DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
2 April 2026-23:59-GMT+05:30 India Standard Time (Colombo)
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).
The Programme Policy Officer – Emergency Response & Capacity Strengthening will support the planning, implementation, monitoring, and coordination of emergency response and preparedness activities, while strengthening the capacities of government counterparts and partners. The Officer will contribute to the development of emergency preparedness and response measures, contingency planning, early warning linkages, and operational readiness actions. The role will also support skills development, institutional strengthening, and knowledge transfer across national and subnational disaster management and social protection structures. The incumbent will ensure that emergency interventions integrate gender, protection, inclusion, and nutrition-sensitive considerations, while contributing to evidence generation, partnership development, and improved coordination across stakeholders involved in emergency management.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive):
A. Emergency Preparedness & Response
- Contribute to the development of emergency preparedness and response projects, plans, and processes, ensuring alignment with WFP policies and SO1 programme objectives.
- Provide technical support to government disaster management authorities to integrate emergency preparedness, response protocols, and early warning actions into national and subnational plans.
- Support the strengthening of early warning systems, anticipatory actions, response mechanisms, and operational readiness measures in collaboration with relevant technical agencies.
- Facilitate the development and updating of contingency plans, hazard scenarios, emergency SOPs, and minimum preparedness actions.
- Support the development of emergency needs assessments, coordination structures, and information management systems to ensure informed decision-making during crises.
- Coordinate with government entities, humanitarian partners, private sector, civil society, and community-level stakeholders to ensure coherent preparedness and response efforts.
- Provide timely situational updates, analysis, and reporting to senior management and partners to support emergency decision-making.
- Link emergency response activities with resilience building, social protection, and other programme components to ensure integrated and sustainable implementation.
B. Capacity Strengthening
- Design, support, and deliver capacity-building initiatives for government counterparts, partners, and community-level institutions on emergency preparedness, response protocols, anticipatory action, and risk-sensitive planning.
- Provide technical assistance to national and subnational authorities on embedding emergency preparedness and response functions within institutional systems.
- Support the development of tools, guidelines, SOPs, training materials, and knowledge products to strengthen national emergency management capabilities.
- Facilitate cross-functional learning, knowledge exchange, and documentation of lessons learned to promote continuous improvement in emergency management.
- Strengthen coordination platforms and partnerships, including technical working groups, ensuring effective institutional collaboration and capacity development across sectors.
- Promote gender-responsive, protection-sensitive, and nutrition-sensitive approaches throughout all capacity-strengthening efforts.
- Support resource mobilization efforts by contributing to concept notes, briefs, and partner engagement for emergency and capacity development initiatives
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
Education:
- Advanced University degree (master’s degree) in Economics, Social Policy, Social Sciences, International Development, Disaster Management, Disaster Risk Management, or related fields or bachelor’s degree with additional years of work experience.
Experience:
- At least one (1) year of Postgraduate Professional Experience (experience in a managerial/ supervisory/advisory and/ or in a decision-making role) in the relevant field is required.
- (Having three (3) years with the advanced university degree (master’s), or bachelor’s degree with Five (5) years or additional years of related work experience and/ or trainings/courses at national or international level, in the fields of disaster management, social protection and humanitarian sectors such as food assistance or social protection; is desirable.)
- Proven expertise in technical assistance, policy analysis, guidance, and operational support, with the ability to translate information into actionable recommendations for governments and partners.
- Experience in collaborating with UN agencies, donors, NGOs, and government institutions.
- Familiarity with Cash-Based Transfers and demonstrated ability to manage cross-agency collaboration, research, and policy advocacy to strengthen social protection and DRR systems.
- Capacity to manage and prioritize workload, with excellent communication skills in written and spoken English.
- Knowledge & Skills:
- Excellent coordination and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to lead a team/ supervisory skills
- Strong analytical skills.
Language:
- Fluency (level C) in English language, and Sinhala/ Tamil
Position Title: Programme Policy Officer – Emergency Response & Capacity Strengthening (SC8)
Contract Type: Service Contract (SC)
Contract Duration: 01 Year (with possible extension)
Duty Station: Colombo
Nationality: Sri Lankans only
Date of Publication: 19.03.2026
Deadline of Application: 02.04.2026
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.
