FSL Sector Lead for Emergency and Development Operations* At Welthungerhilfe

The position is to be filled as soon as possible, with an initial contract duration of one year (6 months’ probation period). There are good prospects for an extension. Employment location will be Juba, South Sudan, with frequent travels to project locations.

To expand and deepen Welthungerhilfe’s (WHH) portfolio in Food Security & Livelihoods (FSL) and foster integrated programming, we are looking for an experienced FSL Sector Lead who will provide strategic leadership and ensure defined quality standards are met in Welthungerhilfe’s programme work in South Sudan. As FSL Sector Lead, you will further develop WHH South Sudan’s strategy to improve food systems (focus: rural communities) in line with WHH’s global strategy. With a clear focus on climate-sensitive agriculture integrating natural resource management (linked to disaster risk reduction) and market system development for improved economic development in rural settings, you will develop the FSL sector strategy and specific approaches that provide evidence-based results and are adaptable to various contexts in South Sudan throughout the project cycle. You will be responsible for maintaining an excellent network with senior technicians from partners (incl. humanitarian sector and private sector), line ministries/relevant government authorities, the UN Cluster, and the donor community. As part of a large team (250+ staff, incl. 25 international staff), you will report to the Head of Programmes and work in close coordination with the Heads of Projects, project teams, MEAL Managers and the Emergency Programme Coordinator.

Your responsibilities

• In collaboration with relevant internal stakeholders, develop FSL strategies and guidelines for WHH South Sudan with a focus on climate-sensitive agriculture integrating natural resource management (incl. DRR) and market systems in majorly rural/peri-urban contexts
• Provide strategic and technical leadership for FSL program design, developing new approaches and areas of intervention, bringing in best practices from multiple countries
• Identify strategic entry points, areas of intervention and niches for WHH in the FSL sector
• Ensure gender- and conflict-sensitive FSL programming, aiming for empowerment and dignity of women, youth and men in program areas
• In close collaboration with the Emergency Programme Coordinator, contribute to emergency response planning and disaster reduction programming
• Ensure high quality implementation as well as consistency and harmonisation of the WHH approaches in South Sudan
• Ensure that projects comply with WHH and donor standards, international standards (CHS, LEGS) and national laws and policies
• In collaboration with the MEAL Manager, monitor program and project quality at outcome and impact levels, facilitate evidence-based organizational learning processes and promote innovation for continuous programming improvement
• In collaboration with the MEAL Manager, develop monitoring tools, (joint) needs assessments, technical studies and contribute to evaluations
• Contribute to fundraising, develop and revise funding proposals, budgets and donor reports
• Collect sector specific data and background information and provide sector-related context analysis for proposal development
• Lead and design FSL technical assessments and multisectoral assessments in coordination with other sector coordinators and relevant external sector agencies
• Ensure quality documentation of achievements and lessons learned (incl. translation into adaptation at project/program level) in close cooperation with the MEAL Manager and work in close collaboration with the Communications Coordinator on the development of visibility materials and the communications strategy
• Actively coordinate with national authorities on WHH project implementation to ensure support, acceptance and sustainability of the project outcomes
• Provide technical support to the technical teams and Heads of Projects
• Contribute to recruitment, ongoing supervision, and evaluation of the staff in the FSL sector
• Ensure training of local counterparts and government actors in identified thematic areas and provide regular coaching to WHH’s technical teams working in the FSL sector
• Represent WHH in relevant national clusters, networks and, when requested, in donor conferences

Your profile

• A relevant university or polytechnic degree in Agriculture (focus on climate adaptation would be an asset), Economics and/or Rural Development
• A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience and proven record in designing and managing FSL projects in fragile contexts – previous experience in South Sudan is an asset
• Experience with emergency response and its translation to recovery and development
• Experience with mainstreaming protection and gender considerations into programming is a strong asset
• Excellent understanding of the humanitarian architecture and coordination system and experience in navigating this structure
• Proven track record of successful donor interactions and integrated program design
• Proven track record of capacity building of national and sector staff, partners and authorities
• Understanding of trends in the sector, ability to quickly analyse information and trends and translate them into action
• Understanding of technical approaches to resilience in the areas of climate adaptation, gender sensitivity and conflict sensitive programming – Experience in local governance and policy development is an important asset
• Excellent networker/coordinator, strategic thinker, creativity and ability to provide strategic direction and translate strategy into operation plans and actions
• Team player – ability to coordinate among departments and work with international teams
• Demonstrated ability to respond to multiple responsibilities in a timely manner and produce high level outcomes
• Willingness to travel to remote and volatile locations, perform under high pressure and understand work life balance
• Excellent command of spoken and written English, German and/or Arabic language skills would be an asset

Our offer

We offer you the opportunity to work in a responsible and interesting field as part of an extremely dedicated team. Welthungerhilfe attaches great importance to the personal and professional development of its employees and the balance of their work and private life. Remuneration is based on our gender-independent salary scale. In addition, Welthungerhilfe offers numerous other benefits, which are listed under “Our benefits”.