📢 Job Title: Integrated Delivery Officer (Food Systems), CST Level 2

✨ Contract type and Grade: Regular Consultant Level 2 (Full time)

📧 Duration: Until 30 June 2025 (with possible extension)

✅ Unit / Division: Food Systems Unit

📍 Duty Station: Regional Bureau Dakar, Senegal

⏰ Closing date: 16 September 2024

WFP is the largest humanitarian organization in the region, and it is leveraging its supply chain and logistical capabilities as well as innovative programs that strengthen socio-economic systems and community resilience to support countries in their efforts to transform food systems. In Western Africa, WFP is supporting 20 countries to build their capacity to respond to food crises, transition toward resilient food systems, and improve food markets and trade. Therefore the need for a Food Systems Officer.

BACKGROUND:

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations’ frontline agency fighting hunger. WFP delivers food assistance in emergencies and works with governments, the private sector, financial institutions, and farming communities to improve food and nutrition security and transform food systems in a sustainable and inclusive manner.

In the wake of recent food crises caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic, African governments resolved to strengthen their food sovereignty by boosting local food production systems and building localized and short supply chains. These efforts must be leveraged to accelerate the transformation of food systems in Western Africa.

The transformation of food systems in Western Africa is a common agenda that involves multiple actors including governments, the private sector, and farming communities. This agenda has been developed in the context of fragility and limited competitiveness of the agri-food industry. Food supply systems are functioning sub-optimally and as a result, 54 percent of West African householders cannot access a nutritious diet while 20 percent of them cannot afford an energy diet (WFP, 2023).

Furthermore, a large segment of the population in this region depends on food imports and humanitarian assistance to meet their food and nutrition security. It is also estimated that youth (under 24-year-olds) make up 65% of the total population of approximately 500 million people in Western Africa (OECD, 2021). However, unemployment and underemployment rates are twice as high as among people aged over 25. Poverty rates are still high and income opportunities are still dominated by the informal sector.

The agri-food industry is still the single largest contributor to the GDP, but food supply systems in this region are constrained by land degradation, droughts and floods, displacement of people, armed conflicts, and underinvestment in productive capabilities. Efforts to transform the agri-food industry are expected to lead to food sovereignty; create, improve, and sustain work opportunities for the youth; incentivize the adoption of sustainable farming practices, and support the availability and affordability of safe and nutritious diets for all.

WFP’s investments in Western Africa contribute to solving the above-mentioned issues by protecting food systems before, during, and after climate and socio-economic shocks and stressors.

PURPOSE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

WFP is the largest humanitarian organization in the region, and it is leveraging its supply chain and logistical capabilities as well as innovative programs that strengthen socio-economic systems and community resilience to support countries in their efforts to transform food systems. In Western Africa, WFP is supporting 20 countries to build their capacity to respond to food crises, transition toward resilient food systems, and improve food markets and trade.

The incumbent will be part of the food systems unit and will liaise with the supply chain/procurement, nutrition, school feeding, resilience, and partnership units to develop or strengthen delivery platforms and catalyze investments in soft and hard infrastructure as well as business models that make safe and nutritious foods widely available and affordable.

The responsibilities will include:

1.Inclusive food supply chain models

Support local medium and large companies to adopt business models that are inclusive of smallholder farmers.

Provide food companies with technical assistance in supply chain optimization to reduce the cost of producing safe and nutritious foods and make them widely available and affordable to WFP target groups through market-based solutions.

2.Access to finance, technologies, and markets

Liaise with the WFP Innovation Hub in Munich to strengthen the technology clearing house and facilitate the deployment of proven technologies at scale.

Work with financial institutions to develop and deploy financial products that are adapted to food companies’ and farmers’ needs and business models.

Support food companies and other food supply system actors to develop efficient and diversified market channels and adopt improved food-grade equipment and packaging as well as normative frameworks and standards.

3.Strategic engagement

Work with government ministries, departments, and agencies to incentivize the production, marketing, and consumption of safe and nutritious foods.

Develop partnerships with regional and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to mobilize investments in food systems infrastructure such as food markets construction or rehabilitation, cold chain, and other food handling infrastructure (in collaboration with RBD partnership officers)

Work with RECs, especially ECOWAS and ECCAS, to facilitate food trade along key corridors.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THIS FIRST CONTRACT PERIOD:

• Establishment of an investment and engagement strategy for WFP/RBD’s work with food businesses.
• Satisfactory support for food companies and smallholder farmers in scaling their businesses.
• Financial products and funds raised and accessed by target food companies.
• Satisfactory support provided to country offices, governments, IFIs, and local and regional financial institutions (including commercial banks) to implement blended or innovative finance for the enhanced food supply systems and actors.
• Satisfactory support to other RBD activities including required research, presentations, and strategies.
• All work and materials developed during the contract are well documented and available to all relevant stakeholders in designated knowledge management processes/platforms.

Education:

Advanced University degree in business, economics, agribusiness, and international/rural development with more than 10 years of related work experience.

Experience:

At least 8 years of progressively responsible experience in African start-ups, consulting, food businesses, or innovation/entrepreneur support in the agribusiness/international development sector.

Experience building and delivering scale-up strategies for end-to-end systems from within the private and development sectors, preferably at large-scale organizations, or private companies.

Languages:

Fluency in oral and written English is mandatory. A good command of French is an added advantage.

WFP Value Proposition (What we promise you at WFP)

• Meaningful and impactful careers – Our day-to-day work makes a difference in the lives of the people we serve.
• Continuous learning and training – We provide learning tools for our staff to continually develop their careers.
• Multicultural and stimulating working environment – We encourage gender and cultural diversity to make our teams stronger.

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU APPLY

• All employment decisions are made based on 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, Join Inspection Unit (JIU) and 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.
• Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply. WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
• Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance
• WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.
• WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination.
• All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment.

Special Notice on WFP RBD office relocation:

WFP and other UN Agencies will be moving to the new United Nations House, presently under construction in Diamniadio, 30 kilometres from downtown Dakar. The name of the duty station for this position will remain Dakar, Senegal.

Special recommendation:

Before you apply, please confirm that both (i) your on-line profile and CV are accurate and up to date, (ii) your CV should include your employment history, academic qualifications, and language skills.

Deadline for applications: 16 September 2024