Programme Policy Officer (Humanitarian Access Specialist)

The Programme Policy Officer (Humanitarian Access Specialist) supports and strengthens WFP’s ability to achieve safe, timely, sustained, and principled humanitarian access to populations affected by food insecurity, displacement, conflict, and other emergencies in Northern Ethiopia. The role involves technical leadership, operational coordination, stakeholder engagement, and analytical support to address access constraints affecting humanitarian assistance delivery.

Responsibilities

• Support the development, implementation, and review of humanitarian access strategies, plans, and standard operating procedures to ensure the safe, timely, and principled delivery of WFP assistance.
• Provide technical advice to management and operational teams on access-related risks, opportunities, and mitigation measures.
• Contribute to contingency planning and preparedness initiatives in response to evolving operational contexts.
• Monitor, analyze, and report on access trends, security dynamics, political developments, community perceptions, and other factors affecting humanitarian operations.
• Conduct stakeholder and power-mapping analyses to identify key factors influencing access in operational areas.
• Produce regular access reports, risk assessments, briefing notes, and analytical products to support evidence-based decision-making.
• Establish and maintain constructive relationships with government authorities, local administrations, community leaders, humanitarian partners, and relevant state and non-state actors.
• Support dialogue and negotiations aimed at facilitating humanitarian access and resolving operational constraints.
• Represent WFP in access-related coordination forums, working groups, and meetings as required.
• Provide operational guidance to field offices and programme teams on access-related issues affecting the implementation of food assistance, nutrition, school feeding, and resilience activities.
• Coordinate with security, programme, logistics, supply chain, and partnership teams to ensure coherent and integrated approaches to access management.
• Support the identification and resolution of access constraints impacting humanitarian operations.
• Promote adherence to humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence in all access-related engagements.
• Ensure access approaches are aligned with WFP policies, duty of care obligations, and risk management frameworks.
• Advise management on potential operational, reputational, and contextual risks associated with access negotiations and engagement strategies.
• Maintain access-related databases, trackers, and information management systems.
• Prepare timely updates, situation reports, analytical assessments, and briefing materials for senior management and operational stakeholders.
• Contribute to lessons learned, after-action reviews, and best-practice documentation.
• Provide training, mentoring, and technical support to WFP staff and cooperating partners on humanitarian access concepts, stakeholder engagement, conflict sensitivity, and negotiation approaches.
• Design and facilitate workshops and capacity-building sessions for staff and partners on humanitarian access issues, operational challenges, and emerging access trends.
• Support the development of organizational knowledge and best practices related to humanitarian access.
• Strengthen collaboration with UN agencies, NGOs, government counterparts, and humanitarian coordination mechanisms to promote a coordinated approach to access challenges.
• Contribute to inter-agency discussions and initiatives aimed at improving humanitarian access and operational effectiveness.
• Perform any other access-related duties as assigned to support WFP’s humanitarian response and operational objectives in Ethiopia.

Requirements

• Advanced University degree in International Relations, Political Science, Peace and Conflict Studies, Security Studies, Development Studies, Humanitarian Affairs, Social Sciences, Law, Public Administration, or first-level university degree with additional years of relevant professional experience.
• At least 5 years progressively responsible professional working experience in humanitarian access, humanitarian affairs, programme management, civil-military coordination, security risk management, conflict analysis, negotiations, or related fields.
• Experience working in complex emergencies, conflict, or fragile settings with humanitarian organizations, UN agencies, NGOs, government institutions, or international organizations.
• Experience in humanitarian access negotiations, stakeholder engagement, conflict sensitivity, and operational coordination.
• Experience conducting context, stakeholder, and risk analysis to support humanitarian operations and decision-making.
• Experience supporting and coordinating multi-sectoral humanitarian responses in challenging operational environments.
• Prior experience in Ethiopia or the Horn of Africa region is highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of humanitarian principles, protection concepts, and international humanitarian frameworks.
• Excellent analytical, negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to engage constructively with diverse stakeholders, including government authorities, community leaders, humanitarian partners, and other relevant actors.
• Strong report-writing, briefing, and information management skills.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, manage competing priorities, and adapt to rapidly changing operational contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to develop practical solutions to complex access challenges while maintaining WFP's humanitarian mandate and operational objectives.
• Fluency in both oral and written communication in English.

Skills

• Humanitarian Access
• Humanitarian Affairs
• Programme Management
• Civil-Military Coordination
• Security Risk Management
• Conflict Analysis
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Operational Coordination
• Context Analysis
• Risk Analysis
• Multi-sectoral humanitarian response
• Humanitarian Principles
• Protection Concepts
• International Humanitarian Frameworks
• Report Writing
• Briefing Presentation
• Information Management
• Negotiation
• Analytical Skills

Languages

English