Career Opportunity for Programme Policy Officer (Refugees Transition & Self Reliance)

ORGNIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Ethiopia currently hosts over one million refugees originating from multiple countries, with more than 80% residing in camps across seven regions. The continued influx of refugees—driven by ongoing conflicts, political instability, and severe drought in neighboring countries such as Sudan and South Sudan—has further strained an already critical humanitarian situation for protracted refugee populations. To address these challenges, the Government of Ethiopia has launched the Mekatet Roadmap, a comprehensive framework designed to promote inclusivity and resilience in refugee assistance. This roadmap is supported by humanitarian partners and government ministries and aims to transition from short-term emergency assistance to sustainable, long-term solutions. Achieving this vision requires strong, strategic engagement from WFP at multiple levels, including through safety net programs, livelihood interventions, and resilience-building initiatives.

JOB PURPOSE

In line with this approach, WFP Ethiopia intends to recruit a Programme Policy Officer – Refugee Transitions and Self-Reliance, who will play a pivotal role in shaping and implementing WFP’s contribution to refugee solutions. The incumbent will be responsible for:

• Strategic Leadership: Drive WFP Ethiopia’s refugee self-reliance portfolio, providing both strategic direction and technical oversight to ensure effective implementation of the self-reliance model.

• Joint Strategic Dialogue: Lead WFP’s engagement with UNHCR on sustainable refugee solutions, including evidence-based analysis, advocacy, policy dialogue, referrals, and evaluations.

• Partnership Development: Build and strengthen alliances with the Government of Ethiopia, private sector actors, national partners, and international organizations to expand economic opportunities and foster social inclusion for refugees.

• Livelihoods and Economic Empowerment: Design and support integrated livelihood packages aimed at enhancing employment prospects, income-generating activities, and market access for refugee and host communities.

• Implementation of Mekatet Roadmap: Spearhead WFP’s support activities under the Mekatet framework, ensuring coherence, scalability, and measurable impact across interventions.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Sustainability Agenda for Refugee Response

• Coordinate strategically with the Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) and UNHCR on the self-reliance model, actively engage in the joint secretariat, and lead WFP’s self-reliance workstream.

• Ensure programmatic integration by working closely with WFP teams delivering humanitarian assistance to refugees, creating strong linkages between emergency programming and referral mechanisms, advocacy, and livelihood activities.

• Contribute to strategic development of pathways linking humanitarian assistance to sustainable solutions for refugees, including internal programmatic readiness and external partner engagement.

• Lead WFP Ethiopia’s advocacy efforts with relevant government departments and national counterparts to advance refugee self-reliance and inclusion.

Evidence-Based Advocacy

• Co-lead data analytics initiatives with the Research, Assessment, and Monitoring (RAM) team to identify refugee skills and capabilities, translating findings into evidence-based advocacy messages for stakeholders.

• Identify data gaps from a programmatic perspective and collaborate with RAM and technical units to address them, including labor market analysis and skill mapping updates.

• Develop strategic advocacy materials, including policy briefs and messaging, based on data insights, and drive WFP’s advocacy activities.

• Coordinate joint advocacy efforts with UNHCR and other actors to amplify impact.

• Support monitoring and evidence generation for projects, ensuring close collaboration with RAM on data-driven decision-making.

Livelihood Support Packages

• Lead implementation of integrated livelihood and economic empowerment packages, in collaboration with national and international partners, targeting urban refugees to enhance access to employment and income-generating opportunities.

• Oversee programme implementation and tracking, including development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks in coordination with WFP units.

• Strengthen linkages between WFP interventions and other activities to maximize impact and sustainability.

• Identify synergies between livelihood policies and program design, promoting alignment between humanitarian and development approaches.

Two-Way Referral Mechanism

• Serve as focal point for WFP’s two-way referral mechanism and represent WFP in livelihood working groups and relevant forums.

• Engage partners proactively (NGOs, development actors, private sector) to utilize the referral mechanism for recruitment and employment opportunities.

• Analyze and address challenges in referral processes, advising on timely adjustments to strategies and plans.

• Build and nurture partnerships with agencies, NGOs, development entities, and private sector actors to strengthen referral systems.

• Promote and advocate for referral mechanism utilization and coordinate referral requests jointly with UNHCR.

Data Sharing Agreements

• Support the establishment and management of data-sharing agreements for WFP, ensuring compliance and coordination with UNHCR and other partners.

Other Responsibilities

• Perform additional tasks as required to advance WFP’s refugee self-reliance and sustainability agenda.

Qualification:

• Advanced university degree in Economics, International Affairs, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or other fields relevant to international development assistance, or first university degree with additional years of related work experience
• At least (1) year of postgraduate professional experience in livelihoods, employment, development projects, start-ups, or related areas.
• Demonstrated experience in formulating and operationalizing long-term strategies and managing change processes.
• Proven technical knowledge and hands-on experience in Livelihood Programming, Job Placement Activities, or Development Programs, or equivalent strong project management experience in the private sector

​Technical Expertise:

• Extensive knowledge of livelihoods sector, development actors, and the start-up ecosystem in Ethiopia, particularly within refugee contexts, is highly desirable.

• Strong understanding of labour market dynamics, economic empowerment approaches, and resilience-building strategies.

Partnership and Coordination:

• Experience in coordinating with external partners and stakeholders, including government entities, NGOs, private sector actors, and international organizations.

Additional Assets:

• Previous experience with UN agencies, NGOs, or donor organizations is considered an advantage.

• Familiarity with data-driven programming, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and evidence-based advocacy approaches.

Language:

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

Type of Contract: Fixed Term/NOA

Unit Division: Programme (Relief, Refugees and Preparedness)

Reports to: Head of Relief, Refugees and Preparedness

Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Duration: 1 Year

Open to Ethiopian National

Skills Required:

• Agricultural / Studies
• Economics / Statistics
• Environmental / Natural / Resource
• Political / Science / Ir
• Social / Science / Project / Management / Development