DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

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).

WFP encourages female candidates and people with disabilities to apply.

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Job holders operate with the ability to manage tasks independently, provide technical assistance and operational support for school kitchen infrastructure both through direct implementation and capacity-strengthening support to local governments, in line with the WFP Nepal Country Strategic Plan (CSP) and Government policies and programmes.

JOB PURPOSE

The Government of Nepal, with support from WFP, is implementing the Mid-day Meal Programme since 1974. Today, the programme spans all 77 districts across the country’s seven provinces, targeting more than three million children in over 27,000 schools and providing meals every school day, making it one of the largest social protection programmes in the country. WFP has provided direct implementation support to the national programme for decades and from January 2026 onwards, WFP will continue providing technical assistance and system strengthening support for an efficient and effective Mid-day Meal programme.

Despite strengthening policy frameworks, growing operational experience, and increased investments, gaps remain in translating the policy into practice at the sub-national level (Province, District and local government) affecting the continuity, quality, and sustainability of the Mid-day Meal Programme. In late 2024, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology took the bold decision in developing and approving a national home-grown school feeding framework which paved the way for scaling up the home-grown school feeding approach in 250 of the country’s 753 Municipalities in the next three years starting from 100 Municipalities in 2025/2026. This will, among other things, entail strengthening local government capacity to enhance and support the quality of implementation of the Mid-day Meal programme through the home-grown school feeding approach including school infrastructure support with clean cooking solutions.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and provincial and local governments, WFP has successfully tested a context specific energy-based solution and school infrastructure support under home-grown school feeding models that provide multiple benefits for children, the local communities, and the country at large.

In line with the government’s plans for scaling up the Home-Grown School Feeding framework, WFP aims to continue providing technical assistance in improving the quality of implementation of the national Mid-day meals programme through working closely with local governments and the school community. As such, WFP is seeking two Programme Assistants (Sub-Engineers) to be based in Bajura and Surkhet to provide technical assistance to a cluster of local governments both in case of direct implementation (contractor model) and technical support through a co-financing model, where WFP and local level government share costs for infrastructure construction.

The Programme Assistant (Sub-Engineer) will be responsible to provide technical assistance for supporting the Renewable Energy for Resilient Agri-Food Systems (RERAS) and Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) projects through conducting feasibility studies of identified projects, preparing cost estimates, ensuring quality assurance of construction works and materials through timely supervision, and preparing bills for completed works. Under each of these projects, WFP supported through multiple donors, is scaling up home-grown school feeding together with a clean energy component. Under the RERAS project in Bajura, WFP provides direct implementation support on school infrastructure development, whereas in Surkhet, under the LCIF project, WFP provides technical assistance support to local governments.

TERMS AND CONDITION

Position Title: Programme Assistant (Sub-Engineer)

Number of positions: Two (2)

Contract Type: Service Contract (SC)
Level: SC L5

Contract Duration: 12 months

Duty Station: Surkhet and Bajura Nepal

Date of Publication: 21.01.2026
Deadline of Application: 03.02.2026
WFP offers a competitive benefits package including salary plus CIGNA health insurance

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the respective Programme Coordinator based in Dhangadi (Bajura posting) and Surkhet (Surkhet posting) and with technical guidance, reporting, consultation and support from the Lead Engineer in the WFP Country Office in Kathmandu. The incumbent will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Support in identifying the schools for installation of Metallic Improved Cooking Stove (MICS) and Electric Induction Cooking Stove (EICS).

• Provide technical support to the local governments, contractors and School Management Committee (SMC) in laying out structures according to approved designs and drawings, along with regular on-site supervision to ensure quality, workmanship, and compliance with construction materials as required.

• Support to conduct detailed feasibility studies of selected projects including environmental, economic, economic and engineering assessments of the project.

• Prepare the cost estimate including a breakdown of labor and materials, a schedule of works and materials, management costs for the School Management Committee (SMC), and an abstract of cost and quantity of works following Government of Nepal norms, and district rates.

• Support the School Management Committee (SMC) in positioning site management facilities (storage for construction materials, first aid box, project book, hand tools, separate toilets for male and female workers, and drinking water facilities) before commencing work and assist in regularly updating the project book.

• Provide technical support on pre-construction training to workers on construction management approaches, quality assurance of structures, handling of construction tools, GEDSI principles, and work schedules.

• Prepare Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) and final bills to ensure timely payment of workers’ wages.

• Provide support in conducting periodic reviews and public audits prior to wage disbursement.

• Prepare and share weekly progress reports and monthly plans with the supervisor and support in compiling monthly reports for the project team.

• Provide support to develop photo-monitoring reports in the prescribed format, capturing the condition of structures before, during, and after construction.

• Ensure that the local government monitoring committee, chaired by the Deputy Mayor or Vice-Chairperson, conducts project monitoring and facilitates monitoring visits by Local Government representatives, government officials, donors, and WFP.

• Support the team in implementing transparency and accountability measures across all the projects through community feedback and response mechanisms, in line with WFP’s corporate tools.

• Carry out other tasks as required by the programme.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

• Completion of secondary school education with post-secondary certificate in related functional area (diploma in Civil Engineering) is required.

Experience:

• 5 years of minimum experience in the relevant field.

• Has experience in implementation and management of rural infrastructure.

• Has facilitated communication with technical teams.

• Proven ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with Local Government.

• Has ability to work effectively in remote areas, and willing to travel extensively throughout the project area, including on foot as well as by vehicle and motorbike.

• Has experience working in a multi-cultural setting as well as in difficult geographic terrain and living conditions.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Knowledge of AutoCAD and other standard engineering software will be an advantage.

• Strong communication, interpersonal and leadership skills, as well as a strong team player with the willingness to learn and support the learning of others.

• Must be familiar with the MS Office.

• Nepali Typing skill is an asset.

Languages:

Excellent communication skills in both written and spoken English and Nepali languages.

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

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs or spontaneous applications by email.

• If you experience challenges while submitting your online application, please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org for technical support only.

• Please note that applications sent to this email address cannot be considered.

• 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.

• 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

• 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.