overall management and strategic guidance to the Field Office.

• Ensure Field office operations are effectively managed in accordance with WFP policies, procedures, and corporate standards.

• Overall management of human, financial, and administrative resources are efficiently utilized, with strong internal controls and compliance maintained.

• Ensure timely, high-quality programme implementation within budget and in line with the approved Interim Country Strategic Plan (ICSP), annual work plans, and donor requirements.

• Lead the Field Office team, ensuring a cohesive working environment and adherence to WFP values.

• Staff performance is effectively managed through coaching, performance planning, and professional development.

• Maintain strict oversight of operational risks, fraud mitigation, and compliance.

Operational Coordination

• Oversee day‑to‑day Field Office programme activities including:

  • Targeted Emergency Food Assistance (TEFA)

  • Livelihoods/Resilience

  • School feeding

  • Nutrition programmes

  • Logistics and warehouse operations

• Coordinate field-level emergency responses, assessments, or scale-ups as needed.

Monitoring, Accountability & Protection

• Ensure programmes are delivered according to WFP standards, protection principles, and "Do No Harm" approaches.

• Ensure high-quality monitoring of activities (onsite/offsite), following WFP RAM standards.

• Strengthen protection mainstreaming, gender, disability inclusion, and AAP within field operations.

• Ensure functionality of hotlines, complaint mechanisms, and escalation pathways.

• Conduct field visits to distribution sites, warehouses, and partner locations.

• Use operational evidence to improve programme performance and decision-making.

• Ensure recommendations from monitoring, audits, complaints mechanisms, and evaluations are addressed.

Administration, Budgeting & Compliance

• Oversee Field Office administrative functions including human resources, logistics support, travel, and petty cash.

• Ensure compliance with WFP rules, regulations, anti-fraud policies, and donor requirements.

• Ensure timely Field Office reporting (daily sitreps, weekly updates, M&E reports, partner performance).

Security Management

• Act as Security Focal Point for the Field Office.

• Ensure full compliance with UNDSS and WFP security protocols.

• Maintain incident reporting, access analysis, and staff movement planning.

• Maintain accountability for the safety of WFP staff, operations, facilities, and assets, ensuring compliance with established security protocols and active participation in the Area Security Management Team (ASMT).

External Relations & Representation

• Represent WFP at the local level with:

  • Authorities and Donors

  • Cooperating Partners

  • Community leaders

  • UN agencies and humanitarian clusters

  • Security and local coordination bodies

• Facilitate negotiation and access discussions in line with WFP principles and humanitarian standards.

• Actively contributes to inter-agency coordination forums.

Deliverables:

• Timely and efficient delivery of food assistance programs as per WFP guidelines.

• Comprehensive financial reports demonstrating transparent use of resources.

• Regular monitoring and evaluation reports for operational planning and decision-making.

• Weekly operational reports to Head of Field operations.

• Capacity-building training for WFP staff, partners, and local authorities on programme related issues such as targeting, registration etc.

Desired Skills

• Strong leadership and negotiation skills.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

• Ability to operate in high-risk, complex environments.

• Experience with WFP in-kind and CBT transfer modalities. SCOPE registrations, AAP, protection, and gender in operations.

Education:

Advanced University degree in Economics, business administration, social science, public health or other relevant fields.

Experience:

At least 5 years and above of experience in Managing an office, implementation of emergency response, Field operations management, Programme implementation and staff supervision.

Languages:

Fluency (level C) in English language.

Fluency in Arabic is an added 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.