Food Safety and Quality Assurance Officer
Organizational Context
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian organization dedicated to saving lives and alleviating hunger. WFP's mission is to achieve Zero Hunger by ensuring vulnerable populations have access to safe and nutritious food, particularly those affected by conflict, disasters, and economic crises. WFP fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment, valuing collaboration and commitment to humanity.
Job Purpose
The Food Safety and Quality Assurance Officer will play a critical role in ensuring the integrity and safety of food assistance provided by WFP in Yemen. This position is integral to the end-to-end supply chain, embedding food safety standards from program design through to final distribution. The officer will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to manage quality risks, uphold compliance, and support the implementation of WFP's corporate Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) approach. Key responsibilities include providing technical inputs for policy implementation, drafting program designs with embedded FSQA, managing incident response protocols, and ensuring compliance with FSQA regulations in field operations. The role also involves liaising with various partners to strengthen local food systems and build capacity in food safety, ultimately safeguarding beneficiary health and enhancing the overall effectiveness of WFP's food assistance.
Responsibilities
The Food Safety and Quality Assurance Officer plays a crucial role in ensuring the integrity of food assistance provided by the World Food Programme (WFP). This position is integral to WFP Yemen’s supply chain, embedding food safety standards from program design through to final distribution. The officer collaborates with various internal and external stakeholders to manage quality risks and ensure compliance with WFP's policies and procedures. Key responsibilities include providing technical input for the implementation of FSQA strategies, drafting inputs for food assistance programs to embed safety and quality, and managing FSQA incident response protocols. The role involves gathering information for risk assessments, assisting in investigations of food safety concerns, and sharing lessons learned. The officer also follows FSQA regulations for field operations, assists in drafting product specifications, communicates with regulatory authorities, and supports supplier assessment processes. Furthermore, they provide technical guidance to supply chain colleagues, liaise with UN agencies, NGOs, governments, and the private sector, and participate in FSQA assurance and packaging research. A significant aspect of the role involves capacity building for local food producers, WFP staff, partners, and government stakeholders to enhance compliance with food safety requirements through training and knowledge transfer. The officer also collects and organizes data to support reporting and decision-making, contributing to the improvement of FSQA and overall supply chain management. In emergencies, the incumbent may be required to act in an assigned emergency response capacity.
Work Experience
Requires a total of 5 years of relevant experience, with at least 1 year specifically in food safety and quality assurance. Experience in procurement, logistics, or supply chain management is also desirable.
Skills
Information not available.