Senior Programe Associate

Organizational Context

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, dedicated to saving lives in emergencies and building pathways to peace and prosperity. WFP utilizes food assistance to support people recovering from conflict, disasters, and climate change impacts. The organization values diversity, inclusion, and invests in employee development, offering a dynamic and multicultural work environment.

Job Purpose

The Senior Programme Associate will be instrumental in implementing WFP's project focused on reducing post-harvest losses and improving the quality of millet in Senegal. This role involves providing technical and organizational support for project activities, with a strong emphasis on training producers in innovative loss-prevention practices and quality enhancement techniques. The associate will contribute to developing and implementing solutions for cereal processing technologies, ensuring adherence to national and international quality and safety standards. Key responsibilities include capacity building for WFP staff and partners, meticulous planning and monitoring of project execution, and fostering collaboration with implementing partners, local stakeholders, and beneficiaries. The position also requires documenting best practices and lessons learned to facilitate knowledge sharing and support broader WFP initiatives in food security and nutrition.

Responsibilities

The Senior Programme Associate will be responsible for the rigorous planning and effective monitoring of project activities aimed at reducing post-harvest losses and improving the quality of cereals, particularly millet. This involves proposing innovative technical solutions for loss reduction and implementing organizational practices suited to the local context, such as improved threshing, winnowing, storage, packaging, conservation, and transport. The role also entails developing and implementing innovative technical solutions in cereal processing technologies, ensuring strict adherence to quality standards and regulations. A key responsibility is to guarantee compliance with sanitary norms to enhance the safety and quality of millet, fortified rice, and other agro-food products promoted by WFP. Furthermore, the associate will strengthen the capacities of WFP staff and partners in food safety and quality, produce regular technical and financial reports, and ensure close collaboration with implementing partners, technical teams, local partners, and beneficiaries. Documenting best practices and lessons learned, and providing technical advice and support to WFP staff, cooperating partners, and government institutions are also crucial aspects of this position. This includes supporting national operations to build the capacity of local food producers, improving food production quality assurance, establishing appropriate food processing facilities, and acquiring processing machinery.

Work Experience

The role requires at least five years of proven professional experience in monitoring and evaluating agri-food projects and programs, specifically including post-harvest loss management. Candidates must demonstrate expertise in designing, applying, and assessing context-specific solutions that meet current agricultural product quality standards. Proficiency in food technology issues, particularly post-harvest losses, cereal quality (millet and other crops), and preservation/processing techniques is essential. Strong writing and communication skills are necessary for report generation and stakeholder engagement. Experience working in multicultural teams and collaborating with diverse actors is also required.

Skills

Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Food Technology, Post-Harvest Loss Management, Quality Assurance, Capacity Building, Technical Reporting, Cross-cultural Collaboration, Communication Skills, Rural Development, Agricultural Economics, Agronomy, Food Safety, Innovation, Problem-Solving, Data Analysis, Teamwork, Adaptability, Logistics Management

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