Programme Policy Officer (BNP-PMU Manager), Islamabad

WFP - World Food Programme; Islamabad; On-site; PKR 2,500,000 - 4,000,000; Full time

Job summary

The World Food Programme in Islamabad seeks a Programme Policy Officer (BNP PMU Manager) to lead the BNP PMU within the Benazir Nashonuma Programme. You will manage a team of around 10 staff and coordinate with BISP, UNICEF, WHO and other partners to deliver nutrition-sensitive cash transfers, data systems, and programme learning.

Reporting to the Director General of BISP and the Head of ISU, you will guide policy formulation, oversee operations, and ensure timely reporting while embedding

Qualifications

• Good knowledge of government governance frameworks around nutrition, health and social protection.
• Strong coordination, communication and writing skills.
• Understanding of UN system and programme design, monitoring and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to formulation of BNP programme policies and implementation modalities.
• Provide technical guidance on objectives, activities and transfer modalities.
• Support planning and implementation of BNP and related social protection programmes.
• Establish and maintain partnerships with national and international stakeholders.

Skills

Coordination skills

Communication

Writing skills

UN system understanding

Policy design & monitoring

Education

Advanced degree (Business/Development/Economics/ Political Science/PM)

First University Degree +2 years related experience

Job description

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

12 October 2026-23:59-GMT+05:00 Pakistan Standard Time (Karachi)

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.

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).

ABOUT THE JOB

• Job Title: Programme Policy Officer (BNP - PMU Manager)
• Grade: NOC
• Type of contract: Fixed Term
• Duration: 12 months (renewable)
• Duty Station: Islamabad
• Date of Publication: 28 September 2026
• Deadline of Application: 12 October 2026
• This Vacancy Announcement is for UN Staff Only.
• Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

• WFP offers a competitive benefits package including salary, social security contribution, medical insurance, annual leave, parental leave, among other benefits.
• Important: All educational documents must be verified/attested by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
• Appointment will be subject to submission of HEC-verified degrees.

BACKGROUND

Pakistan faces a significant burden of maternal and child malnutrition. Stunting, wasting, anemia and micronutrient deficiencies remain widespread, and are compounded by poverty, food insecurity, limited uptake of health services, inadequate maternal and young child feeding practices, and recurrent climate and economic shocks.

The first 1,000 days, from conception to a child's second birthday, are therefore a critical window for preventing irreversible growth and development deficits.

In 2020, the Government of Pakistan, through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), launched the Benazir Nashonuma Programme (BNP) with support from the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF and WHO.

BNP is Pakistan's flagship nutrition-sensitive social protection programme and combines conditional cash transfers with specialised nutritious foods, maternal and child health services, social and behaviour change support, growth monitoring, immunisation promotion, and prevention and management of acute malnutrition for pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under two.

Since its launch, BNP has evolved from a pilot into a national delivery platform. By June 2026, the programme operated through approx. 800 health facilities and had enrolled approx. 5 million pregnant women and children under two.

Independent endline evidence confirms that the integrated BNP model can deliver measurable impact at scale, including substantial reductions in stunting, improved birth outcomes, and increased full immunisation coverage. These results support continuation of the combined cash, nutrition, health and counselling package, while programme learning highlights the need for earlier enrolment in pregnancy, stronger compliance and follow‑up, improved coordination and integration with provincial health systems, enhanced data interoperability, and sustained quality and accountability across the Facilitation Centres and community network.

The third phase of BNP, from July 2026 to June 2029, is designed to consolidate these gains and expand services nationwide.

The new phase places greater emphasis on data-driven and digitised service delivery, Facilitation Centre optimisation, community engagement, supply‑chain efficiency and traceability, coordinated beneficiary identification and case management, stronger national and provincial coordination, integration with health and social protection systems, climate‑responsive operations, value for money, skills enhancement, and a phased transition toward stronger government ownership and long‑term sustainability.

