Policy & Advocacy Officer

Your privacy is important to us* 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).For more than 60 years, WFP has been the leading organization in supporting countries with their school meals programmes, which are widely prevalent throughout the world.In 2020, WFP launched a 10-year strategy for school meals. WFP advocates for the universal adoption of school meals programmes as a safety net that helps increase children’s access to education and learning opportunities and strengthens their health and nutrition. WFP focuses increasingly on helping countries to establish and maintain nationally owned programmes. In countries still requiring WFP’s operational support, it implements school meals programmes with clear hand over strategies.In 2021, these were taken to the next level with the launch of the School Meals Coalition at the Food Systems Summit to urgently re-establish, improve and scale-up school meals programmes in countries all over the world. WFP, which hosts the Secretariat of the School Meals Coalition, supports the Coalition’s objectives by driving forward the collective vision, ensuring effective coordination and implementation, connecting governments, partners and the Coalition Initiatives. It supports governments in advancing their national school meals programmes, also working alongside UN agencies and other stakeholders. The Coalition brings together over 110 member governments, 6 regional bodies and more than 150 partners.The Secretariat of the School Meals Coalition, which sits at WFP’s Nutrition, School Meals and Social Protection Service, is looking for a qualified and experienced individual to serve as Policy and Advocacy Officer.**ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:**Under the supervision of the Head of Advocacy and Communications of the School Meals Coalition Secretariat, and working closely with WFP colleagues at headquarters, regional and national level, the consultant will be responsible for contributing to developing and executing policy, advocacy and communications plans.**1. Policy and Advocacy Strategizing and Planning*** Contribute to the design and execution of the 2026 Advocacy and Communications Plan of the School Meals Coalition Secretariat.* Identify and leverage global and regional policy platforms (e.g. G20, G7,Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, UN climate processes, UN General Assembly, African Union) to position school meals as a strategic investment across sectors. This includes gathering intelligence to identify key entry points and champions across governments and partners.* Ensure alignment of policy advocacy efforts with global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN Food Systems Pathways, and the AU’s Agenda 2063.* Provide strategic advocacy inputs to regular meetings organized by the School Meals Coalition Secretariat Team with members and partners.* Keep calendar of key moments up to date, capturing all elements required to effectively implement advocacy and communications plans.**2. Research and Policy Analysis*** Monitor and document policy commitments and progress made by School Meals Coalition member governments, including integration of school meals into national plans and budgets.* Conduct research and policy analysis to inform evidence-based advocacy, including inputs from Coalition Initiative and partners.* Develop policy, advocacy and communications products such as briefs, messaging sheets and guidance notes to support Coalition member and partner engagement to inform decision-makers and support evidence-based policymaking.* Cultivate relationships with Coalition Initiatives, and other policy research institutions and think tanks to strengthen the evidence base and inform strategic positioning.**3. Engagement with Global and Regional Platforms*** Draft concept notes and strategic inputs for events and other engagements, including assessing external requests for participation based on agreed criteria with the team.* Leverage existing connections, and build new ones, to engage with key global platforms and partners, notably G20, G7, Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, UN climate talks and the UN General Assembly.* Engage with relevant Africa Union policy processes and events, working closely with WFP’s African Union Office and other colleagues. This includes the annual Africa Day of School Feeding and the new Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan, a key AU’s Agenda 2063 initiative.**4. Engagement with key School Meals Coalition and WFP Stakeholders*** Conduct stakeholder mapping and power analysis to inform strategic engagement.* Support strategic engagement with Coalition member governments and partners, including drafting talking points and background materials.* Collaborate with WFP colleagues across levels and functions to ensure coherent messaging and representation at key fora. This includes drafting event briefs and talking points for WFP leadership’s engagement.* Effectively engage with key Coalition partners, particularly the Coalition Initiatives, around key advocacy opportunities.* Collaborate with WFP colleagues across levels and functions to ensure coherent messaging and representation at key fora. This includes drafting event briefs and talking points for WFP leadership’s engagement.* Contribute to the Coalition’s Secretariat’s Advocacy & Communications Team database.**5. Results reporting and improvement*** Contribute to defining policy, advocacy and communications metrics.* Document policy and advocacy engagement outcomes and lessons learned.* Contribute to progress reports to donors and Coalition members.**6. Perform any other duties in support of the school Meals Coalition Secretariat’s Advocacy and Communications Team****QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:****Education:**Advanced University degree in Social Science, Political Science, International Relations, Journalism, Public Relations, Communications or relevant field or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.**Experience:**Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in policy, advocacy, communications and/or partnerships, in international development and humanitarian sectors. This includes developing and executing action-oriented high-level advocacy strategies at the global, regional or national levels and multi-stakeholder engagement.**Knowledge & Skills:*** Strong understanding of humanitarian and development sectors.* Good understanding of the power of school meals across sectors, including key actors.* Solid understanding of UN processes and global platforms, notably the G20, G7, the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, UN climate talks, UN General Assembly, including existing network of contacts.* Good understanding of African Union relevant policy processes, structures and key actors relevant to school meals.* Excellent writing, conceptual and analytical skills, including the ability to present complex processes and issues clearly to a diverse audience and in an actionable manner.* Proven track record of executing successful events in collaboration with multiple stakeholders.* Strong time management skills
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