DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

13 October 2025-23:59-GMT+08:00 Philippine Standard Time (Manila)

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).

In the Philippines, WFP’s efforts are guided by its work outlined in the Philippines Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2024-2028. WFP focuses on strengthening government systems at the national, local government unit and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) levels to further build the resilience of vulnerable individuals and communities.

The CSP is aligned with national strategies and policies as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework and is guided by three interrelated outcomes:

• By 2028, communities exposed to shocks and stressors in the Philippines are better able to meet food, nutrition and other essential needs with inclusive and equitable emergency preparedness and response capacity at the national and local levels.

• By 2028, communities vulnerable to food and nutrition insecurity in the Philippines are more resilient and can better manage risks affecting human capital gains and food systems, inclusively and equitably.

• The Government and partners in the Philippines access WFP services that augment their interventions, upon request.

These strategic objectives are framed within the context of the Philippines being on the verge of becoming and upper-middle income country, while at the same time being one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries. Disasters remain a leading cause of hunger, affecting all aspects of food security: economic and physical access to food, availability and stability of supplies, and nutrition.

While WFP Philippines maintains a strong capacity to respond directly when significant shocks occur, the overall emphasis of the Country Office lies on systems strengthening (disaster risk management, social protection and food systems) at national, LGU and BARMM levels. WFP utilizes its field operations expertise to support the Government in delivering on key food programmes linked to its mandate and the CSP, including supporting the conceptualization and roll out of national priority programmes such as Walang Gutom 2027 and LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) at BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) and modelling globally proven programmes such as home-grown school feeding – linking local smallholder farmers production to the institutional demand of school meals programmes. WFP engages at the national level on policy dialogue, supporting legislative advances in areas such as school meals, anticipatory action and rice fortification.

JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer (Senior Skills Development Specialist)

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Special Service Agreement (SSA)
JOB GRADE: SSA-10
UNIT/DIVISION: Programme Unit
DUTY STATION (City, Country): Manila, Philippines
DURATION: 7 months, with possibility of extension

This position is open to Filipino nationals only

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

WFP works closely with the Government, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to advance nutrition-sensitive and shock-responsive social protection programmes.

As part of this partnership, WFP supported the DSWD in leading the six-month pilot of the Walang Gutom Program (WGP) in 2024. This flagship programme addresses involuntary hunger and improves access to nutritious food. Food-insecure households receive food vouchers per month on the condition that they attend Nutrition Education Sessions (NES) as well as Skills and Productivity Enhancement Sessions (SPES). WFP and DSWD also co-developed the programme’s Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) strategy to increase demand for healthier food, to improve dietary diversity among household beneficiaries, and to strengthen access to livelihood skills and work opportunities. The national scale-up began in July 2024.

JOB PURPOSE

Following the successful collaboration for the pilot implementation, WFP will continue to support the DSWD in the development of a curriculum and course design for SBC activities under NES and Skills and Productivity Enhancement Sessions (SPES). To lead the integration of skills and productivity development within the curriculum design and structure, WFP is looking for a Senior Skills Development Specialist. The holder will ensure that both NES and SPES components are reinforced and promote positive and sustainable nutrition-related behaviors. The role will support the DSWD in identifying productivity themes and lead the development of session content that will enable beneficiaries to apply their learning within their households and communities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive nor exhaustive):

The Programme Policy Officer (Senior Skills Development Specialist) will report directly to the Head of Climate Change and Resilience. The specialist will lead the design and implementation of productivity enhancement training curricula, carefully tailored to local contexts to ensure relevance and effectiveness. The role will include consultation and coordination with government counterparts, iterative curriculum development, and the facilitation of training-of-trainers (ToT) and direct sessions where needed. The specialist will also ensure that tools and materials are continuously improved based on field feedback and lessons learned.

1. Desk Review, Government Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement

• Undertake a landscaping of beneficiary skills and market demand for skills in rural and urban contexts. Map existing curricula, tools, and training materials from government agencies (e.g., TESDA, DA, DTI), development partners, and local institutions to identify gaps, overlaps, and opportunities for integration.

• Engage regularly with relevant government departments (e.g., DSDW, DA, DOLE, DTI, TESDA, LGUs) to co-develop or validate training content.

• Participate in joint planning meetings, ensuring government priorities are reflected and that pathways for institutional adoption are explored.

• Liaise with field-level actors and local partners to gather contextual insights and secure ownership.

2. Curriculum Development and Customization

• Develop or adapt productivity enhancement curricula, tools, and job aids for different contexts and various profiles (e.g., upland vs coastal, rural vs. urban, women-led enterprises, persons with disabilities).

• Ensure alignment with national government standards and sectoral frameworks.

• Work with technical specialists to embed climate resilience, nature-based solutions, digital inclusion, and gender-transformative elements.

3. Training and Capacity Building

• Lead or support the delivery of Training-of-Trainers (ToT) sessions for government and community facilitators.

• Monitor training delivery quality and effectiveness through regular engagement with trainers and participants.

• Facilitate select training sessions or refresher courses as needed.

4. Feedback and Iterative Improvement

• Set up simple feedback mechanisms with trainers and trainees to capture usability, relevance, and uptake of content.

• Regularly update and refine training modules based on feedback and evolving needs.

• Document success stories, field adaptations, and lessons learned for internal learning and donor reporting.

DELIVERABLES

• Inception report with desk review findings and work plan

• Contextualized training package(s) validated with government counterparts

• At least two ToT sessions delivered with participant feedback reports

• Field testing report summarizing feedback and recommended improvements

• Final training package and summary report documenting methodology and results

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education: Advanced degree in Agriculture, Rural Development or related field

Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years postgraduate professional experience in productivity or livelihoods training, curriculum development, capacity strengthening, or related fields.

• Demonstrated experience working with government and multi-stakeholder coordination

• Knowledge in agricultural production, including good agronomic practices (GAP), conservation and climate-smart agriculture (CSA), natural resource management (NRM).

• Expertise in food security, food safety and quality, specifications and regulations.

• Compiling technical guidelines and methodologies

• Experienced in developing training contents, manuals and information education communication (IEC) materials.

• Familiarity with participatory training methods and adult learning principles

• Strong analytical, facilitation, and communication skills

• Experience in climate-smart agriculture, sustainable enterprise, or food systems is a strong asset

Language: Excellent written and oral communications skills in English and Tagalog.

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.