DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS24 July 2025-23:59-GMT+03:00 Eastern European Time (Damascus)
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 worldโs 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).
COUNTRY CONTEXT AND RESPONSE
Syria stands at a pivotal moment. After over a decade of conflict, sanctions, and economic collapse, the country is now experiencing early signs of potential recovery. The formation of an interim government more aligned with global markets and international development frameworks has opened up avenues for transformative change, particularly in building sustainable and nationally owned social protection systems.
Despite this momentum, the challenges are immense: widespread poverty, economic contraction, collapsing purchasing power, climate-related shocks, and massive displacement. Syria's social fabric remains fragile, with 90% of the population below the poverty line and nearly 14 million people facing food insecurity, 3 million of which are severely food insecure. Social protection interventions are essential to prevent the widening of the poverty gap, address child malnutrition, and ensure a transition from emergency response to long-term human capital investment.
WFP is uniquely positioned to lead this shift. Leveraging its extensive operational reach, data systems, trusted partnerships, and evidence-based programming, WFP is supporting the Government in reforming and operationalising inclusive, adaptive, and nationally owned social protection systems.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
Social protection is an increasingly popular strategy for governments to reduce extreme poverty, hunger and inequality.
As a global leader in fighting hunger and malnutrition worldwide, often in very difficult contexts, the World Food Programme (WFP) is increasingly called upon by governments to support national social protection systems. In 2019, WFP partnered with governments in 75 countries to support their national social protection systems, making support to social protection an integral part of WFP's activities in most of the countries where it operates.
Since the Syria transition in December 2024, social protection in Syria has undergone rapid and profound changes. The immediate removal of subsidies on essentials like bread, cooking and heating fuel, and fuel for vehicles has been the most significant shift. Due to liquidity issues. pension payments are delayed due to investigations into ghost caseload. A temporary freeze on bank transactions further strains finances, and ongoing liquidity. The Government of Syria is currently adapting and putting in place new social protection schemes for its citizens.
Through its triple role as a technical advisor, service provider and complementary actor, WFP is supporting these efforts, as it works with governments to extend the coverage, comprehensiveness, adequacy and quality of national social protection systems, with the aim to ensure that all people have access, throughout their lives, to strong national social protection systems that safeguard and foster their ability to meet their food security, nutrition and associated essential needs, and to reduce and address the risks and shocks they face.JOB PURPOSE
To deliver against the above, the Country Office is seeking a Social Protection Programme Policy Officer (NOC) to support manage its social protection programmes. The incumbent will operate under the direct supervision of the Team Lead for Social Protection. The incumbent is required to advance WFP Syria's social protection strategy and programming, guiding the shift from humanitarian assistance to a nationally led social protection framework. This includes policy dialogue with the interim government, design and scale-up of transitional safety nets, technical assistance to national systems (e.g., registries, targeting, shock-responsive mechanisms), and integration of school feeding and nutrition into broader human capital investments.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):
Act as the country office social protection focal point, ensuring a clear and strong connection between the field operations, Regional Bureau, and HQ.
Translate corporate and regional policies and strategies pertinent to social protection into country-level practices.
Contribute to formulation of the Country Strategic Plan in line with WFP's corporate and regional policies and strategies on social protection, as well as Executive Board decisions and other relevant guidance.
Support in the development and implementation of WFP's social protection strategy in Syria, aligning with government priorities and the wider UN system.
Assist government counterparts identify and analyze policy problems and provide - or mobilize - support and technical expertise for the design and delivery of suitable social protection solutions.
Establish and maintain strategic and operational partnerships for complementary and collaborative approaches and initiatives that improve social protection and support related advocacy work within all relevant audiences.
Oversee the implementation and scale-up of WFP's transitional safety nets (e.g., bread subsidy, TANMU, school meals etc).
Provide technical oversight to cash-based transfer (CBT) initiatives that align with social protection objectives.
Drive innovation, including pilots on adaptive safety nets, macro-insurance, and social registry development.
Enhance WFP's leadership status in different forums pertinent to social protection.
Manage operational research and evidence building on issues relevant to social protection.
Manage the preparation and dissemination of timely analytical and critical reports, publications, and a variety of knowledge products or proposals for internal or external use that position and strengthen the credibility of WFP as a partner in social protection.
Support in building and managing strategic partnerships with the World Bank,
donors, IFIs, and government counterparts for co-financing and joint programming.Contribute to proposal development, donor reporting, and resource mobilisation strategies for social protection.
Advise and support the design of learning initiatives that enhance the capacity of WFP staff and partners to engage in social protection-relevant policy dialogues, programme design and delivery.
Other as required.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Education: Advanced University degree in Public Policy, Public Administration, International Development, International Relations, Sociology, or other fields relevant to social protection, or a First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
Experience: 5 or more years of professional experience relevant to social protection, preferably contributing to food security and/or nutrition objectives:
- Has experience working across the policy cycle.
- Has experience working across various programme types relevant to social protection (e.g. cash-transfer programmes, school feeding, public works/food assistance for assets, insurance programmes).
Knowledge & Skills:
- Understanding of Agenda 2030 and respective targets - particularly SDG1, SDG2 and SDG17 - and how the work of WFP can contribute to achieving them.
- Understanding of WFP's mandate, Country Strategic Planning process, intervention modalities, programme and project lifecycle tools, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation is desirable.
- Knowledge of current thinking and developments in the field of social protection and public policy.
- Knowledge of current thinking and developments in country capacity strengthening and effective knowledge transfer models, concepts and principles.
- Knowledge of key national and regional contexts and issues.
- Aptitude for supervising, guiding and empowering staff.
- Ability to develop and maintain relationships with a variety of stakeholders, conveying an informed and professional demeanour toward internal and external partners and stakeholders.
- Ability to analyse quantitative and qualitative information to understand current and future social protection needs and identify solutions.
- Learning agility, and appetite for exploring and experimenting with new ideas and approaches.
- Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality written outputs and ability to present in English and the working language.
- Ability to work independently in a timely and organised manner.
- Moderate to proficient computer literacy.
Language: Fluency (level C) in English language and the duty stationโs language, if different.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
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.