As the programme evolves to the next phase of implementation and scale, there is a need to review the Programme Management Unit (PMU) structure within BISP. The PMU consists of over 10 staffs, including App development to register and monitor beneficiaries, social mobilization, monitoring and communications. New capacities such as supply chain and knowledge management are planned to be developed in PMU under BNP 3.0.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Under the direct supervision of the Director General Conditional Cash Transfer of the Benazir Income Support Programme, Government of Pakistan and under the technical supervision of the Head of ISU, WFP Islamabad, the Programme Policy Officer (BNP PMU Manager) provides strategic leadership to the PMU team and serves as a liaison between the Director General, BISP and the WFP, WHO and UNICEF Country Office Management and technical teams. The position is based in the Programme Management Unit at BISP offices in Islamabad.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Contribute to formulation of BISP programme policies in line with both organisational strategy and the practical realities of operating in the field. Developing programme guidance and implementation modalities and operations, to ensure a clear and strong connection between HQ and field operations.
2. Provide technical advice or mobilise technical expertise on programme and policy issues including assessment and analysis, the choice of objectives, activities, transfer modalities and appropriate approaches and commodities, the deployment and testing of innovative approaches and the development of strategies to support government efforts to reduce hunger and malnutrition.
3. Assist counterparts in governments and other partners in identifying where assistance can be usefully employed and provide support and technical expertise for the planning, formulation and implementation of moderately complex assistance programmes to strengthen government and community ownership and effectiveness of BISP social protection and nutrition programmes at national and sub‑national levels.
4. Establish and maintain operational partnerships to identify opportunities for collaborative approaches and initiatives that improve assistance packages and support advocacy work.
5. Coordinate operational research and evidence building on issues relevant to BISP social protection and nutrition programmes.
6. Manage the preparation and dissemination of timely analytical and critical reports, publications, and a variety of information products or proposals for internal or external use.
7. Advice and support the development of functional training in areas of expertise to enhance the capacity of PMU staff and partner to design and deliver effective food assistance programmes.
8. Lead, motivate and develop the PMU staff to enable high performance.
9. Contribute to BISP Emergency Preparedness i.e. early warning, risk analysis, and contingency planning in order to respond to humanitarian crises and needs.
10. Other as required within the job level of expertise.

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

1. Lead the BNP Programme Management Unit (PMU) of the BNP including oversight and guidance of all members (around 10), performance management and professional development where possible.
2. Ensure the new capacities built in PMU such as supply chain, knowledge management and communication are well coordinated and workplans are defined to support the objectives of BNP 3.0.
3. Coordinate efforts supporting BISP CCT Programme Innovation, Digital Transformation, and Data-Driven Decision Making. Provide BISP with technical leadership for the integration of innovative digital solutions and data analytics, including the BNP app and beneficiary monitoring systems. Oversee the design and implementation of advanced data-driven tools for real-time monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (Dashboard), ensuring that programme decisions are informed by robust evidence and aligned with international best practices.
4. Support BISP to initiate, develop, and manage strategic partnerships with national and international stakeholders - including government agencies, UN organizations, donors, and NGOs - to enhance the impact and sustainability of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme.
5. Identify gaps and advise on staffing, resources, adjustment of processes and training wherever required for the successful implementation and upscale of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme.
6. Coordinate the work of the BNP PMU with BISP, and the WFP, WHO and UNICEF Country Office Management and technical teams, highlighting issues and providing recommendations or proposed solutions.
7. As the programme matures, provide strategic guidance to changes in approach or coverage and design new programmatic components to meet expectations and requirements of BISP DG in alignment with BNP 3.0.
8. Support in the development of systems and capacities for maintaining and enforcing the practices and standards established for the Benazir Nashonuma Programme, with the intention that these may then be used to expand and upscale the programme, and supervise the PMU efforts in that direction.
9. Working with the Head of ISU, help to identify and address programmatic issues affecting the implementation of BNP that cut across several units i.e. M&E, IT, nutrition, social protection and Supply Chain.
10. Working with the DG BISP, ensure that activities funded by special donors to BISP/BNP are implemented according to plan, accompanied with timely reporting to the donors.
11. Work with the risk management team for successful implementation and reporting of risk management measures and support development of reporting mechanisms for DG BISP.
12. Plan on required adjustments of programme caseloads to adjust/align the supply chain of all programme commodities planning requirement and utilisation, in consultation with the 3 UN agencies.
13. Oversee and ensure timely preparation of reports as required and disseminate approved reports to the relevant stakeholders.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Education: Advanced University degree in Business, Development Studies, Economics, Political Science, Project Management or any other relevant field within Social Science, or First University Degree with two (2) additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of relevant postgraduate professional-level work experience in areas around project management, including human capital development, general development, nutrition or health. Previous experience in nutrition responsive social protection programming and/or coordination in both humanitarian or development contexts (International organizations and/or UN system). Proven experience in working with the Government of Pakistan and UN programmes and systems.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Good knowledge of the Government of Pakistan’s governance system, policies and frameworks around nutrition, health, social protection, women empowerment, and human capital development
• Strong coordination, communication and writing skills
• Understanding of the UN system
• Good knowledge of programme design, monitoring and reporting on outcomes of social protection, nutrition or human capital development

LANGUAGES

Fluency (level C) in English language and Urdu.

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: [e-mail]