Senior Programme Associate (Food Fortification)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

6 August 2026-23:59-GMT+07:00 Indochina Time (Phnom Penh)

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).

This vacancy announcement is for Nationals from Cambodia Only.

Position Title: Senior Programme Associate (Food Fortification)

Type of Contract: WFP Service Contract

Grade: SC-7 (equivalent to GS-7)

Duty Station: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Duration: 12 months (with possibility for extension), starting in October 2026

Reporting Line: This position reports directly to the Head of Nutrition

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF ASSIGNMENT:

Under the nutrition activity of the CSP (2024–2028), food fortification is a core component, supported by funding from the Government of Japan and the private sector. The focus is on semi‑commercialization, institutionalizing procurement, and strengthening the enabling environment for fortified foods, especially rice. Initial activities target factory workers by promoting fortified meals through factory canteens and street food vendors near industrial zones. The project aims to improve the nutritional status of women of reproductive age (WRA) and stimulate both supply and demand for fortified foods, paving the way for broader market expansion.

In parallel, WFP is supporting the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) to strengthen the capacity of private rice millers to integrate fortified foods into the national Home‑Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP) targeting primary schools. Additionally, WFP is providing technical assistance to the National Council for Nutrition (NCN) under the Ministry of Planning (MoP) to implement Cambodia’s first National Strategy for Food Fortification (2025–2030) and establish standards for fortified rice.

• Integration of food fortification into NHGSFP.

• Implementation of the Japan project working in the factory zone.

• Implementation of the National Food Fortification Strategy 2025-2030 and development of rice fortification standards

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:

The WFP Country Strategic Plan (2024-2028) in Cambodia aims to complement and contribute to the Royal Government of Cambodia’s (RGC) efforts to achieve zero hunger and human capital development through supporting an integrated approach to nutrition, social protection (including homegrown school feeding), food systems, and disaster management.

Under the nutrition activity, WFP Cambodia is expanding food fortification in school feeding and beyond, by engaging public, private, and academic partners to enhance nutrition outcomes for women of reproductive age and the general population. WFP supports rice fortification and drives interventions across the enabling environment, supply, and demand to address micronutrient deficiencies. This includes strengthening local production capacity, integrating fortified rice into social assistance programmes such as the National Home-grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), and testing procurement models for school meals. WFP also promotes demand through social marketing and behaviour change interventions, while generating evidence to inform advocacy, regulatory frameworks, and standards.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

The incumbent will be responsible to:

• Manage the semi‑commercialization project by coordinating partnerships with factories, supporting workplace meal programmes, and assisting in the rollout of fortified rice branding and marketing.

• Provide technical support and lead the design, implementation, and monitoring of food fortification activities, ensuring alignment with national priorities and WFP strategies, policies, and guidelines.

• Plan, organize, and manage training sessions for rice millers and suppliers, including logistics, preparation of materials, and maintenance of training records.

• Support pilot implementation and scale-up of fortified rice in the national HGSFP in collaboration with MoEYS, including monitoring and reporting.

• Assist NCN and technical ministries in implementing the National Food Fortification Strategy and developing national standards for fortified rice.

• Develop and manage advocacy and communication materials for campaigns, stakeholder engagement, and public events promoting rice fortification and healthy diets.

• Contribute to resource mobilization efforts by supporting proposal development, preparing background materials, and tracking donor opportunities.

• Coordinate technical learning events and government-to-government exchange visits to promote knowledge sharing and best practices in food fortification.

• Prepare reports and conduct data analysis related to food fortification activities, providing recommendations to supervisors and ensuring deliverables meet corporate standards and quality requirements.

• Manage partnership agreements, contracts, and related administrative tasks for food fortification and nutrition activities, including coordination with partners and budget monitoring as required.

SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS:

1. Semi-commercialization through factory workers

• Manage and build partnerships with factories by coordinating meetings, documenting agreements, and following up on implementation in workplace meal programmes
• Facilitate training and capacity building for rice millers and suppliers by managing logistics, preparing materials, and maintaining training records.
• Coordinate the rollout of the fortified rice brand and marketing plan by supporting communications, content drafting, and promotional events

2. Institutionalization of fortified rice

• Mange pilot activities with MoEYS to integrate fortified rice into NHGSFP.
• Lead in design, monitoring, and reporting of fortified rice activities, including scale-up.

3. Enabling environment and advocacy

• Assist MoP in implementing the National Food Fortification Strategy.
• Support MISTI in the development of national standards for fortified rice.
• Develop and organize communication and advocacy materials on rice fortification and healthy diets for events, campaigns, and stakeholder engagement.
• Contribute to resource mobilization efforts by supporting proposal writing, preparing background materials, and tracking donor opportunities.
• Support the organization of government-to-government exchange visits and technical learning events related to food fortification.
• Manage the partnership agreement with MoP, including budget clearance and coordination, if required.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:

• Has a minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience.

• Has participated in implementing technical programs in the fields of food fortification, private sector engagement, nutrition, food safety, social & behaviour change, agricultural market support, value chain development or similar.

• Has implemented programmes with increased level of responsibility.

• Has provided input to policy discussions.

• Has experience utilizing computers, including word processing, spreadsheet and other standard software packages and systems.

• Has experience in engaging with communities, local authorities and other external stakeholders on programmes or projects focused on nutrition, social and behaviour change, agricultural market support, value chain development or similar fields.

• Has experience in facilitating adult learning, including training and coaching.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Completion of secondary school education.A post-secondary certificate in nutrition/health, food technology, environmental science, social sciences, public policy, or other relevant fields.

Language: Fluency in both spoken and written English and Khmer is required.

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.