ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Its mission is to help achieve the goal of Zero Hunger. Every day, WFP works around the world to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable people, particularly women and children, have access to the nutritious food they need.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has collaborated with the Cuban government since 1963 to strengthen long-standing social protection programs that provide free and universal access to basic services. These efforts have directly benefited 1.3 million people by 2024. The country’s operational landscape is characterized by significant food security and nutrition challenges, and in this context, WFP is working to address growing humanitarian needs, driven by priority and resource constraints, by providing nutrition-sensitive food assistance before, during, and after crises.
WFP strengthens the capacity of the social protection system and facilitates the distribution of nutritious food and nutritional supplements. WFP also strengthens local food systems and links them to social protection institutions. WFP has a strong field presence, with monitors operating in six provinces: Las Tunas, Granma, HolguÃn, Santiago de Cuba, and Villa Clara (the latter recently opened).
PURPOSE OF THE POSITION
Carry out specialized and/or standardized activities and processes related to the food transfer modality.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES (indicative and non-exhaustive list)
1. Carry out specialized and/or standardized activities and processes within the technical and operational sphere of food management within the framework of WFP’s Strategic Plan in Cuba, in emergency contexts or regular operations, supporting harmonization with broader program policies and guidelines.
2. Provide project management support and/or support to the country office in the area of food assistance based on identified needs and available resources, taking into account established goals, targeting criteria, distribution patterns, locations, and applying WFP policies and procedures.
3. Within their specific area of responsibility, provide support in the collection, analysis, and preparation of reports (e.g., on food assistance needs, food balances and destinations, locations, resource utilization, reconciliations and follow-up actions, etc.) in order to support timely operational decision-making.
4. Conduct thorough and timely monitoring and recording of information/data within the technical and operational sphere of the corresponding activity, applying corporate standards and guidelines.
5. Work and exchange information with the different technical units of the office as appropriate (e.g. Emergency Preparedness and Response, Social Protection, Nutrition, Monitoring and Evaluation, Budget Programming, Supply Chain, Resource Mobilization, Communication, and others), as well as implementing partners, to support collaboration and the effective implementation and monitoring of ongoing operations activities and contribute to the proper execution of food assistance and the resolution of operational incidents.
6. Provide support for communication activities with key stakeholders involved in the implementation of food assistance programs, including relevant local and national institutions and authorities, communities, and cooperation partners.
7. Serve as a point of contact for general operational inquiries and, if necessary, request assistance.
8. Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to ensure that WFP is able to respond immediately and deploy the necessary resources to affected areas at the onset of a crisis.
OTHER JOB REQUIREMENTS
1. Assist programmatic operations to contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of joint food transfer implementation in coordination with national counterparts, in accordance with the guidelines for the management of food donated by WFP.
2. Support the development of operational analyses, models, and reports that contribute to food assistance planning and assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of implementation, generating useful evidence for strategic and programmatic decision-making.
3. Accompany and support the monitoring of the implementation of food assistance on the ground, including food stocks, movements, and distributions, as well as the processes associated with the country’s prepositioning strategy and periodic reconciliations.
4. Assist and support in the design and implementation of tools and training for food handling during reception, storage, and transportation, and to maintain up-to-date tracking of geographic locations.
5. Others as required within the scope of the implementation of the food transfer modality in the country context.
MINIMUM STANDARD QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
Education: Completion of pre-university education. A technical/university certificate in the relevant field will be considered.
Experience: Five years of experience in the corresponding functional area.
Languages: Fluent in spoken and written Spanish. Intermediate English (desirable).
DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE TO PERFORM THIS ROLE
. Having facilitated processes with technical teams (dedicated, for example, to nutrition, analysis and mapping of the
vulnerability (VAM), budget scheduling, etc.).
. Having contributed to the implementation of programs.
. Having attended policy debates as an observer, or helped organize them.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Position: Program Assistant SC-5 (Food Management)
Unit: Programs
Contract Type: Service Contract SC-5
Workplace: Havana, Cuba
Contract Duration: 12 months with the possibility of extension, based on the organization’s requirements.
How to apply
Please apply at the following link: