DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS19 August 2025-23:59-GMT+02:00 Eastern European Time (Beirut)
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.
ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme is the worldโs 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.
To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.
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).
WFP Lebanon encourages female candidates and people with disabilities to apply.
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. WFP does not charge a fee or request bank details at any stage of the recruitment process.
WFP is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our recruitment process is inclusively crafted to welcome candidates of all backgrounds, celebrating diversity and ensuring a respectful environment for all. We aim for an accessible and fair recruitment journey. Should you need any reasonable accommodations or have accessibility concerns, please reach out to us confidentially at lebanon.recruitment@wfp.org (and copying in global.inclusion@wfp.org). Our DEI team is here to ensure your full participation in our recruitment process.
Organizational Background:
Assisting more than 115.5 million people in 120 + countries each year, the World Food Program (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies, and helping individuals and communities find life-changing solutions to the multiple challenges they face in building better futures.
In conflict situations, we bring relief to exhausted populations and use food assistance to build pathways to peace and stability โ work for which WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
WFP Lebanon provides cash assistance to Syrian refugees and in-kind assistance to vulnerable Lebanese, while supporting the Government in strengthening social safety nets. WFP supports resilience-building activities, and its school meals programme improves nutrition and school attendance. Since October 2023, WFP has provided food and cash assistance to people affected by the conflict and has scaled up its food assistance including the distribution of daily meals following the recent escalation.
To know more about WFPโs mission, please check the below video:
https://www.facebook.com/WorldFoodProgramme/videos/10154930622760178/Contract Duration: 12 Months, (Renewable based on availability of funds, business needs and performance)
Job Purpose: Under the direct supervision of the Head of Unit Partnerships, Communications, and OIM (Operational Information Management), the Partnerships Officer will be responsible to drive WFPโs effective positioning with public, private and external partners to attract policy support, resources, technical assistance and innovative solutions to advance the work of WFP, while supporting member states in the achievement of the SDGs and Zero Hunger and emphasizing WFPโs contributions in this regard. The incumbent will also place additional focus on leading the partnerships workstream in coordination with the other partnerships staff.
The selected incumbent will be expected to work independently, using technical knowledge and experience, to analyse data and identify solutions for partnerships activities. He/She will support process improvements and partnership opportunities with a host of public, private sector and external entities, such as governments, UN agencies, intergovernmental institutions and their member states, international financial institutions, individuals, corporations, foundations and NGOs.
In view of a planned succession, the Partnerships Officer will work closely with the current Head of Unit for Partnerships, Communications, and Operational Information Management (OIM), acting as Deputy Head of Unit to ensure continuity and facilitate a smooth leadership transition expected around mid-2026. As part of this structured handover, the incumbent will gradually assume broader leadership and strategic oversight responsibilities. The role is intended to evolve into the future Head of Unit for Partnerships, Communications, and OIM Unit, reporting directly to the Country Director. In this capacity, the incumbent will manage the unitโs staff and lead WFPโs strategic partnerships, communications, and operational information management portfolio, driving stakeholder engagement and resource mobilization efforts in alignment with WFPโs country strategy. This includes oversight of communications products aligned with WFPโs strategy and overseeing all OIM activities to ensure a consistent operating picture of WFPโs operations and results, enabling timely and informed decision-making across the organization.
Key Responsibilities (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive):
- Lead the implementation of a work plan for an assigned area to enable WFP to identify, develop and strengthen quality partnerships in support of WFP strategic objectives.
- Engage with other functional units, Regional Offices (RO) and Country Offices (CO) on WFPโs thematic, regional and country-specific offerings, developing content and language that speak to individual audiences and align with on-going policy dialogue in national and global fora.
- Proactively support a wide range of aspects of a partnerships portfolio, including partner profiling, data/trends analysis and outreach plan, to maximize resources and leverage policy and technical support for WFPโs work; Ensure partner visibility and that partner conditions are met.
