Programme Policy Officer (Head of Programme)

The Programme Policy Officer (Head of Programme) supports the effective implementation of programme activities across the Rakhine Area Office by ensuring strong coordination, monitoring, reporting, and engagement with cooperating partners. The role includes operational oversight, compliance assurance, and quality standards maintenance across programme interventions.

Responsibilities

• Support the Head of Area Office in ensuring the timely achievement of monthly implementation targets and programme objectives.
• Provide technical guidance and operational support for all programme activities implemented under the Area Office.
• Coordinate the day-to-day planning, design, implementation, monitoring, and budget management of programme interventions.
• Identify operational risks and implementation challenges, including Transfer Authorization (TA) constraints, access issues, Hundi-related challenges, and Field Level Agreement (FLA) requirements, and develop appropriate mitigation measures.
• Manage and coordinate all FLA processes to ensure agreements are finalized and approved prior to programme implementation and distributions.
• Lead caseload planning and resource allocation based on vulnerability analysis, beneficiary targeting criteria, approved caseloads, and available resources.
• Monitor Cooperating Partners’ (CP) performance against agreed targets and quality standards, and support the implementation of partner improvement and capacity-strengthening plans.
• Review commodity stock levels and distribution requirements, forecast potential shortages, initiate call-forward requests, facilitate TA processes, and coordinate with the Country Office on commodity and ration adjustments.
• Plan, oversee, and monitor beneficiary verification, targeting exercises, and Community Engagement Mechanism (CEM) activities to ensure accountability and programme integrity.
• Ensure achievement of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) targets, including the verification and timely resolution of 100 percent of CEM cases through effective coordination with cooperating partners.
• Coordinate and facilitate joint programming initiatives and collaborative activities with UN agencies, NGOs, government counterparts, and other stakeholders.
• Prepare and submit monthly distribution plans and implementation schedules for review and approval by the Country Office.
• Strengthen the technical and operational capacity of Area Office staff and cooperating partners through coaching, mentoring, training needs assessments, and the delivery of orientation and capacity-building sessions.
• Support emergency preparedness and response activities, including anticipatory action planning, emergency assessments, and coordination with cooperating partners during emergency operations.
• Represent WFP at sub-national coordination forums, technical working groups, partner meetings, and Country Office coordination meetings, as required.
• Facilitate the preparation, consolidation, and timely submission of programme reports for government counterparts and the Country Office, ensuring receipt and review of all cooperating partner quarterly and final reports.
• Maintain effective coordination with internal and external stakeholders to ensure programme compliance, accountability, and achievement of expected results.
• Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analysis and queries.
• Act on behalf of the Head of Area Office during periods of absence, ensuring continuity of programme management, coordination, decision-making, and implementation oversight.
• Other as required.

Requirements

• Advanced University degree in business/public administration, finance, accounting, international development, audit or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional two years of relevant work experience and/or training/courses in audit, performance and risk management or other related fields.
• At least three or more years of relevant, progressively responsible experience in leading, undertaking and/or contributing to planning activities, or other relevant fields.
• Has deepened technical knowledge through exposure to technical teams.
• Has taken leadership of implementing programmes.
• Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.
• Has emergency field experience.
• Has related management experience and oversight of external partners.
• Fluency in both spoken and written English and Burmese.

Skills

• Programme Implementation
• Policy Development
• Programme Planning
• Performance Management
• Risk Management
• Audit
• Emergency Response
• Partner Management
• Programme Monitoring
• Reporting
• Compliance Assurance
• Quality Standards
• Leadership
• Finance Management
• Public Administration

Languages

English, Burmese