Food Systems and Climate Specialist

The Food Systems and Climate Specialist coordinates the technical design, articulation, and implementation of strategic initiatives related to climate resilience, sustainable food systems, adaptive social protection, and resource mobilization in WFP Guatemala. The role provides specialized advice, guides inter-institutional coordination, and ensures the technical and programmatic quality of WFP approaches aligned with national priorities, corporate policies, and donor requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical coordination of identification, formulation, review, and development of initiatives linked to climate and development financing mechanisms, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and other relevant thematic and climate funds.
• Prepare, integrate, and consolidate technical and programmatic inputs required for project structuring, including theories of change, logical frameworks, context and climate risk analyses, feasibility studies, specialized analyses, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, environmental and social safeguards, gender equality, inclusion, nutrition, indigenous peoples, and climate resilience.
• Prepare technical and programmatic documentation required for review, validation, approval, and monitoring processes by financing entities and climate financing mechanisms.
• Strategically coordinate with government institutions, key partners, UN system agencies, international financial institutions, and WFP teams at national, regional, and corporate levels, leading consultation, technical validation, and consensus-building processes with national, territorial, and community actors.
• Promote strategic partnerships and coordination mechanisms that strengthen WFP's positioning in the climate and development financing agenda in Guatemala, Latin America and the Caribbean region, and globally.
• Ensure technical and programmatic management of proposals and initiatives at various stages of formulation and implementation, including planning, monitoring, reporting, knowledge management, incorporation of donor observations, and compliance with commitments established with strategic partners.
• Provide technical guidance on integrating climate adaptation approaches into sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems, ensuring initiatives contribute transversally to WFP's strategic objectives in food security, nutrition, social protection, and livelihood resilience.
• Develop and consolidate technical, programmatic, and public policy inputs linking climate change adaptation with WFP's strategic portfolio objectives, promoting cross-cutting incorporation of nutrition, gender, youth, indigenous peoples, inclusion, and sustainability.
• Advise and develop capacity-building processes for government institutions, implementing partners, and WFP teams in climate financing, resilience, sustainable food systems, and evidence-based program management.
• Analyze programmatic information, technical evidence, and lessons learned to guide strategic decisions, generate institutional knowledge, and prepare technical reports, narrative reports, executive presentations, and other inputs required for program management, resource mobilization, and accountability.
• Manage and systematize evidence, learning, and technical knowledge derived from WFP's strategic portfolio initiatives related to climate resilience, climate change adaptation, social protection, food and nutrition security, food systems, and resource mobilization to guide programmatic decision-making and strengthen intervention quality.
• Perform other related duties consistent with institutional priorities and the strategic level of responsibility of the position.

Requirements

• University degree at bachelor's level or higher in Economics, Public Policy, International Development, Social Protection, Sustainable Food Systems, Program Management, Climate Change, Sustainable Development or related fields.
• 9 years of progressive and relevant experience in development programs, resilience, social protection, food systems, food security and nutrition, and/or climate change adaptation and mitigation at national or subnational levels.
• Experience in project and initiative management and coordination, including planning, monitoring, reporting, and support to institutional processes.
• Proven experience working with partners and counterparts including government institutions, UN agencies, development partners, and NGOs.
• Technical experience in project formulation and development, including support to initiatives linked to climate and/or development financing mechanisms (e.g., climate funds, thematic/resilience or social protection funds).
• Knowledge and experience in integrated approaches linking nutrition-sensitive social protection, climate resilience, gender, and food systems.
• Fluent command (level C) of English and Spanish (language of duty station).

Skills

• Project Management
• Program Coordination
• Monitoring and Reporting
• Institutional Process Support
• Partner Engagement
• Government Relations
• UN Agency Collaboration
• Development Partner Coordination
• NGO Collaboration
• Project Formulation
• Climate Finance Mechanisms
• Development Finance
• Climate Change Adaptation
• Climate Change Mitigation
• Resilience Programming
• Social Protection Policies
• Nutrition-sensitive Social Protection
• Food Systems
• Gender Integration
• Resource Mobilization

Languages

English, Spanish