Medical Officer, SC9

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

9 October 2026-23:59-GMT+02:00 Central Africa Time (Blantyre)

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: Medical Officer

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Service Contract Level 9

UNIT/DIVISION: Resource Management Unit

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Lilongwe, Malawi

DURATION: 12 months

REPORTING LINE: Management

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency working to combat global hunger. WFP provides life-saving food assistance in emergencies and works with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Guided by Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), WFP supports national governments in strengthening food systems, improving livelihoods, and enhancing climate resilience, with a strong focus on vulnerable groups such as women, children, and displaced populations.

JOB PURPOSE

This job is located in the Malawi Country Office (CO). Medical Doctor/ Officer shall report technically to the Lead Physician at the CO and the Regional Medical Officer based in Johannesburg, and for the routine administrative issues to the WFP Resource Manager and WFP Malawi Country Director.

The UN Doctor will be appointed as a surge staff for areas of staff health and safety while providing hygiene and safety training, personal first aid training, review of medical and casualty response, assessment of health, safety and environmental issues of UN staff and dependents.

The Doctor will also conduct Wellness activities including Health Promotion events.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

In particular, the incumbent will undertake the following tasks:

• Ensuring evidence-based patient care and practice in line with Medical Professional Standards and deontological norms;
• Providing consultations to UN agency employees and eligible family members;
• Managing patient referrals appropriately and providing follow up/case management for the referrals in Malawi and abroad;
• Coordinating and ensuring highest level of patient care with UN agency Doctors including weekly peer review of clinical cases
• For epidemiological purposes, reporting to the Chief Medical Officer on at least monthly basis: cumulative diagnoses seen diagnoses per contract type, gender
• Participating in Campaigns on health promotion (e.g. healthy lifestyle, stress management) and injury and illness prevention (e.g. use of personal protective equipment, personal precautions for the prevention of transmissible diseases) through employee and family member briefings, in newsletters and when requested by Lead doctor, resource manager or wellness focal point.
• Securing and protecting confidential patient information by recording all consultations in the Electronic Medical Records system - without sharing any patient information with UN agency except the minimum necessary for medical evacuations, emergency care or referrals;
• Liaising with the Country Office or Regional Staff Counsellors for employees/family members requiring their intervention or attention;

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Degree in Medicine and Surgery (MB ChB, MBBS, MD) or demonstrably equivalent studies from a recognized institution.

An advanced diploma or degree in a clinical field beyond the primary degree is desirable.

Registration as a General Practitioner in the country of origin is required.

Experience:

Experience in any outbreak response and emergencies, in-patient and out-patient care is mandatory.

Exposure to basic and advanced life support, including critical care, and/or medical evacuation is desirable.

Skills:

Excellent communication, presentation and drafting skills;

Experience in emergency management (crisis or disaster medicine), travel medicine, tropical and infectious disease;

Knowledge of addressing the psychosocial needs of humanitarian workers; Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; Remains calm in stressful situation

Language: English - working knowledge ☒ fluent ☒

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 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.