Programme Policy Officer - NOB - Lahore
WFP - World Food Programme
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
World Food Programme in Lahore, Pakistan seeks a Programme Policy Officer (NOB) to lead nutrition, food systems and school meals initiatives in Punjab. The role requires strategic leadership, policy coordination with Government, and cross‑department collaboration to deliver WFP objectives.
You will oversee planning, monitoring and capacity-building activities, ensure evidence-based decision making, and drive partnerships with government, UN agencies and development partners.
Qualifications
- Advanced University degree in Public Health, Nutrition, Food Security, Development Studies or related field.
- At least five years of professional experience in nutrition, food systems, public health or programme management.
- Experience engaging with government, partners and multi-stakeholder initiatives.
Responsibilities
- Lead planning and oversight of nutrition, food systems and school meals in Punjab.
- Provide technical guidance for monitoring, reporting and implementation quality.
- Coordinate with provincial government, departments and partners to ensure policy alignment.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
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.
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.
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).
Job Title: Programme Policy Officer
Grade: NOB
Type of contract: Fixed Term
Duration: 12 months (with possibility of extension)
Duty Station: Lahore, Punjab - Pakistan
Date of Publication: 28 September 2026
Deadline of Application: 12 October 2026
This Vacancy Announcement is for UN Staff Only.
Note: This vacancy announcement will also be used to build a roster of prequalified applicants for future opportunities within the same job profile at the current or lower level in Pakistan.
Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.
- 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.
This position is based in the WFP Provincial Office Lahore and reports to the Head of Office Punjab.
The Programme Policy Officer is responsible for providing strategic leadership, technical guidance and programme oversight for Nutrition, Emergency and other relevant Programmes.
The incumbent will lead engagement with the all relevant provincial departments, Provincial Government, cooperating partners and development stakeholders to support policy dialogue, programme implementation, capacity strengthening, monitoring, reviews and evidence generation aimed at improving food security and nutrition outcomes in Punjab.
To lead the planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring and strategic development of Nutrition, Food Systems and School Meals programmes in Punjab, ensuring effective government engagement, partner coordination, programme quality, evidence-based decision-making and achievement of WFP strategic objectives.
- Lead the planning, implementation and oversight of nutrition, food systems and school meals interventions in Punjab to achieve WFP programme objectives and strategic results.
- Provide technical and strategic guidance to programme teams to ensure high-quality implementation, monitoring and reporting of programme activities.
- Identify opportunities for programme expansion, innovation and integration across nutrition, food systems and school meals portfolios.
- Support the development of annual workplans, implementation strategies, budgets and operational plans aligned with provincial priorities and WFP strategic objectives.
- Position WFP as a trusted technical partner to the Department of Health and the Provincial Government of Punjab on nutrition, food systems and school meals programming.
- Maintain strategic engagement with senior government officials to support policy dialogue, programme coordination and alignment with provincial priorities and frameworks.
- Provide technical inputs into provincial strategies, action plans, policies and operational frameworks related to nutrition, food security and food systems.
- Facilitate timely responses to government requests and ensure regular information sharing on WFP priorities, achievements and programme results.
- Represent WFP in technical consultations, coordination forums and relevant provincial working groups related to nutrition, food systems and school meals.
- Lead coordination with cooperating partners to ensure efficient and effective implementation of programme activities and achievement of agreed targets.
- Develop and maintain strong partnerships with government counterparts, cooperating partners, UN agencies, academia and development stakeholders to enhance programme effectiveness and sustainability.
- Lead regular partner coordination meetings and programme review forums to identify implementation challenges, promote learning and strengthen collaboration.
- Guide the establishment, review and management of partnership agreements, including FLAs, MOUs and other implementation arrangements.
- Promote multi-sectoral collaboration and linkages to strengthen nutrition-sensitive programming and food systems transformation.
- Ensure robust monitoring systems are in place to track programme performance, results and quality standards.
- Lead regular programme reviews, performance assessments and implementation monitoring processes to ensure accountability and continuous improvement.
- Review progress against programme targets and recommend corrective actions to address implementation bottlenecks and operational challenges.
- Oversee the quality of programme reporting, ensuring timely submission of progress reports, briefing notes and management updates.
- Support evidence-based decision making through analysis of programme data, partner reports and monitoring findings.
- Lead the planning and coordination of assessments, studies, surveys and analytical exercises related to nutrition, food systems and school meals programming.
- Coordinate with relevant WFP units and partners in the development of assessment methodologies, tools and data collection plans.
- Ensure quality analysis, interpretation and dissemination of assessment findings to inform programme design and policy decisions.
- Translate assessment evidence into programme and policy recommendations for government and WFP management.
- Promote the use of programme evidence and lessons learned to strengthen future programme design and implementation.
- Support institutional capacity strengthening of government counterparts and cooperating partners through technical assistance, mentoring and learning initiatives.
- Facilitate trainings, workshops and review sessions aimed at enhancing programme quality and implementation capacity.
- Document and disseminate good practices, lessons learned, innovations and programme achievements.
- Contribute to knowledge products, technical papers, donor reports, presentations and advocacy materials.
- Supervise programme staff and provide technical guidance, coaching and performance feedback to support staff development and programme delivery.
- Promote teamwork, collaboration and accountability within the programme unit.
- Ensure effective planning and allocation of resources to support implementation priorities and operational requirements.
- Perform any other duties as assigned by the Head of Office.
Education:
- Advanced University degree in Public Health, Nutrition, Food Security, Development Studies, Social Sciences or other field relevant
- First University Degree with additional 2 years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses
Experience:
- At least five years of progressively responsible professional experience in nutrition, food systems, food security, public health, programme management or related fields.
- Experience in government engagement, programme coordination and stakeholder management.
- Experience managing cooperating partners and multi-stakeholder initiatives.
- Demonstrated experience in assessments, data analysis, monitoring and programme reviews
- Strong understanding of nutrition, food systems and school meals programming.
- Strong report writing, analytical, communication and presentation skills.
- Fluency in English is required.
- Knowledge of Urdu is highly desirable.
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
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, physical or mental disability.
The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are 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.
Integrity, collaboration, commitment, humanity, inclusion. These values inspire everything we do every day, allowing us to work towards a world with zero hunger.
All WFP employees are expected to demonstrate the standards of behaviour described in the WFP Leadership Framework.
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