DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS17 July 2025-23:59-GMT+03:00 East Africa Time (Nairobi)
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 ASSIGNEMENT:
The World Food Programme (WFP) Somalia, with support from KOICA, is implementing a multi-year programme in Somaliland focused on strengthening food systems resilience, enhancing climate adaptation, and supporting sustainable community livelihoods. Given the current travel restrictions for Korean nationals in Somalia, WFP is recruiting a national officer of Korean nationality, to be based in Nairobi, with regular travel to Hargeisa. This position will serve as a key technical and coordination resource, supporting effective project implementation, donor visibility efforts, and strategic partnerships.
In Nairobi, WFP Somalia maintains key units for Partnerships and Budget, and Programming, which serve as the operational bridge with external partners and donors. These units lead strategic engagement with resourcing and advocacy partners, including donor partnerships, proposal development, and reporting, and ensure strategic coherence across funding streams. The Nairobi-based team work directly and closely with the wider Country Office team, including those directly managing the KOICA-funded project implemented in Hargeisa, to ensure programmatic alignment, accountability, and timely delivery.
The incumbent will be supervised by the Head of Climate-Smart Food Systems, based in Mogadishu, and will be an integral member of the WFP Somalia Food Systems team. The position will provide a direct interface between Nairobi-based partnership engagement functions and field-level implementation in Somaliland, ensuring that KOICA-supported interventions receive strong technical, operational, and visibility support within WFP’s broader resilience portfolio.
Purpose of the Assignment
To support coordination, oversight, and technical backstopping of the KOICA-funded project in Somaliland, while contributing to donor visibility, reporting, and broader resilience-focused programming. The officer will serve as a liaison between WFP Somalia, KOICA, and Korean stakeholders, and—being based in Nairobi—will also support coordination with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other regional donors and partners.
The scope will further include technical contributions and quality assurance across related resilience, climate adaptation, and food systems initiatives, ensuring programmatic coherence, operational synergy, and alignment with donor priorities.
In addition, the officer will play a key role in monitoring, promoting, and integrating environmental and social safeguards across project design and implementation stages—ensuring adherence to WFP’s E&S standards and donor compliance requirements.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under the direct supervision of the HOP and the overall direction of the Head of the AO, the Food Systems Associate will:
Responsibilities will include:
Key Accountabilities (not all-inclusive)
Project Coordination and Oversight
- Support planning, implementation, and tracking of KOICA-funded project activities, in close coordination with the Hargeisa Area Office.
- Conduct field visits to Hargeisa to engage with communities, monitor progress, and support quality assurance.
Technical Support – Resilience and Climate Programming
- Provide technical input to field teams on resilience, integrated asset creation, and food systems strengthening.
- Promote climate-smart approaches such as water harvesting, soil regeneration, and sustainable agriculture.
Donor Relations and Visibility
- Liaise regularly with KOICA representatives and the Korean Embassy in Nairobi.
- Coordinate KOICA visibility efforts, including success stories, social media, and event planning.
- Serve as a liaison with the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) regional teams and support the coordination of AfDB-funded activities within Somalia’s resilience portfolio.
Reporting and Documentation
- Draft and contribute to donor reports, briefs, and updates.
- Ensure accuracy and alignment with KOICA expectations.
Resource Mobilization and Strategic Partnerships
- Support development of concept notes and proposals for future KOICA and other donors collaboration.
- Map and engage key development stakeholders in the region to explore synergies.
- Explore new partnerships with technical and financing institutions in the region, including development banks and research entities.
Environmental and Social Safeguards
- Ensure the integration of environmental and social safeguards (E&S) in project planning and implementation, in line with WFP and donor standards.
- Conduct safeguard risk assessments and support mitigation planning for community-based and infrastructure activities.
- Build capacity of field teams and partners on E&S compliance and documentation.
Administrative and Operational Support
- Assist with logistics, mission planning, documentation, and coordination across teams.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
EDUCATION: University degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Agronomy, Environment and Climate Change, Rural Development, or other field relevant to international development assistance, OR First University Degree with additional years of relevant work experience and/or trainings/courses.
EXPERIENCE: A minimum of three (3) years of relevant professional work experience combined with an advanced university degree, OR first university degree accompanied by at least five (5) years of relevant experience. Experience should be primarily in project implementation within agriculture, rural livelihoods/development, or food systems development. Proven field experience working directly with communities, local authorities, and implementing partners is essential. Prior experience collaborating with or reporting to donors—particularly KOICA—or with the World Food Programme (WFP) is considered an asset. Familiarity with the East African context or Korean-funded programming is highly preferred.
LANGUAGES: Strong written and spoken communication skills (Korean and English required).
KNOWLEDGE& SKILLS:
- Strong knowledge of rural livelihoods, agricultural value chains, and smallholder support strategies.
- Understanding of Somalia’s socio-economic and Agro-ecological context, particularly the challenges facing food systems.
- Knowledge of resilience, livelihoods, or climate adaptation programming.
- Excellent coordination, interpersonal, and intercultural skills.
- Willingness to travel to Somaliland as needed (subject to security clearance).
- Ability to work independently and as part of a multicultural team.
- Practical experience in planning and implementing community-based interventions.
- The ability to build relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders including communities, NGOs, and government institutions.
- Strong interpersonal skills, cultural sensitivity, and a team-oriented mindset.
- Excellent planning and organizational abilities, with attention to detail.
This position is open to qualified South Korean nationals candidates Only. Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply. WFP Somalia offers female-friendly spaces in the workplace.
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: [email protected]
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
- We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
- Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
- Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
- Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
- Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
- Please contact us at [email protected] in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
- Only shortlisted candidates will be notified
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.
