Head of Field Office NOA (Osh)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

28 March 2026-23:59-GMT+06:00 Kyrgyzstan Time (Bishkek)

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).

BACKGROUND

WFP’s vision is that the Kyrgyz Republic has resilient, inclusive, and shock‑responsive food and social protection systems that enable all people, especially the most vulnerable, to access healthy diets, sustain livelihoods, withstand climate and crisis shocks, and realize their full human potential, leaving no one behind. Derived from the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework , WFP Country Strategic Plan (2023-27 EN|RU) focuses its human capital development, capacity building and productive asset creation activities to enhance the resilience and livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable, with a focus on food systems strengthening across three core pillars: (i) Social Protection and Human Capital; (ii) Climate Change Adaption, Disaster Risk Management and Emergency Preparedness; and (iii) Schools as platforms for healthy diets. In addition, a contingent emergency response outcome can be activated in case of need.

ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT:

WFP has been supporting the Kyrgyz Republic’s National Development Programme (NDP) 2030 by leveraging its strengths in food security, nutrition, resilience, and logistics through scaling up nutrition‑sensitive school meals linked to local food procurement, and supporting adaptive, shock‑responsive social protection systems. WFP has been contributing to food security and rural development by building climate‑resilient food systems, supporting smallholder farmers and cooperatives, reducing post‑harvest losses, and integrating anticipatory action and disaster risk reduction in climate‑affected regions. In addition, WFP has been adding values by enhancing emergency preparedness and logistics capacity, improving food security data and early warning systems to support evidence‑based policymaking, and helping reduce regional inequalities through targeted interventions — all closely aligned with the NDP priorities on human capital, resilience, digitalization, and inclusive growth.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

A significant share of WFP’s operations is implemented in the south. The Head of Field Office, under the direct supervision of the Deputy Country Director and the overall supervision of the Country Director, oversees and guides all programme and operational activities in Osh and supports field staff including the ones outposted in Jalalabad and Batken. The role ensures strong coordination with the Country Office management and effective engagement with government counterparts, partners, and other stakeholders to enable coherent and impactful field implementation.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1. Effectively manage the Field Office to ensure the continued development of a cohesive and high performing team.

2. Plan and manage WFP field operations within the area of assignment to ensure effective and efficient delivery of food assistance and that daily operational issues are timely resolved to prevent losses or delays.

3. Ensure that allocated resources are used efficiently and are in line with agreed plans, and any deviations are reported to the Country Office.

4. Hold accountability for the security of WFP staff, operations, premises and assets in the Field Office to ensure that WFP security and safety standards are locally set and followed. Actively participate and contribute to the Area Security Management Team (ASMT) and emergency preparedness mechanisms, including early warning, risk analysis, contingency planning, and regular monitoring and reporting on risk management actions.

5. Conduct timely monitoring and evaluation of activities and prepare accurate and comprehensive reports on WFP’s operations and performance with regular and timely submission for Country Office review to inform efficient operational planning and decisions.

6. Build effective and collaborative relations with the local authorities and contribute to the expertise sharing and capacity building for effective preparedness and response to food assistance needs.

7. Build partnerships to improve assistance packages, develop and sustain liaison with local government authorities, international and local NGOs, UN agencies, civil societies, beneficiaries and other partners and media engaged in the field of food security.

8. Ensure extensive and frequent presence at project areas, distribution sites and centres.

SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

9. Plan and manage WFP field operations in line with the Country Office’s programme directions, partnership guidance, and overall CSP strategic priorities and with the relevant national authorities, to ensure effective, efficient, and accountable delivery of assistance, with operational issues resolved promptly to avoid losses or delays.

10. Ensure that all activities implemented through the Field Office meet WFP programme quality standards and operational procedures, with attention to sound design, accountable delivery, and responsible risk management in line with corporate policies.

11. Represent WFP in inter‑agency coordination platforms in Osh and the southern oblasts, ensuring WFP’s priorities are clearly articulated, its operational interests are safeguarded, and coordination efforts translate into support for WFP programmes.

12. Manage WFP premises (offices, warehouses, and related facilities) to ensure they remain clean, safe, well‑maintained, and fully compliant with WFP safety and security standards. Oversee the proper maintenance and responsible use of WFP assets —including IT equipment, vehicles, fuel and other resources—in accordance with WFP regulations and established procedures.

13. Contribute to the overall office work, including respective focal points and tasks beyond the above-mentioned, to jointly deliver the CSP results as one WFP team.

14. Perform any other tasks as required.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:

• Has developed or supported the development of operational or field‑level workplans that contribute to achieving WFP strategic objectives within a defined geographic area.
• Has gained solid exposure to field operations, ideally in hardship duty stations or complex operational environments.
• Has practical field experience through rotations, sub‑office assignments, or extended work in decentralized locations.
• Has experience analyzing local political, social, and operational dynamics and accurately assessing associated risks.
• Has gained broader exposure across programme and operational functions (e.g., policy, partnerships, supply chain, monitoring).
• Has experience managing mid‑sized budgets and balancing operational priorities under resource constraints.
• Has successfully led and supervised mid‑sized teams to deliver programme or operational results.
• Has taken part in negotiations with government counterparts, cooperating partners, or service providers within their area of responsibility.
• Has participated in emergency or early recovery operations, contributing to planning, coordination, or field implementation.
• Has experience in field‑level security coordination and basic compound/facility management.
• Able to interpret and apply data from WFP’s technical fields to strengthen programme design, implementation, and monitoring at field level.

Experience: At least one year of postgraduate professional experience; in programme implementation, field operations, government or development assistance, or administrative functions supporting humanitarian or development activities. Experience working directly with communities, local authorities, cooperating partners, or in a sub‑office or decentralized field setting is an asset.

Education: Advanced University degree in Economics, International Development, Social Sciences or other related field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

Language: Fluency (level C) in both oral and written communication in English and proficiency in the duty station’s language(s) (Russian or Kyrgyz, both considered an advantage).

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.