Programme Policy Officer - Shock Responsive and Adaptive Social Protection (srasp) - SC8 - Baghdad, Iraq

Organizational Context

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, dedicated to saving lives and building a pathway to peace, stability, and prosperity. WFP works in over 120 countries and territories, assisting millions of people affected by crises and working to achieve SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). WFP's work in Iraq focuses on strengthening national social protection systems and disaster risk management to promote resilience and inclusive development.

Job Purpose

The Programme Policy Officer - Shock Responsive and Adaptive Social Protection (SRASP) will lead the strategic and technical support for WFP Iraq’s SRASP agenda. This role is crucial for strengthening shock-responsive and adaptive social protection systems in Iraq, acting as a primary technical and institutional liaison with key government counterparts in social protection, disaster risk management, and early warning/forecasting entities. The incumbent will establish and reinforce a technical, operational, and institutional agenda, ensuring coherence across national and governorate levels and advancing the institutionalization of SRASP. Key responsibilities include coordinating government task forces, supporting the development of legal frameworks, designing financial channel structures, developing technical roadmaps, assessing operational structures, and leading capacity-building initiatives. The role also involves supporting the integration of SRASP into the Unified Registry, ensuring a nutrition-sensitive approach, and coordinating disaster risk financing and anticipatory action strategies.

Responsibilities

The Programme Policy Officer – Shock Responsive and Adaptive Social Protection (SRASP) will lead the strategic and technical support for WFP Iraq’s SRASP agenda, focusing on strengthening shock-responsive and adaptive social protection systems. This role involves acting as the primary technical and institutional liaison with key government counterparts in social protection, disaster risk management, and early warning/forecasting entities. The officer will establish and reinforce a technical, operational, and institutional agenda with these entities, ensuring coherence across national and governorate levels and advancing the institutionalization of SRASP in Iraq. A critical aspect of the role is strengthening relationships with government counterparts to advocate for and spread the SRASP agenda at both federal and Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) levels. Responsibilities include coordinating with social protection, disaster risk management, and early warning/forecasting counterparts, establishing and coordinating the SRASP Task Force, and supporting the government in developing a legal framework for SRASP. The officer will also contribute to designing financial channel structures for rapid SRASP interventions during shocks, develop and implement a technical roadmap for SP-DRM-SRASP improvements, and assess operational structures for joint SRASP intervention protocols. Furthermore, the role involves leading the development of a training and learning agenda, supporting the integration of SRASP into the Unified Registry, ensuring a nutrition-sensitive lens in SRASP operations, and coordinating the development of a Disaster Risk Financing (DRF) and Anticipatory Action (AA) roadmap for SRASP.

Work Experience

Requires at least 5 years of progressive experience in social protection, EPR, or adaptive systems. Must have prior experience in designing, implementing, or evaluating SRASP systems. Familiarity with Iraqi government multi-hazard early warning systems and data management is needed. Demonstrated experience in government liaison, institutional framework development, and multi-stakeholder coordination is essential. Strong knowledge of Iraq’s social protection and DRM landscape is required.

Skills

Social Protection, Disaster Risk Management, Early Warning Systems, Cash-Based Transfers, Programme Design, Capacity Building, Policy Development, Stakeholder Coordination, Data Management, Nutrition-Sensitive Programming, Financial Channel Structuring, Legal Framework Development, Unified Registry Integration, Targeting Methodologies, Delivery Mechanisms, Digital Solutions, Disaster Risk Financing, Anticipatory Action, Emergency Preparedness Planning, Report Writing, Arabic Language Proficiency, English Language Proficiency

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