Senior Academic Advisor

World Food Programme; Remoto; EUR 30.000 - 50.000; Part-time

Descrizione del lavoro

A global humanitarian organization seeks a Senior Academic Advisor for remote consultancy. Responsibilities include providing technical advice, reviewing evaluations, and promoting collaboration. The ideal candidate has a PhD and over 12 years of experience in impact evaluations, particularly related to women's empowerment and health. This role offers an opportunity to engage with diverse stakeholders and contribute to meaningful humanitarian efforts, working in a flexible and inclusive environment.

Servizi

Inclusive and diverse working environment

Opportunities for personal and professional development

Attractive compensation package

Competenze

• 12+ years of experience in managing research studies in diverse contexts.
• Research experience on women's empowerment and maternal health.
• Strong track record of published research.

Mansioni

• Provide senior academic and technical advice on evaluations.
• Review and edit impact evaluation concept notes and surveys.
• Promote collaboration with WFP through communication materials.

Conoscenze

Extensive knowledge of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods

Strong interpersonal skills

Ability to communicate technical language clearly

Formazione

PhD-level degree in a relevant field

Descrizione del lavoro

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

3 February 2026-23:59-GMT01:00 Central European Time (Rome)

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation, 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. We are committed to diversity, inclusion and to living the WFP values: Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity and Inclusion. We work with partners to save and change the lives of those we serve.

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 programmes 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 with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (see Terms and Conditions section for details).

JOB TITLE

Senior Academic Advisor

TYPE OF CONTRACT

Daily Consultancy

UNIT / DIVISION

Office of Evaluation, World Food Programme

JOB DUTY LOCATION

Remote based

DURATION

Between 25-40 days over a period of 11 months

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The Evaluation Policy 2022 aims to strengthen WFP’s contribution to ending global hunger by embedding evaluation into the core of the WFP culture of accountability and learning. Impact evaluation is defined as the assessment of positive and negative changes in the lives of affected populations resulting from WFP interventions.

WFP sees rigorous impact evaluation as a tool to support learning. The WFP Impact Evaluation Strategy has four objectives:

1. Contribute to the evidence base for achieving global goals;
2. Deliver operationally relevant and useful impact evaluations;
3. Maximise responsiveness to rapidly evolving contexts;
4. Harness the best tools and technologies for impact evaluation.

Globally, major knowledge gaps exist regarding the impact of development and humanitarian interventions. The Office of Evaluation is building WFP’s capacity to deliver impact evaluations in fragile and humanitarian contexts, using the Optimising Humanitarian Interventions workstream to develop tools, build capacity and cultivate a community of practice.

WFP’s Office of Evaluation is engaging in impact evaluations on cash‑transfers, gender, climate, resilience, school‑based programmes, nutrition and cross‑cutting emergency response topics.

This assignment is part of a Gates Foundation‑funded multi‑country impact evaluation led by the Office of Evaluation. It will generate evidence on how digital cash transfers combined with complementary interventions affect women’s empowerment, nutrition and health outcomes in humanitarian and fragile contexts.

ACCOUNTABILITIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Provide senior academic and technical advice and quality assurance:
   • Review and edit impact evaluation concept notes, surveys and data collection procedures.
   • Provide methodological guidance and analytical advice.
   • Engage in occasional discussions with County Office partners and potential mission travel.
2. Review or develop the following deliverables:
   • Application for ethical clearance by an accredited Institutional Review Board (IRB).
   • Impact evaluation concept note.
   • Impact evaluation surveys.
   • Data collection procedures.
   • High‑frequency data quality check scripts.
   • Sample Size and Power calculations.
   • Quantitative analysis plans, modelling approaches and interpretation of results.
   • Qualitative data collection protocols.
   • Draft interim presentations (e.g. mid‑line results).
   • Shorter reports, design/results presentations and communication materials (e.g. blog posts).
   • Final impact evaluation reports and academic outputs (where applicable in later phases).
3. Support the dissemination of impact evaluation work through policy and academic channels:
   • Actively promote collaboration with WFP via jointly produced communication materials, workshops, conferences, etc.
   • Engage a variety of stakeholders and the general public, including policy makers, practitioners and media.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT

• Review IRB application (draft provided by Office of Evaluation).
• Review and edit 3 IE concept notes (draft provided by Office of Evaluation).
• Review and edit quantitative IE surveys for baselines and midlines (draft provided by Office of Evaluation).
• Co‑Lead mid‑line results presentations (support provided by Office of Evaluation).
• Coordinate with the impact evaluation team and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure research is relevant and impactful.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Education:

• Strong and proven academic background in applied research and social sciences with a PhD‑level degree in a relevant field (economics, international development, public health, public policy, social sciences).

Experience:

• At least 12 years of experience in managing and/or conducting research studies and impact evaluations in diverse humanitarian and/or development contexts (with 8 of these years post‑PhD).
• Demonstrated research experience on women’s empowerment, gender dynamics and/or maternal and child health and nutrition outcomes, including through impact evaluations or applied policy research.
• Strong track record of published research.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Extensive knowledge of and experience conducting evaluations using a range of qualitative and quantitative evaluation approaches and methods.
• Proven relevant experience conducting evaluations in development and humanitarian settings and other WFP‑mandated thematic areas.
• Knowledge of the UN system and the foundations for its work as well as evaluation norms and standards for UN organisations.
• Knowledge of gender and human‑rights‑sensitive evaluation practice and applied ethical standards.
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to work with different stakeholders and promote good communication and a learning culture.
• Ability to communicate complex technical language with clarity and focus key messages among competing detail.

Languages: Fluency in English. Level B in another UN language (French or Spanish).

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides the common standards of behaviour 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 us.

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. If you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee please disregard it. Please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced, so we advise you to apply particular care when submitting personal information.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs or spontaneous applications by email.
• If you experience challenges while submitting your online application please contact us for technical support only.
• Please note that applications sent to this email address cannot be considered.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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 JI U AND OTHER SIMILAR BODIES WITHIN THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM WITH OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES OVER WFP BOTH DURING THEIR SERVICE AND WITHIN THREE YEARS OF CESSING THAT SERVICE.