Food Safety and Quality Assurance Officer, CST II - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Organizational Context

WFP Ethiopia's Country Strategic Plan (CSP 2026–2030) aims to address conflict, climate shocks, poverty, and food insecurity, supporting national development goals. The organization integrates humanitarian and development efforts to save lives, build resilience, and strengthen national capacities. Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQ) is crucial for ensuring safe, nutritious, and compliant food assistance, directly contributing to CSP outcomes by safeguarding beneficiary health and enhancing government capacities.

Job Purpose

The Food Safety and Quality Assurance Officer will be responsible for implementing WFP's food safety and quality initiatives, policies, and procedures within Ethiopia. This role involves collaborating closely with supply chain and programme teams to ensure an integrated approach that supports WFP’s strategic objectives in food assistance. The officer will provide technical guidance, adapt and implement FSQA regulations, and coordinate field operations protocols for risk and incident management. Key responsibilities include embedding food safety in all food-related operations, establishing risk-based systems for supplier assessment, developing standard operating procedures, and building relationships with stakeholders to incorporate best practices. The role also entails advising WFP staff, partners, and governments to enhance national food systems and local food producer capacities, contributing to the provision of safe, quality foods and achieving desired programme impacts.

Responsibilities

The Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) Officer is responsible for implementing WFP's FSQA policies and procedures, ensuring alignment with broader WFP and supply chain strategies. This involves providing technical guidance to country offices, particularly in Ethiopia, to embed food safety and quality into all food assistance programs. Key duties include developing and implementing risk and incident management protocols for rapid response to food safety concerns, and establishing systems for preventing and mitigating FSQA issues. This encompasses creating product specifications, advising on engagement with national food authorities, and implementing risk-based supplier assessment systems. The role requires collaboration with supply chain and other functions to develop standard operating procedures and tools for monitoring food safety throughout the supply chain. Building relationships with diverse stakeholders, including UN agencies, NGOs, governments, and the private sector, is crucial for incorporating best practices and enhancing WFP's operational capacity. The officer will also coordinate research in FSQA, packaging, and principles to ensure the provision of safe, quality foods. Furthermore, the role involves advising WFP staff, partners, and governments on building local food producer capacity, strengthening national food systems, and enhancing quality infrastructure institutions. This includes providing support for food standards agencies, control systems, laboratory testing, certification, and inspection bodies. The officer will also manage data collection and reporting for informed decision-making and contribute to continuous improvement of FSQA approaches. Additionally, facilitating cross-functional collaboration, knowledge sharing, and leading a small team through coaching and training are essential responsibilities. The role may also require participation in emergency response operations as needed.

Work Experience

Requires a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in Food Safety and Quality. Alternatively, experience in procurement, logistics, or supply chain management, combined with additional relevant training in food safety and quality, is acceptable.

Skills

Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Supply Chain Management, Risk Management, Policy Implementation, Technical Guidance, Field Operations, Stakeholder Collaboration, Research Coordination, Capacity Building, Data Collection and Reporting, Team Leadership, Emergency Response, Food Technology, Nutrition, Procurement, Logistics, Negotiation, Regulatory Compliance

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