DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
11 September 2026-23:59-GMT+05:30 India Standard Time (Colombo)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).
ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT:
These jobs are part of Global Headquarters (GHQ) and/or Country Offices (COs). Job holders typically provide administrative support to team(s) and/or support a specific business stream, and report to the relevant Assistant or designate. At this level, work is carried out under close supervision, and job holders are expected to produce organized and accurate work.
Demonstrated capacity to support Anticipatory Action and community based asset creation programmes through cash based transfers (CBT). All activities are expected to contribute directly to the World Food Programme (WFP) Sri Lanka’s Country Strategic Plan (CSP) outcomes, particularly:
Outcome 1 – Emergency Support: Vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka meet their food, nutrition and other essential needs during and after crises.
Outcome 2 – Resilience: Strengthening community resilience to climate-related and other shocks through sustainable asset creation and disaster preparedness.
JOB PURPOSE:
WFP is implementing a USD 7.5 million Macro grant in Sri Lanka to assist 87,000 people (21,750 households) through cash transfers, anticipatory action, and logistics support. The programme prioritizes districts most affected by Cyclone Ditwah while maintaining flexibility to expand based on evolving humanitarian needs. Two key components involve direct cash transfers:
Anticipatory Action (AA): Pre-financing support to 12,500 flood-prone households in Ampara, enabling preparedness before disasters strike
Food Assistance for Assets (FFA): Conditional cash transfers to 9,250 households for rehabilitating irrigation infrastructure damaged by Cyclone Ditwah.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive):
1. Cash Transfer Administration
Support beneficiary registration and profiling in SCOPE and other WFP systems.
Assist in preparing and verifying beneficiary lists for FFA and AA activities.
Track cash transfer disbursements and maintain accurate records of payments.
Support compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by ensuring documentation and records align with WFP standards.
2. Programme Documentation & Reporting
Collect, sort, and disseminate correspondence, reports, and programme materials related to FFA and AA.
Support preparation of monitoring reports, post-distribution data, and community feedback documentation.
Maintain organized filing systems for programme records, ensuring accessibility and compliance.
Contribute to documentation of lessons learned and support inputs into programme exit strategies.
3. Data Entry & Monitoring Support
Undertake routine data entry tasks for beneficiary information, cash transfer tracking, and monitoring results.
Assist in compiling programme statistics and indicators for reporting to donors and government counterparts.
Provide administrative support to field monitoring missions, including preparation of checklists and data entry from oversight visits.
4. Coordination & Communication
Liaise with field staff, implementing partners, and government agencies to facilitate smooth programme operations.
Respond to routine queries from cooperating partners, escalating complex issues to supervisors.
Provide administrative support to coordination forums (e.g., Cash Working Group, Logistics Working Group) as required.
Support Supply Chain unit for workshops, training sessions, and coordination meetings related to FFA and AA.
5. Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM)
Remain informed of the functioning of WFP’s CFM to ensure alignment with accountability standards.
Receive and log beneficiary queries that may be raised through or alongside the CFM.
Correct or support resolution of transfer‑related discrepancies when identified through beneficiary feedback.
6. Protection and Accountability Integration
Support coordination with the protection and beneficiary accountability unit to ensure CBT activities align with corporate guidance.
Ensure that beneficiary queries and feedback are handled with sensitivity and confidentiality, in line with WFP’s accountability principles.
OTHER POST REQUIREMENTS
Familiarity with cash-transfer programmes and digital beneficiary management systems (e.g., SCOPE).
Ability to handle sensitive beneficiary data with strict adherence to WFP’s data protection and privacy standards.
Willingness to undertake field missions to support programme monitoring and beneficiary engagement.
Strong organizational skills to manage multiple streams of programme documentation and reporting.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
Education: Advanced University degree (master’s degree)
Experience: At least one (1) year of Postgraduate Professional Experience (experience in a managerial/ supervisory/advisory and/ or in a decision-making role) in the relevant field is required.
(Having three (3) years with the advanced university degree (master’s), or bachelor’s degree with Five (5) years or additional years of related work experience and/ or trainings/courses at national or international level, in the fields of humanitarian or development contexts. And experience with cash-transfer programmes is an asset).
Knowledge & Skills:
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and standard office equipment.
Ability to follow standard business support processes and procedures.
Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
Knowledge of digital beneficiary management systems (SCOPE, Kobo, ODK) desirable.
Language:
Fluency in oral and written communication in English, as well as Sinhala or Tamil.
Position Title: Programme Policy Officer - Cash Base Transfer (SC 8)
Contract Type: Service Contract
Duty Station: Colombo,Sri Lanka
Nationality: Sri Lankan nationals Only
Date of Publication: 28.08.2026
Deadline of Application: 11.09.2026
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.