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).
JOB TITLE: Partnerships Officer
TYPE OF CONTRACT: Consultant Level II
DUTY STATION: Washington D.C. U.S.A.
DURATION: 11 months
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The Partnerships Officer will be responsible for five main areas:
Team Leadership and Supervision: Provide strategic oversight and direct management of the USDA McGovern-Dole portfolio or the US Food for Peace programs, supervising a team and ensuring effective coordination across country portfolios. Resource Mobilization and Strategic Planning: Lead the development and execution of resource mobilization strategies to support program growth and sustainability. Donor Engagement and Partnership Development: Strengthen WFP’s positioning with USDA and cultivate high-quality partnerships that advance organizational priorities. Compliance, Process Optimization, and Capacity Building: Ensure operational compliance through the development of guidance and tools, while enhancing staff capacity via training and process improvement initiatives. Grants and Financial Management: Support Country Offices in managing USDA MGD or US Food for Peace awards in full compliance with donor requirements, ensuring sound financial oversight and reporting.
Team Leadership and Supervision
- Provide strategic direction and oversight for the USDA McGovern-Dole portfolio or US Food for Peace programs , ensuring effective coordination across WFP offices and alignment with donor policies and programmatic goals.
- Directly manage a portfolio of countries and supervise a team, offering guidance, support, and oversight to ensure high-quality implementation across all assigned portfolios.
- Foster a culture of accountability and performance by clearly communicating expectations, offering regular feedback, and supporting professional development through coaching and development planning.
- Proactively address performance issues, taking timely and appropriate action to support improvement and uphold team standards.
- Continuously seek to improve people management skills by soliciting feedback and implementing strategies for personal and team growth.
Resource Mobilization and Strategic Planning
- Lead the design and management of resource mobilization processes, providing strategic guidance and resourcing advice to senior leadership and developing tailored strategies for USDA.
- Coordinate the development and submission of McGovern-Dole or US Food for Peace proposals, working closely with HQ, Regional Offices, and Country Offices to ensure high-quality, timely submissions.
- Provide technical support to Country Offices in programme design, strategy development, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and budgeting, including leading workshops to support proposal development.
- Develop and maintain standardized templates and guidance materials to support consistent and effective proposal writing across the portfolio.
- Serve as a final reviewer for all USDA proposals, ensuring quality control and alignment with donor expectations prior to submission.
- Lead negotiations of USDA McGovern-Dole or US Food for Peace contributions and related legal frameworks, ensuring compliance with internal policies and donor regulations while advocating for favorable terms for WFP.
- Facilitate partnership growth by identifying opportunities to expand existing collaborations and initiate new ones, conducting due diligence and presenting strategic recommendations to senior management.
Donor Engagement and Partnership Development
- Build and maintain strong, transparent relationships with USDA and other partners by proactively communicating program risks, challenges, and opportunities.
- Serve as a liaison between WFP units and USDA, facilitating consistent information flow and expanding engagement across geographies, sectors, and projects.
- Coordinate and lead donor meetings, ensuring strategic alignment and effective representation of WFP’s priorities.
- Provide technical support and quality assurance to Country Offices and Regional Offices for donor deliverables, including semi-annual financial and performance reports, annual work plans, and evaluation products, ensuring timely and accurate submission.
- Develop and deliver training materials, guidance, and best practices related to donor deliverables, strengthening internal capacity for effective donor engagement.
- Collaborate with other functional units to align messaging and engagement strategies with the donor.
- Collect, analyze, and share partner intelligence using internal systems (e.g., WINGS, Salesforce, WFPGo) to inform strategic decision-making and partnership development.
- Advise WFP on the new Food for Peace process, as the entire in-kind humanitarian food aid portfolio has shifted to USDA from USAID/ State Dept.
Compliance, Process Optimization, and Capacity Building
- Develop, update, and disseminate guidance, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), tools, templates, and best practices to support Country Offices in operating in full compliance with USDA donor agreements and WFP processes.
- Prepare and deliver virtual and in-person trainings and orientations for Country Office and WAS staff on USDA compliance topics, including applications, funding proposals, risk management, and award terms.
- Provide technical support and problem-solving assistance by investigating grant and award histories, and liaising with relevant teams across WAS, Country Offices, Regional Offices, and Headquarters.
- Leverage data and insights from internal systems and engagements to identify trends, inform process improvements, and develop innovative solutions that enhance donor compliance and partnership value.
- Promote the use of digital tools and technologies to collect, analyze, and share data-driven insights that support continuous learning and operational excellence across the USDA portfolio.
Grants and Financial Management
- Provide advanced technical support on grants and financial systems, troubleshooting complex issues and contributing to the design and implementation of system improvements.
- Lead and support training initiatives for staff on McGovern-Dole or US Food for Peace budgeting and grants management processes to ensure consistent understanding and application.
- Assist Country Offices in developing project budgets and monitor expenditures throughout the award lifecycle to ensure alignment with donor requirements and financial targets.
- Oversee and ensure accuracy of grants management entries in WINGS for USDA-related contributions, maintaining compliance with internal and donor standards.
- Maintain internal tracking databases, analyze program and financial reports to support informed decision-making, and proactively address budgetary challenges as they arise.
Education
Bachelor's Degree Required; Master's Degree in International Affairs or related field preferred.
Experience
Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in partnerships or fundraising for an internationally focused organization .
Knowledge & Skills
- Writing and Compliance: Strong experience in writing and managing grant proposals and awards, with a thorough understanding of US compliance and general requirements.
Project Management: Excellent project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and collaborate across teams.
- Financial Acumen: Experience with developing and monitoring programme budgets, ensuring compliance with donor guidelines and financial reporting requirements.
- Sector Knowledge: Solid understanding of the UN system, WFP, US government agencies and food aid and agricultural policies in general.
- Technical Knowledge: Knowledge of and experience with USDA McGovern Dole school feeding programs or US Food for Peace programs is highly preferred.
Languages
Fluency (level C) English. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second UN language is a plus.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
This position is offered as a Consultant Level II role with remuneration aligned to WFP consultancy rates. This vacancy may be used to fill additional roles.
Applicants must already have valid US work authorization as WFP is not able to sponsor visas for this position.
WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK
WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.
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.