Programme Policy Officer (Partnerships) SC10 at World Food Programme (WFP)

JOB PURPOSE

To deliver against the above, Nigeria Country Office is seeking an experienced national Partnership Officer (NOC) to act as a primary reference point between WFP and Borno State Government institutions.
Under direct supervision of the Head of Area Office, the incumbent will operate in close collaboration with all Head of Units/Subject matter experts (SMEs) as relevant. Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for carrying out the following tasks and responsibilities:

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Foster, strengthen and promote collaboration between Borno State Government and WFP through enhanced coordination, communication and capacity strengthening.
• Provide technical support and expert advice to the Government teams in the areas of food security, nutrition and other relevant programmatic areas for better advocacy in resource mobilization and utilization, and service delivery;
• Identify capacity gaps within government institutions and facilitate relevant training programs. Enhance the understanding of humanitarian principles and coordination mechanisms among government officials, fostering a more effective and coordinated response to ensure a cohesive approach;
• Advocate for increased government engagement and support for humanitarian efforts. Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with relevant government departments, ministries, and agencies to enhance collaboration;
• Proactively identify and highlight opportunities and propose the course of action to nurture a wide range of aspects of common interest;
• Facilitate dialogue between the Government and WFP on issues pertaining the partnerships through preparation of briefing materials and joint field visits;
• Using socio-political insights, prepare an engagement strategy and provide guidance on strategic alignment of WFP work with Government priorities and emerging issues to achieve impact;
• Support convening of key stakeholders including the Government, Donors, UN Agencies, and Private sector to build coalition and synergies on critical matters of common interest (i.e. capacity strengthening, climate change, food security and nutrition, etc.) using existing coordination mechanisms;
• Monitor the implementation of joint initiatives, ensuring compliance with agreed frameworks and guidelines. Prepare periodic reports on progress, challenges, and recommendations to inform decision-making processes;
• Participate in key meetings with relevant stakeholders including civil military coordination;

EDUCATION:

• Advanced University degree in Political Science, International Development, International Relations, Communications, Sociology, Social Research Methods or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

EXPERIENCE:

• 8 or more years of relevant professional experience related to national development programmes, policies, strategies or plans and institutional structures, preferably in relation to food security and/or nutrition and revolving around national capacity strengthening and/or programme and knowledge management;
• Deepened experience in technical coordination and operational support to state governments;
• Has a good understanding of government and corporate strategies and priorities and gained experience in developing multi-stakeholder partnerships;
• Has gained significance experience in exploring new opportunities and providing inputs to design and develop solutions with prospective partners;
• Has developed long-term partner relationships and expanded engagements across geographies and sector;
• Strong analytic, communication and interpersonal skills, including training and facilitation skills and demonstrated experience in conceptual analysis, planning and organizational skills.

LANGUAGES:

• Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of Kanuri and/or Hausa languages.