OSH / Road Safety Specialist

World Food Programme; Dubai; Remote; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A humanitarian organization in Dubai is seeking an OSH / Road Safety Specialist to enhance road safety and health practices. The role requires extensive experience in transport safety and a university degree in engineering. The candidate will be responsible for implementing policies and conducting assessments to improve workplace safety. This position offers a unique opportunity to influence humanitarian operations globally.

Benefits

Opportunity for global impact

Comprehensive training programs

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 years of experience in transport safety work, including in developing countries.
• Five years as a team member of technical assistance teams designing and/or implementing projects.
• Proven experience in global OSH implementation.

Responsibilities

• Develop a holistic definition of road safety for humanitarian contexts.
• Map and review current WFP Road Safety policies and guidance.
• Evaluate WFP’s road safety data collection and propose improvements.

Skills

TransportSafety

RoadSafetyPolicy

OSHPrinciples

DataAnalysis

Education

University degree in engineering (Transport/Mechanical)

Job description

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

25 July 2025-23:59-GMT04:00 Gulf Standard Time (Dubai)

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. 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 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 and 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 globally.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

JOB TITLE: OSH / Road Safety Specialist
TYPE OF CONTRACT: Regular (Level 3)

UNIT/DIVISION: MSDF/MSD

DUTY STATION (City Country): Remote Work (home‑based)
DURATION: 11 months

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

WFP has the opportunity and obligation to leverage data and technology to better ensure the environments where team members live and work are adhering to Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). The High‑Level Committee on Management (HLCM) approved the OSH Framework, which gives effect to the UN HLCM’s request for developing OSH policy in the UN System while describing common principles for an OSH management system and facilitating the adoption of an OSH system across the UN Agencies, Programmes and Funds.

WFP is committed to implementing an OSH Risk Management System across all WFP operations with the main objectives of:

• Reducing the incidence of work‑related injuries and ill‑health and limiting their severity and impact.
• Improving the physical and mental well‑being of staff members.
• Establishing defined workplace safety and health rights, responsibilities and duties.
• Providing accurate representation of workplace incidents, injuries and illnesses.
• Integrating safety, health and well‑being considerations into organisational processes and decision‑making.
• Ensuring staff receive training and support related to workplace safety, health and well‑being.

Road Safety is categorized as one of the most significant occupational safety hazards within WFP operations and a fundamental component of the Duty of Care. Therefore, Road Safety plays a key role in the WFP OSH Framework.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The OSH / Road Safety Specialist will report directly to the Director Management Services and will be responsible for:

1. Develop a holistic definition of road safety and work‑related road safety for use in the humanitarian and development context, considering all ground transport modalities.
2. Map and review current WFP Road Safety policies, guidance, activities and stakeholders; assess adequacy and alignment with the UN resolution Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021‑2030 and other relevant strategies.
3. Evaluate WFP’s current road safety data collection and analysis; propose a strategy for improvement; partner with ongoing initiatives to provide technical input on road‑user transport trends and infrastructure.
4. Develop a Theory of Change and a log‑frame to describe how WFP can reduce occupational road injuries/illnesses and how success will be measured (KPIs) at country, regional and HQ levels.
5. Provide advice and guidance on road crash reporting, fact‑finding processes, follow‑up on risk assessments and competency development; lead serious incident investigations to recommend corrective and preventive actions.
6. Assess the impact of increased outsourcing of transportation and shift towards car‑pooling within the UN family on WFP’s road safety record; recommend improvements and monitoring.
7. Recommend cost‑effective, prioritised measures and provide information and analyses towards enhanced road‑user transport safety strategies in consultation with stakeholders.
8. Contribute to the establishment of a cross‑functional collaboration on road‑user safety.
9. Prepare technical guidelines that collate WFP’s road‑user safety and health practices; contribute to SOPs as needed.
10. Support global capacity building activities for road‑user safety practices for all staff, including drivers and non‑driver road users.
11. Review, evaluate and analyze workplaces; propose context‑appropriate proposals for designing programs and procedures to control, eliminate and prevent road‑use injury to employees.
12. Conduct in‑country assessments and respond to road safety incidents/FFP; prepare reports and recommendations; provide post‑mission reports.
13. Travel frequently to WFP field locations, sometimes on short notice, to conduct assessments, fact‑finding processes and provide or assist in training.
14. Coordinate Management Services Fleet Centre Driver Training and Fleet Management trainings.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT

• WFP benchmark for road‑use safety consisting of a comprehensive assessment and analysis of current WFP road‑use.
• Road Safety Strategy approved and implementable KPIs.
• Established learning and development material.
• Communication material for global road‑use awareness raising.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Education: University degree ideally in engineering (Transport/Mechanical) with specialization in Road Safety and/or Occupational Health & Safety or related fields. University degree with specialized experience on the transport sector in a similar organization may be considered in lieu of a master’s degree.

Language: Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English. B‑level knowledge of another UN language is a strong asset.

Experience:

• Minimum 12 years of experience in transport safety work, including in developing countries.
• Five years as a team member of technical assistance teams designing and/or implementing projects.
• Proven experience in global OSH implementation, including road safety/OSH incident/accident investigation processes using a wide range of analysis methods.
• Deep knowledge of ISO 45001, ISO 39001, OHSAS 18001 and relevant international standards.
• Ability to lead actions during specification development and implementation of road‑user safety policies and procedures.
• Experience developing and providing topic‑relevant training to a variety of audiences.
• Experience working in a fast‑paced and demanding environment.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Regularly shares knowledge on new international best practice trends in comparable situations.
• Proactively applies relevant international best practices to own work.
• Proven ability to interact with people, raise awareness around OSH and drive road safety excellence by adopting best practices and explaining their relevance.
• Helps colleagues work effectively with clients from diverse backgrounds and contexts.
• Adapts own approach and style when interacting with stakeholders without requiring them to adapt.
• Draws upon international best practice to explore solutions.
• Results‑driven and self‑motivated; able to meet goals and stakeholder expectations; capable of making decisions that lead to high‑quality results.
• Comfortable in an international environment with a very diverse workforce.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides common standards of behaviour that direct 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:

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, so apply with care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
• Once your profile is completed, please apply and submit your application.
• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language.
• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter.
• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates etc. may potentially be requested at a future time.
• Please contact us at ... in case you face any challenges with submitting your application.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organisational 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 type 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) or 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.

Required Experience: Unclear Seniority