Programme Officer (Social Protection) - SC9

Company: World Food Programme (WFP)

Location: Dodoma, Tanzania

Job Requisition ID: JR119463

Application Deadline: 26 January 2026, 23:59 GMT+03:00 East Africa Time (Dar es Salaam)

About WFP

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, dedicated to 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. Our vision for 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. We live WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and work with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

Learn more about WFP: https://www.wfp.org 

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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 various country, regional, and global offices worldwide, collaborating with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions globally.

• We offer an attractive compensation package.

Job Title: Programme Officer (Social Protection)

Type of Contract: Service Contract / SC-9

Unit/Division: Programme Unit

Duty Station: Dodoma, Tanzania

Duration: 12 Months

Background and Purpose of the Assignment

WFP's Strategic Plan is guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). In Tanzania, WFP’s Country Strategic Programme (CSP 2022-2027) supports the Government in ensuring crisis-affected populations meet essential food and nutrition needs and build resilience to shocks by 2027. WFP provides technical assistance to national government institutions to enhance their monitoring and response capabilities.

Tanzania has made significant progress in its social protection system, with new policies aimed at strengthening services for vulnerable populations. The Tanzania Country Office (CO) is implementing the Adaptive Social Protection Project as part of the Changing Lives Transformation Fund (CLTF), aiming to make social protection programmes more adaptive and responsive to climate shocks by enhancing delivery mechanisms.

Purpose of the Assignment

This role supports the CLTF Adaptive Social Protection initiative, ensuring effective integration of social protection, resilience, and climate adaptation strategies. The Programme Associate (Social Protection) will be instrumental in delivering capacity strengthening initiatives for government institutions and partners, focusing on WFP’s Social Protection Policy building blocks, including delivery mechanisms, shock-responsive approaches, and linkages to climate resilience.

The Programme Associate will ensure WFP’s support aligns with national policies and systems, strengthening coordination platforms and fostering strategic partnerships. The incumbent will facilitate stakeholder engagement and collaboration with WFP teams and local authorities to ensure coherent implementation and dissemination of CLTF initiatives.

Key Accountabilities

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Social Protection Officer and Activity 2 Manager, the incumbent will leverage technical expertise in social protection programme design and implementation and maintain strong engagement with national actors. The Programme Associate (Social Protection) will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Serve as the social protection focal point at WFP’s Liaison Office in Dodoma, ensuring effective communication between field operations and the Country Office.

• Represent WFP in relevant technical working groups and forums, fostering strategic partnerships with government institutions, UN agencies, and other stakeholders engaged in social protection.

• Design a stakeholder engagement strategy based on an updated mapping of national actors, systems, and programmes relevant to social protection and resilience.

Technical Programme Design and Implementation

• Support collaboration with WFP teams for the design, adaptation, and implementation of social protection programmes integrating food security, DRR, anticipatory action, nutrition, and resilience objectives.

• Provide technical inputs to programme frameworks, operational guidelines, and delivery mechanisms, including targeting, financing social protection, cash transfer models, integrated beneficiary registries, digital social protection systems, and public works, ensuring alignment with national social protection strategies and systems.

• Contribute to the development of innovative approaches for adaptive and shock-responsive social protection, linking to disaster risk management and climate resilience.

Capacity Strengthening and Policy Support

• Lead the design and roll-out of national and sub-national training programmes and simulations on social protection.

• Support capacity-building initiatives for government institutions, partners, and WFP staff on social protection, adaptive systems, and linkages with resilience and disaster risk management.

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• Assist government counterparts and social protection coordination groups in assessing gaps and designing evidence-based solutions for inclusive and effective social protection systems.

Research, Analysis, and Knowledge Management

• Contribute to analytical work to inform programme design and policy dialogue, including assessments, feasibility studies, and evaluations.

• Prepare and disseminate high-quality reports, policy briefs, and knowledge products that position WFP as a thought leader and trusted partner in social protection.

Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

• Support engagement with government, donors, and development partners to strengthen collaboration and mobilize resources for social protection initiatives.

• Contribute to the development of proposals and concept notes for funding opportunities.

• Perform any other tasks as required to advance WFP’s social protection objectives.

Qualifications & Experience Required

Education

• Advanced degree in International Development, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Anthropology, Sociology, Economics, or other related field, OR a first University Degree with additional years of related work experience.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in social protection programming, including experience with national programmes, policies, strategies, and institutional structures.

• Proven experience in the design and implementation of social protection programmes.

• Strong technical knowledge of social protection policy frameworks, delivery mechanisms, financing mechanisms, M&E systems, and linkages with food security and resilience.

• Experience with adaptive and shock-responsive systems will be valued.

• Demonstrated ability to work with national actors, including government ministries, social protection agencies, and development partners.

• Additional experience around food security, humanitarian response, and Cash Based Transfer (CBT) will be valued.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong analytical and communication skills with the ability to translate complex concepts into actionable strategies.

• Ability to lead planning and coordination with multi-stakeholder projects.

• Stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills.

• Experience guiding multi-sectoral assessments, advocacy, and representation.

• Monitoring and reporting skills.

Languages

• Fluency in English and Swahili.

WFP Leadership Framework

The WFP Leadership Framework guides the common standards of behaviour 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 exercise particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

Reminders Before You Submit Your Application

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs or spontaneous applications by email.

• If you experience challenges while submitting your online application, please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org for technical support only. Please note that applications sent to this email address cannot be considered.

• 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.

• Kindly note that 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.

• 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.