Programme Assistant Monaragala district

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

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:

The World Food Programme (WFP) has been an active partner of the Government of Sri Lanka since 1968. Its mission in the country has been to combat malnutrition, bolster food access for families, and enhance the productivity and incomes of smallholder farmers.
WFP launched its second-generation Country Strategic Plan (CSP) with a US$105 million budget spanning 2023-2027. This plan is designed to address immediate food and nutrition needs while laying the groundwork for medium- to long-term solutions. Its focus is on building resilient food systems and improving nutritional standards. The CSP is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Sri Lanka (2023-2027) and directly contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2): Zero Hunger.

The CSP aims to achieve the following:
1. Enhanced Food Security: Vulnerable Sri Lankans have access to adequate and nutritious food through robust social safety nets and other support mechanisms.
2. Improved Nutrition: Targeted groups in Sri Lanka benefit from strengthened nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific programs, prioritizing the critical first 8,000 days of life.
3. Resilient Communities: Sri Lankan communities are better equipped to withstand natural hazards, climate change, and other risks, with improved livelihood sustainability.
4. Strengthened Institutional Capacity: National and subnational institutions, as well as key stakeholders, have enhanced capacity to foster adaptive and resilient food systems, ultimately improving food security and nutrition.

WFP Sri Lanka’s CSP is committed to addressing the root causes of food insecurity and malnutrition. It supports long-term recovery and resilience while maintaining a robust emergency response capacity.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive)
To provide specialized and/or standardized policy and programme-related processes and activities to support the effective delivery of assistance packages at the field, while providing technical analyses to programme activities under the CSP.
The Programme Associate, under the direct supervision of the Programme Policy Officer - Field Operations will be accountable to:

1. Perform specialized and/or standardized processes and activities within the specific technical area of work, providing technical support and assistance in the implementation of various activities, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidelines.
2. Provide project management support to specific and/or defined programmes and general office support, ensuring activities are performed within established targets and WFP’s policies and procedures.
3. Within the specific area of responsibility, compile data, support analysis, and prepare a range of reports highlighting trends/issues and ensuring deliverables adhere to corporate standards and quality control to support operational decision-making.

Ensure and/or perform accurate and timely recording of data within the specific technical area of work and maintain consistency of information presented to stakeholders, following corporate standards and guidelines.
5. Work and exchange information with internal counterparts, liaising as needed, to support effective collaboration, implementation, and monitoring of ongoing project activities.
6. Support communication and coordination with local partners, agencies, NGOs, and government institutions to perform accurate analyses and ensure efficient delivery of assistance.
7. Act as a point of contact for resolution of a range of operational queries and problems within a specific technical area of responsibility, requesting assistance where necessary.
8. Support the capacity building of WFP staff, cooperating partners, and national government within the specific technical area.
9. Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to ensure WFP is able to quickly respond and deploy needed resources to affected areas at the onset of a crisis.
10. Perform any other official tasks assigned by the supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
Completion of secondary school education. NVQ level 4 or a post-secondary certificate in agriculture / construction related functional area is desirable. In addition, the following competencies are required:

Programme Lifecycle & Food Assistance - Can facilitate implementation of food assistance programmes under guidance using basic understanding of principles and good practices of programme design, implementation and monitoring.
Transfer Modalities (Food, Cash, Vouchers) - Demonstrates ability to facilitate, under guidance, food assistance programme implementation that deploys full range of transfer modalities with an understanding of basic principles guiding modality selection and implementation.

Knowledge of Specialized Areas - Understands basic technical concepts and data and their relevance to food assistance programmes.
Emergency Programming - Displays capacity to provide inputs into the development, implementation and realignment of high-quality emergency programmes.
Strategic Policy Engagement w/Govt - Understands and applies basic principles of engagement with government counterparts at the national or local level.

Experience:

• At least five years relevant working experience in the districts or equitant.

• Has contributed to implementation of programmes at the field by working with the Government, private sector or civil society.

• Familiar with participatory approaches to advance food and nutrition security.

• Previous experience on resilience building would be an advantage.

Languages:

• Proficient in oral and written English communication, with strong written and oral communication skills in the Sinhala language (required at the district).

Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong interpersonal, communication and collaboration skills and proven ability to be flexible in a team-oriented approach with diverse groups of people.

• Strong analytic and problem-solving skills.

• Excellent planning, organizational and time management skills.

• Proven ability to efficiently and effectively handle multiple tasks at the same time.

• Computer literate.

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 dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our recruitment process is inclusively crafted to welcome candidates of all backgrounds, celebrating diversity and ensuring a respectful environment for all. We aim for an accessible and fair recruitment journey. Should you need any reasonable accommodations or have accessibility concerns, please reach out to us confidentially at global.inclusion@wfp.org. Our DEI team is here to ensure your full participation in our recruitment process.

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 global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org 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.