Beirut - Programme Policy Officer (Livelihoods) SC 8

Organizational Context:

The post is based in Beirut Country Office, Livelihoods Unit. The incumbent reports to the Head of Livelihoods.

Job Purpose

Within the wider Livelihood Programme, the Programme Policy Officer (Livelihoods) is to manage WFP’s portfolio on food systems efficiency and inclusiveness, including food-assistance for training, value chain upgrading, and micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) strengthening.  

Key Responsibilities (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive):

Under the supervision of the Head of Livelihoods, the incumbent will perform the following tasks:

1. Lead WFP Lebanon’s capacity strengthening activities ensuring efficiency and inclusion of food systems through WFP’s food assistance for training modality, agricultural value chain development, and ensuring market linkages, both at the strategic and operational levels in consultation with Country Office (CO) Livelihood Unit colleagues, regional bureau, and headquarters. 

• Plan a comprehensive capacity development portfolio, including, but not limited to, food-assistance for training, food systems, and value chain upgrading activities,
• Contribute to the development and implementation of innovative livelihood initiatives that are both operational and analytical such as a recovery context analysis, systems to expand market opportunities and channels, and new training modalities for vulnerable communities,
• Ensure implementation of WFP funded projects according to Field Level Agreements with partners,
• Liaise with cooperating partners and undertake field visits to monitor project outputs and project quality in order to ensure that progress is made in the Terms of Reference Service Contract (SC) achieving project objectives and ensuring compliance with WFP's policies, criteria and procedures,
• Support the identification of appropriate project activities and geographical areas where WFP's livelihoods and resilience strengthening activities can be usefully employed,
• Support sub-offices in the implementation and coordination with cooperating partners in the field to ensure proper implementation of livelihood activities adhering to WFP processes and standards of work,
• Support the preparation of expenditure outlooks, budget allocations and financial planning/management of specific livelihood grants and the drafting of donor proposals and budgets in consultation with other internal units (e.g. Budget and Programme, External Relations),
• Support the Country Office VAM/M&E team to design and develop relevant M&E tools for livelihoods and resilience projects for output and outcome results measurement, as well as support the interpretation of analyzed data for various strategic and operational reporting and objectives,
• Review project proposals, progress reports and cooperating partners’ monthly reports to capture lessons learned, challenges and project outcomes and outputs. Contribute to the development of progress reports and thematic reports for advocacy and resource mobilization efforts. Provide guidance to partners in developing monthly and final reports to capture project inputs and outputs,
• Coordinate with operative industry expert the pilot operations, while ensuring high-quality execution and success of activities,
• Manage relations and administrative duties with and for project participants as well as monitoring of project activities in direct coordination with WFP’s sub-office,
• Participate and carry out discussions with senior managers in other divisions or external stakeholders on topics related to the pilot and its potential scale up,
• Support project pilot, testing and improvements as required.

1. Build a community of practice to capture and share knowledge, including capturing lessons learnt and best practices from implementation of activities, sharing of training material, and exchange of assessments, with Government, UN, NGO, and civil society actors,

• Liaise with local governmental and humanitarian organizations as well as the private sector for potential partnerships and cooperation,
• Catalyse and build local capacity of local innovation and tech community to act as partners to drive forward innovations with the goal to achieve zero hunger,
• Liaise with any WFP’s external partners and act as their local focal point to ensure smooth cooperation.

1. Expand the scale and scale of WFP interventions in the wider food system

• Building upon lessons learnt and best practices from the programme, develop policy, advocacy and position papers to demonstrate WFP Lebanon’s thought leadership in leveraging the wider food system for job creation, income generation, and wider access of food for consumers,
• Facilitate the development of partnerships both at strategic and operational level between WFP and vulnerable people, communities, their organizations, NGOs, local authorities and UN agencies engaged in the areas of livelihoods, resilience and food security,
• Participate in any relevant livelihood, resilience technical and coordination forums and mechanism with stakeholders,
• Support in the coordination and liaison with relevant ministries and government stakeholders to ensure alignment of WFP’s Livelihood Programme with national priorities and wider strategies,
• Perform other related duties as required.

Standard Minimum Qualifications:    

Education: Advanced University degree in the field of Business Administration, Economics, Management, Innovation Consultancy, Development studies, Agriculture or other related fields or First University degree with additional relevant work experience and/or training/course.

Experience: Advanced University degree (masters or higher) with at least four (4) years of post-graduate professional experience in livelihoods, food systems and/or development programming, project management, technical and vocational education and training, and private sector, startup, and other innovative initiatives supporting job; or First university degree (bachelor’s degree) with at least seven (7) years of post-graduate professional experience in the aforementioned areas.  Experience with International Organizations/UN agencies is a plus.

Language:  Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and Arabic languages. Knowledge of French language is added advantage.

Desired Experiences and Competencies: 

• Strong Communication skills to engage with various stakeholders from different sectors and backgrounds, ability to interact with leaders and external audience with maturity and tact, ability to interact with vulnerable groups of people,
• Collaborative spirit able to liaise with a wide range of people at all levels and across different cultures and to act with credibility and diplomacy,
• Outstanding organizational and time management skills with an ability to anticipate requirements, problems and obstacles, and an ability to juggle competing priorities successfully, and to work within tight deadlines,
• Problem solving mind-set, with ability to proactively solve challenges quickly and efficiently,
• Strong drive, self-motivated and able to work with a high degree of autonomy,
• High sense of compassion, able to genuinely empathize with people and energize teams with a positive and encouraging attitude,
• Fully committed and motivated to achieve the aims of the UN World Food Programme,
• Exposure to both European/North-American markets and the Middle East is a plus