Programme Policy Officer – Food Systems & Market Access, CST II at WFP Tanzania

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS 14 September 2025-23:59-GMT+03:00 East Africa Time (Dar es Salaam)

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.

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).

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme and the general guidance of the Deputy Country Director, the incumbent will be responsible to lead WFP Tanzania Strategic Outcome 3 (SO3) and manage its portfolio, coordinating and overseeing the implementation of resilience, livelihood and value chain activities, and develop and foster internal and external partnerships. He/she will coordinate projects and teams implementing Smallholder Agriculture Market Support (SAMS), the Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA) and Climate Resilience (CR) projects. In addition, the incumbent will supervise the work of implementing partners and provide technical advice on agribusiness, agriculture extension and post-harvest management, agriculture marketing and agriculture policy engagement, and support to the field teams in the areas of Climate Resilient Agriculture, Livelihoods and its linkages and integrations to nutrition and supply chain outcomes. In addition, the incumbent will be expected to engage with different line ministries and other strategic stakeholders to advocate for policy alignment to the needs of the smallholder farmers.

This position will also build and strengthen partnerships between WFP and local and international, public, and private organizations and institutions working in market-focused agricultural development, post-harvest handling, good agricultural practices for the overall goal to improve access to resilient livelihood and markets for smallholder farmers/farmers’ organizations.

The staff member will be based in Dar es Salaam, with frequent travel to Dodoma and other regions of implementation in Tanzania.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Oversee the SO3 unit, coordinating across smallholder agricultural market support (SAMS), including Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA), and climate resilience activities, providing strategic leadership, technical oversight and strong project and management of a specialized team.
• Ensure the implementation of all projects are on track as per donor requirements, providing technical guidance and support to the team, and identifying and addressing any challenges, building capacity of WFP staff and partners in the process, utilizing M&E data to inform and improve programming.
• Engage with current and potential donors to ensure that technical updates and reports are provided in a timely manner and contribute to WFP’s fundraising efforts by leading and supporting proposal development, developing key messages and talking points, and preparing internal and external reports.
• Maintain a strong profile for WFP’s work through active engagement in the agriculture policy space in Tanzania, and through participation in the main meetings and coordination groups, including the Agricultural Sector Working Group, and ensuring linkages with relevant line ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture.
• Support the government to strengthen and advance national initiatives, including the development and review of national government policies, action plans, protocols, and guidelines
• Collaborate closely with key partners (such as UN, IFIs, private sector) in the implementation of all activities.
• Develop and lead the finalization and implementation of a Climate Resilience and Smallholder Agriculture Market Support strategy in coordination with CO units and partners.
• Work with supply chain to support the development of business linkages amongst targeted smallholders, farmers organizations, cooperatives, low-income farmers, aggregators, off-takers and other potential markets beyond WFP.
• Develop the capacity of supported households and smallholder farmers through targeted trainings and workshops to ensure they gain valuable skills in production, marketing, and business development, and support local food procurement policies for surplus producing smallholder farmers. 
• Support integration of nutrition sensitivity and enhanced gender, youth and protection mainstreaming within the SO3 portfolio.
• Provide strategic guidance on knowledge and adoption of climate services, climate smart and regenerative agriculture practices, mechanization and innovative technologies among smallholders and nutritious food value chain actors to build resilience against climate change and other shocks.
• Perform other related duties as required.

KEY DELIVERABLES:

• Results for relevant projects are achieved in line with plans.
• Project implementation is aligned with the approved workplans and budgets.
• Project staffing structure is in place to meet the expected results, and staff are supported and capacitated to fulfil their responsibilities.
• Projects incorporate elements of nutrition, social protection, gender, youth, supply chain capacity and innovation in line with the objectives of the Country Strategic Plan.
• Relevant reporting requirements have been met.
• WFP local procurement agreements and partnership opportunities are aligned with smallholder farmer activities and approaches.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE:

• At least 8 to 10 years of post-graduate work experience in agri-business or agriculture economics and agriculture value chains development.
• Proven experience in planning and implementing smallholder farmer projects, including support and capacity building of partners at national or sub-national levels.
• Proven experience in donor liaison and proposal writing for resource mobilization.
• Ability to lead, coach and motivate teams for efficient and effective delivery of results.
• Demonstrated knowledge of small and medium enterprises, smallholder procurement and commercial agriculture.
• Strong oral and written communication skills to ensure WFP strategies and projects are well articulated to all stakeholders including beneficiaries, partners, local governments, ministries, and donors.
• Ability to assimilate and analyze complex issues using independent judgment.
• Negotiation skills with the ability to influence at senior levels within and beyond the organization.
• Tact and ability to work harmoniously with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Resourcefulness, initiative and problem-solving skills, strong client orientation for value chain stakeholders.
• Knowledge of various aspects of financial services and modelling.
• Strong analytical and writing capacity, including the ability to produce high quality reports, presentations, and knowledge products.

STANDARD MINIMUM ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

Master’s degree in international Affairs, Agriculture Economics, Agribusiness Management, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture Science, Environmental Science, Social Sciences, Agronomy, Business Administration, or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Language:

Fluency (level C) in English language. Knowledge of Kiswahili language would be an advantage.

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:  [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.

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