Programme Policy Officer

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS 1 October 2026-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome)
ABOUT WFP 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.
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 Policy Officer (Child Safeguarding and Child Protection Mainstreaming)
TYPE OF CONTRACT Regular Consultant
UNIT/DIVISION Gender Protection and Inclusion
DUTY STATION Home based
DURATION 11 months
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT In line with increasing donor expectations, emerging safeguarding standards across the humanitarian sector, and WFP's Strategic Plan 2026–2029 commitment to uphold zero tolerance for child exploitation, abuse and harm, this assignment will support the strengthening of WFP's approach to child safeguarding, while also advancing the integration of child protection considerations into programme design and implementation. The Programme Policy Officer will lead the development and institutionalization of WFP's Child Safeguarding Framework, including the elaboration, consultation, approval and operationalization of the Executive Director's Circular on Child Safeguarding. The position will also provide technical support to strengthen child protection mainstreaming across selected programme areas, ensuring that WFP assistance is delivered in a safe, inclusive and child-sensitive manner. Sitting within the Design and Capacity Strengthening Team in GPI, the consultant will support corporate guidance, capacity strengthening, CSP design and country office support, with a particular focus on translating safeguarding commitments into operational practice.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES Lead the development and operationalization of WFP's Child Safeguarding Framework
Lead the drafting, revision, consultation, clearance and approval process for the Executive Director's Circular on Child Safeguarding
Coordinate consultations with HQ divisions, Regional Bureaux, Country Offices and external stakeholders
Develop supporting guidance, tools, SOPs and implementation materials required to operationalize the Circular
Support the establishment of governance, accountability and implementation arrangements for child safeguarding
Contribute to the development of corporate learning and awareness-raising initiatives related to child safeguarding
Support engagement with donors and partners on child safeguarding commitments and standards
Strengthen integration of Child Safeguarding and Child Protection Considerations into Programme Design
Provide technical support to Country Offices on integrating child safeguarding and child protection considerations into programme design and implementation
Support CSP development and review processes, including FAR roll-outs, ensuring that relevant child protection risks, barriers and opportunities are reflected where appropriate
Advise on child-sensitive programme design across relevant programme areas, including school meals, resilience, emergency assistance and social protection
Promote the use of integrated context and risk analyses to identify risks affecting children and opportunities to improve programme quality
Strengthen GPI Capacity and Learning
Deliver and support trainings on child safeguard