- Facilitate corporate dialogue with partners through preparation of quality briefing materials; Proactively highlight strategic opportunities and issues to senior management and propose options for the best course of action to nurture trust and interest in the work of WFP.
- Gather and share partner intelligence (including forecasting), using key information systems (e.g. WINGS, Salesforce, WFPGo), and assess results.
- Support functional units, RBs and COs on partnership strategies (including the development of Partnership Action Plans); Extend support on partnership/contribution management, in line with corporate norms, processes and legal agreements, on quality proposal and report writing by engaging with other WFP entities and external stakeholders.
- Facilitate partnership growth, by exploring opportunities to expand existing partnerships and scope of new partners, guided by assessments, analysis and due diligence; Present recommendations to senior management and ensure follow-up.
- Contribute to the preparation of partnership proposals, strategic agreements, joint strategies and/or MOU, taking into account corporate norms, processes and external regulations; Ensure quality control of content by engaging with relevant functional units.
- Use socio-political insights to support WFPโs effective positioning vis-ร -vis national governments, regional and international institutions with the aim to influence the policy agenda.
- In the context of the UN system and multilateral fora, support the development of partnerships with member states, civil society and intergovernmental organizations to advocate for the SDGs and Zero Hunger on the global agenda, and advance WFP priorities and policies, based on a good understanding of member statesโ dynamics and interests.
- Solicit inputs from other WFP entities that contribute to inter-governmental/inter-agency work to ensure that WFP positions are properly explained and taken into account in decision making.
- Manage staff, providing coaching, training and guidance to ensure appropriate development and enable high performance.
- Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work to ensure equal participation of women and men.
- Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance; Monitor defined risks and make recommendations how to manage these effectively.
- Other as required.
STANDARD MINIMUM ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Education: Advanced University degree (i.e. Master's degree or higher) in Political Science, International Development, Development Economics, International Relations, Law, Marketing, Communications or other relevant field, or First University degree (i.e. Bachelorโs degree) with additional years of related work experience.
Experience: Five (5) or more years of postgraduate professional experience (after completion of Advanced University degree) in partnerships, fundraising, advocacy and communications, marketing, strategy development or other related fields - including at least 2 years in senior partnerships roles; or seven (7) years or more after completion of First University degree. Experience in developing proposals, soliciting input for reports, drafting agreements, producing visibility plans and/or crafting joint strategies is highly desirable.
Language: Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and Arabic. Knowledge of French language is desirable.
Required Skills and Knowledge for entry into the role:
- Good understanding of government and corporate strategies and priorities and experience in developing multi-stakeholder partnerships.
- Strong experience in exploring new opportunities and providing inputs to design and develop solutions with prospective partners.
- Experience developing long-term partner relationships and expanded engagements across geographies and sector.
- Experience designing and managing all resource mobilization processes and resource strategies, negotiating contract terms and provided resourcing advice to seniors.
- Understanding of partnerโs focus areas and knowledge of internal capabilities to create a Unique Value Proposition for the partners.
- Experience in using technology and digital tools for data collection, analysis and shared data-based insights to add value to all partnerships.
- Knowledge of strategic communications, digital communications and advocacy. Including support to senior management on external communication such as media relations, participation in high-level events, conferences, etc.
- Experience overseeing and/or coordinating Operational Information Management (OIM) activities and outputs including external and internal reporting, organizational performance assessments and planning.
- Experience providing input into training and support strategy for technical systems users and provided advanced technical support.
- Experience building and managing a team
- Experience motivating team spirit and contributing to a gender-balanced, inclusive and sound working environment.
Terms and Conditions:
- WFP offers a competitive benefits package including salary, various types of leaves including maternity and paternity, medical and life insurances, provision of breastfeeding rooms for new parents, and various wellness platforms.
- WFP Lebanon offers flexible working hours schedule upon prior approval.
- Our premises are accessible, and we are committed to accommodate to any required reasonable accessible needs to remove barriers in the workplace.
- Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK
WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.
Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org
NO FEE DISCLAIMER
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.
REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified
All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.