Job Overview
This vacancy is listed under NGO Jobs in Oromia and is open to qualified professionals interested in contributing to refugee transition and self-reliance initiatives through a full-time role with an international organization.
Hiring Organization
The hiring organization is the World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian organization working to save lives, improve nutrition, and build resilience for people affected by conflict, disasters, and climate shocks.
Job Title
The position is Programme Policy Officer (Refugees Transition & Self-Reliance) and focuses on supporting sustainable refugee solutions and long-term self-reliance strategies.
Job Location
The duty station for this role is Ethiopia, with the position based in Addis Ababa.
Employment Type
This is a full-time position requiring close coordination with internal WFP units, government counterparts, UN agencies, and development partners.
Date Posted
The vacancy was posted two hours ago and is currently receiving high interest from applicants.
Application Deadline
The deadline for application submission is 03 January 2026.
Organizational Context
Ethiopia hosts over one million refugees from multiple countries, with more than eighty percent living in camps across seven regions. Ongoing conflict, political instability, and climate-related shocks in neighboring countries continue to increase refugee inflows and pressure on humanitarian systems.
Strategic Framework
To address protracted displacement, the Government of Ethiopia launched the Mekatet Roadmap, a national framework aimed at shifting refugee assistance from short-term emergency aid toward inclusive and sustainable long-term solutions.
WFP’s Role
WFP plays a key role in this transition by supporting safety nets, livelihoods, resilience building, and policy dialogue to advance refugee self-reliance and social and economic inclusion.
Job Purpose
WFP Ethiopia seeks to recruit a Programme Policy Officer to play a central role in shaping, coordinating, and implementing WFP’s refugee transition and self-reliance agenda in alignment with national and international frameworks.
Strategic Leadership Responsibilities
The incumbent will provide strategic direction and technical oversight for WFP Ethiopia’s refugee self-reliance portfolio, ensuring effective implementation of the self-reliance model.
Joint Strategic Dialogue
The role includes leading WFP’s engagement with UNHCR on sustainable refugee solutions, including policy dialogue, advocacy, evaluations, referrals, and evidence-based analysis.
Partnership Development
The officer will build and strengthen partnerships with government institutions, private sector actors, national partners, and international organizations to expand economic opportunities for refugees and host communities.
Livelihoods and Economic Empowerment
The position involves designing and supporting integrated livelihood packages that enhance employment opportunities, income generation, and market access for refugees and host populations.
Implementation of the Mekatet Roadmap
The incumbent will spearhead WFP’s support under the Mekatet framework, ensuring coherence, scalability, and measurable impact across refugee self-reliance interventions.
Sustainability Agenda for Refugee Response
The role requires close coordination with the Refugees and Returnees Service and UNHCR, participation in joint secretariat mechanisms, and leadership of WFP’s self-reliance workstream.
Evidence-Based Advocacy
The officer will co-lead data analytics initiatives with the Research, Assessment, and Monitoring team, translate findings into advocacy messages, and develop policy briefs and strategic communication materials.
Livelihood Support Packages
The position includes leading the implementation and monitoring of integrated livelihood and economic empowerment programmes, particularly targeting urban refugees.
Two-Way Referral Mechanism
The officer will serve as WFP’s focal point for two-way referral mechanisms, engaging partners to support job placement, employment opportunities, and effective referral systems.
Data Sharing and Coordination
The role supports the establishment and management of data-sharing agreements with UNHCR and other partners, ensuring compliance and effective coordination.
Other Responsibilities
The incumbent will perform additional duties as required to advance WFP’s refugee self-reliance and sustainability objectives.
Education Requirements
An advanced university degree in Economics, International Affairs, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences, or a related field is required, or a first university degree with additional relevant experience.
Experience Requirements
Applicants must have at least one year of postgraduate professional experience in livelihoods, employment, development projects, start-ups, or related areas, with demonstrated experience in long-term strategy development.
Technical Expertise
Strong knowledge of livelihood programming, labour market dynamics, economic empowerment, and resilience-building approaches in refugee contexts is highly desirable.
Partnership and Coordination Experience
Experience working with government entities, NGOs, private sector actors, and international organizations is required.
Additional Assets
Previous experience with UN agencies, NGOs, or donor organizations and familiarity with data-driven programming and monitoring frameworks are considered advantages.
Language Requirement
Fluency in spoken and written English is required for this position.
WFP Leadership Framework
All staff are expected to align with the WFP Leadership Framework, which guides behaviors and standards for collaboration and delivery of results.
Reasonable Accommodation
WFP is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities throughout the recruitment process.
No Fee Disclaimer
WFP does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, and applicants are advised to remain vigilant against recruitment scams.
How to Apply
Interested candidates must apply exclusively through WFP’s official online recruitment system. Only a CV and cover letter are required at this stage, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.