Program Policy Officer (Government Partnership) Verified listing

The Programme Policy Officer will be working closely with the School Education and Literacy Department (SELD) in Karachi throughout the project lifecycle as several of the supporting activities of the project are focused on establishing standards and norms and governance for school meals implementation in the province.

This position is vital for ensuring the operational excellence and strategic alignment of the McGovern-Dole programme through the development of comprehensive guidelines for central kitchen operations, local procurement, and school meal planning. It facilitates coordination with government institutions and service providers to uphold food safety, nutrition standards, and delivery efficiency. The role also supports high-level advocacy, technical committees, and stakeholder engagement, while managing official communications and documentation and will be outposted within SELD. By identifying opportunities for collaboration and resolving operational challenges, the officer strengthens programme impact, visibility, and sustainability. The incumbent will be reporting to the international Programme Policy Officer who will be the Project Manager based in the WFP Sindh Provincial Office in Karachi.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

• Contribute towards the development of a wide variety of projects, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance.
• Provide project management support to specific and defined programmes and projects of considerable size/complexity, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes that complies with WFP standards and procedures.
• Develop and coordinate data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained.
• Research and analyse a range of policy and operational issues to inform the development of policies, programmes and activities.
• Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on programmes and activities that enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
• Liaise with internal and external counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects and highlight potential risks to project delivery.
• Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships to collaborative working leading to improved food assistance packages.
• Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to develop policies, guidelines and governance mechanisms to manage provincial school meals programmes.
• Guide more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analysis and queries.
• Any other task in line with the position level and expertise.
• Perform any other tasks aligned with the role and the job level of expertise.

Education:

• Advanced University degree in Political Science, International Development, Development Economics, International Relations, Law, Marketing, Communications or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional two (2) years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Experience:

• Three (3) years of post-graduate professional or managerial experience working in a government ministry or department.
• Experience of preparing technical documents such as MoUs, SOPs and guidance materials.
• Previous experience of working for UN or another international agency in Pakistan is desirable.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Excellent writing skills and ability to lead the preparation of documents and guidelines; be diplomatic, tactful and a skilled negotiator.

Language:

• Fluent in English and Urdu; working knowledge of Sindhi is a plus.