Programme Associate (Cooperating Partners) - G6 - Islamabad

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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.

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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).

About Job

Job Title: Programme Associate (Cooperating Partners)

Grade: G6

Type of contract: General Service

Duration: 12 months

Duty Station: Islamabad

Date of Publication: 16 September 2026

Deadline of Application: 30 September 2026

This Vacancy Announcement is for Pakistan Nationals Only.

Note: This vacancy announcement will also be used to build a roster of prequalified applicants for future opportunities within same job profile at the current or lower level in Pakistan.

Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

TERMS & CONDITIONS
WFP offers a competitive benefits package including salary, pension, leave plus a medical insurance.

Important: All educational documents must be verified/attested by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Appointment will be subject to submission of HEC-verified degrees.

JOB PURPOSE

Under the supervision of the Programme Policy Officer (Cooperating Partners), the Programme Associate (Cooperating Partners) supports the Cooperating Partners Management (CPM) function in line with corporate guidelines and Country Strategic Plan (CSP) requirements.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive):

1. Provide technical support and assist in the development and implementation of CPM activities and processes within the specific area of work supporting alignment with wider programme policies and guidelines.
2. Provide specialized project management support to specific and/or defined programmes to ensure that the various activities are performed within the established targets following WFP’s policies and procedures.
3. Within the specific area of responsibility, prepare a range of reports and data analysis (e.g. food assistance needs, resource utilization, programme status, performance) and highlight trends/issues ensuring deliverables adhere to corporate standards and quality control.
4. Ensure and/or perform accurate, timely recording of data within the specific technical area of work (e.g. assistance programmes, food security and vulnerability assessments) and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
5. Liaise with internal counterparts to support effective collaboration, implementation and monitoring of ongoing project activities.
6. Coordinate and communicate with local partners, agencies, NGOs and government institutions to perform accurate food security analyses and to ensure efficient delivery of food assistance.
7. Support the capacity building of WFP staff, cooperating partners and national government within the specific technical area.
8. Act as a point of contact for resolution of a range of operational queries and problems within a specific technical area of responsibility.

9. Oversee and/or review the work of other support staff, providing practical advice and guidance, to contribute to delivering objectives to agreed standards and deadlines.
10. Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to ensure WFP is able to quickly respond and deploy needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis.
11. Any other task required within the job level of expertise.

OTHER POST REQUIREMENTS:
1. Risk-Informed CP Management

• Conduct risk-informed capacity assessment of prospective partners.
• Support in strengthening risk assessment processes and embed risk indicators and mitigation measures into CP planning, selection, and management.
• Support in conducting detailed risk-informed spot checks of CP portfolios and recommend operational, programmatic, and financial mitigation measures.

2. Compliance, Documentation & Internal Controls

• Conduct the CP selection process using UN Partner Portal (UNPP), including systematic due diligence and quality checks in the verification, screening, shortlisting and evaluation processes, in compliance with WFP corporate standards and Country Office SOPs.
• Conduct Cooperating Partner Committee (CPC) meetings in compliance with CO SOPs and corporate guidelines.
• Initiate the vendor registration process in close coordination with activity and cross-functional units.
• Prepare partnership agreements diligently, ensuring quality control and checks in finalization of partnership agreements (FLA General Conditions and applicable Special Conditions, Environmental and Social Sustainability risk screening, Plan of Operations, budgets etc.).
• Develop and roll out a standardised compliance and documentation checklist on CPM for CO and Field Offices in line with CP SOPs.
• Support in identifying systemic compliance gaps and propose improvements to internal controls and assurance processes.

3. Digitalisation of Partner Management (Partner Connect/other systems)

• Support CP onboarding and use of WFP’s digital tools for partnership management, including Partner Connect, and other corporate platforms.
• Strengthen CP and WFP team capacity to use digital systems for selection, contracting, performance monitoring, reporting and invoice management.
• Improve data accuracy, completeness, and timeliness across all digital partnership records.

4. Performance Management & Accountability

• Support in strengthening CP performance evaluation tools, integrating corporate KPIs, cross-cutting indicators, and risk-based metrics.
• Support CP unit in updating the CP tracker for CP partnerships, performance, compliance, and financial oversight.
• Conduct trend analyses to inform corrective actions and capacity strengthening.

5. Cross-Cutting Compliance (Gender, Protection, Safeguarding, Environmental & Social Standards)

• Ensure cross-cutting obligations are integrated into partner selection, FLAs, implementation plans, and monitoring.
• Support in developing tools and checklists for assessing CP adherence to protection, gender, inclusion, safeguarding, and environmental standards.
• Provide guidance and follow-up on identified gaps with activity and cross-functional managers.

6. Strategic Partner Engagement

• Review existing CP modalities and support the transition toward longer-term or strategic partnerships where appropriate (e.g. multi-year FLAs).
• Support analysis of CP programme and budget benchmarking, capacity strengths, and alignment with WFP’s Country Strategic Plan.

7. Guidance, SOPs, Training & Capacity Strengthening

• Support CP unit in updating CP Management SOPs based on identified gaps and strengthened processes, as and when required, aligned with new guidance.
• Develop user-friendly guidance notes, templates, and slide decks for CO/Field Office staff and Cooperating Partners (CPs).
• Deliver targeted training for staff and CPs on compliance, risk management, digital tools, cross-cutting requirements and documentation standards.

8. Knowledge Management & Information Streamlining

• Establish and maintain a centralised, structured CP Management knowledge repository (guidance, templates, SOPs, tools, lessons learned).
• Systematically document lessons learned and good practices from CP engagements.
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing across units and Field Offices to improve consistency and institutional memory.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Education:

Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in law, business administration, finance, accounting, international development, audit or other relevant field and/or professional qualification in audit, performance and risk management or other related fields is required.
First level University degree in law, business administration, finance, accounting, international development, audit or other relevant field and/or professional qualification in audit, performance and risk management or other related fields is an advantage

Experience:

• Minimum 6 years of progressively responsible experience in risk management, partnerships, compliance, internal control systems, or programme management.
• Experience with digitalisation of programme or partnership processes (e.g. Partner Connect, data platforms) is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in due diligence, oversight, documentation review or performance monitoring.
• Humanitarian or development sector experience in Pakistan is a requirement.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Strong knowledge of WFP partnership procedures is an asset.
• Excellent analytical, documentation, and organisational skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and has excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to manage digital tools, dashboards and knowledge management systems.
• Strong coordination, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to deliver training and capacity building.

Language:

Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and Urdu.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered, interested candidates are invited to apply via (https://www.wfp.org/careers/job-openings).

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

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.