ABOUT WFP

Duty Station (City, Country): Dodoma, Tanzania

DURATION: ​12 Months

WFP

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of Social Protection Officer and Activity 2 Manager, the incumbent will leverage technical expertise in social protection programme design and implementation and maintain strong engagement with national actors. The Programme Associate (Social Protection) will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Act as the social protection focal point at WFP’s Liaison Office in Dodoma, ensuring effective communication between field operations and the Country Office.
• Represent WFP in relevant technical working groups and forums, fostering strategic partnerships with government institutions, UN agencies, and other stakeholders engaged in social protection.
• Design a stakeholder engagement strategy, based on updated mapping of national actors, systems, and programmes relevant to social protection and resilience.

Technical Programme Design and Implementation

• Support collaboration with WFP teams for the design, adaptation, and implementation of social protection programmes that integrate food security, DRR, anticipatory action, nutrition, and resilience objectives.
• Provide technical inputs to programme frameworks, operational guidelines, and delivery mechanisms, including targeting, financing social protection, cash transfer models, integrated beneficiary registries, digital social protection systems, public works, ensuring alignment with national social protection strategies and systems.
• Contribute to the development of innovative approaches for adaptive and shock-responsive social protection, linking to disaster risk management and climate resilience.

Capacity Strengthening and Policy Support

• Lead design and roll-out of national and sub-national training programmes and simulations on social protection.
• Support capacity-building initiatives for government institutions, partners, and WFP staff on social protection, adaptive systems, and linkages with resilience and disaster risk management.
• Assist government counterparts and social protection coordination groups in assessing gaps and designing evidence-based solutions for inclusive and effective social protection systems.

Research, Analysis, and Knowledge Management

• Contribute to analytical work to inform programme design and policy dialogue, including assessments, feasibility studies, and evaluations.
• Prepare and disseminate high-quality reports, policy briefs, and knowledge products that position WFP as a thought leader and trusted partner in social protection.

Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

• Support engagement with government, donors, and development partners to strengthen collaboration and mobilize resources for social protection initiatives.
• Contribute to the development of proposals and concept notes for funding opportunities.
• Perform any other tasks as required to advance WFP’s social protection objectives.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

• Advanced degree in International Development, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Anthropology, Sociology, Economics, or other related field, or first University Degree with additional years of related work experience.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in social protection programming, including related to national programmes, policies, strategies and institutional structures. Proven experience in design and implementation of social protection programmes; strong technical knowledge of social protection policy frameworks, delivery mechanisms, financing mechanisms, M&E systems, and linkages with food security and resilience; experience with adaptive and shock-responsive systems will be valued; demonstrated ability to work with national actors, including government ministries, social protection agencies, and development partners; additional experience around food security, humanitarian response and Cash Based Transfer (CBT) will be valued.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong analytical and communication skills with the ability to translate complex concepts into actionable strategies; lead planning and coordination with multi-stakeholder projects; stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills; guide multi-sectoral assessments, advocacy and representation experience, monitoring and reporting.

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Swahili.

• Act as the social protection focal point at WFP’s Liaison Office in Dodoma, ensuring effective communication between field operations and the Country Office.
• Represent WFP in relevant technical working groups and forums, fostering strategic partnerships with government institutions, UN agencies, and other stakeholders engaged in social protection.
• Design a stakeholder engagement strategy, based on updated mapping of national actors, systems, and programmes relevant to social protection and resilience.
• Support collaboration with WFP teams for the design, adaptation, and implementation of social protection programmes that integrate food security, DRR, anticipatory action, nutrition, and resilience objectives.
• Provide technical inputs to programme frameworks, operational guidelines, and delivery mechanisms, including targeting, financing social protection, cash transfer models, integrated beneficiary registries, digital social protection systems, public works, ensuring alignment with national social protection strategies and systems.
• Contribute to the development of innovative approaches for adaptive and shock-responsive social protection, linking to disaster risk management and climate resilience.
• Lead design and roll-out of national and sub-national training programmes and simulations on social protection.
• Support capacity-building initiatives for government institutions, partners, and WFP staff on social protection, adaptive systems, and linkages with resilience and disaster risk management.
• Assist government counterparts and social protection coordination groups in assessing gaps and designing evidence-based solutions for inclusive and effective social protection systems.
• Contribute to analytical work to inform programme design and policy dialogue, including assessments, feasibility studies, and evaluations.
• Prepare and disseminate high-quality reports, policy briefs, and knowledge products that position WFP as a thought leader and trusted partner in social protection.
• Support engagement with government, donors, and development partners to strengthen collaboration and mobilize resources for social protection initiatives.
• Contribute to the development of proposals and concept notes for funding opportunities.
• Perform any other tasks as required to advance WFP’s social protection objectives.

• Strong analytical and communication skills with the ability to translate complex concepts into actionable strategies; lead planning and coordination with multi-stakeholder projects; stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills; guide multi-sectoral assessments, advocacy and representation experience, monitoring and reporting.

• Advanced degree in International Development, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Anthropology, Sociology, Economics, or other related field, or first University Degree with additional years of related work experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in social protection programming, including related to national programmes, policies, strategies and institutional structures. Proven experience in design and implementation of social protection programmes; strong technical knowledge of social protection policy frameworks, delivery mechanisms, financing mechanisms, M&E systems, and linkages with food security and resilience; experience with adaptive and shock-responsive systems will be valued; demonstrated ability to work with national actors, including government ministries, social protection agencies, and development partners; additional experience around food security, humanitarian response and Cash Based Transfer (CBT) will be valued.
• Fluency in English and Swahili.