Programme Assistant (School Feeding)

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).

Job title: Programme Assistant (School Feeding)

Grade: G5

Type of Contract: Fixed Term

Unit: Programme (School Feeding) Unit

Duty Station: Mekelle, Ethiopia

Duration: 12 Months

Open to Ethiopian National

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT: -

WFP Ethiopia is working with the Government and humanitarian partners to strengthen the resilience of Ethiopia’s most vulnerable population and to chart a more prosperous and sustainable future for the next generation. The WFP Country Office also supports programmes that use food assistance to empower women, transform areas affected by climate change and keep children in school. Through its Country Strategic Plan (CSP 2026 - 2030) it aims to contribute to Ethiopia’s five-year development agenda, the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP), through which the Government combats food insecurity.

WFP supports the government of Ethiopia in the design and implementation of Home-Grown School Meals Programmes (SMP) to increase student’s enrollment and meet nutritional gaps among school going children. SMP serve as a vital social safety net for vulnerable households and school-going children and are also one of the most effective mechanisms for incentivizing school attendance, particularly among girls. School meal programs play a vital role in promoting positive outcomes across five interconnected areas: health, nutrition, and education—all of which can foster gender equality and enhance the benefits of human capital development. School Meals Programme contributes towards Strategic Outcome Areas and key aspect of WFP Ethiopia’s portfolio in the Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for 2026-2030.

JOB PURPOSE: Under the direct supervision of the Programme Policy Officer (Resilience, Livelihood and School Feeding) the Programme Assistant (School Feeding) provides support to the school feeding programme under the Mekelle Area Office.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive):

• Prepare monthly distribution plans and verified the movement and delivery of food and non-food items
• Support follow-up actions to address findings from monitoring visits, reviews, and evaluations
• Participate in school assessments and feeding missions as needed to support program implementation
• Collaborate with the WFP logistics team to facilitate communication between beneficiaries, including school leaders, parent committees, and pupil representatives and retailers.
• Contribute to progressive, periodic, and ad-hoc reporting on program activities and outcomes.
• Participate in Education Cluster coordination meetings and share situational updates with partners.
• Promote the integration of protection and gender perspectives to ensure equal participation of girls and boys across all program areas
• Worked closely with education offices and implementing partners to ensure timely submission, review, and entry of reports into the COMET platform.
• Perform additional tasks as required

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in the related functional area is desirable.
• Experience: At least 5 years of professional experience in a relevant field of work, with a background and interest in international humanitarian development, with working knowledge on Nutrition and Education and Social Protection/Social Assistance

Knowledge & Skills:

• Proficient in the use of office equipment and computer software packages, such as Microsoft Word.
• Knowledge of work routines and methods in order to complete processes under minimal supervision.

Language:

Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and Tigrigna.

Skills Required:

• Social / Science / Project / Management / Development