DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS2 January 2026-23:59-GMT+03:00 East Africa Time (Addis Ababa)
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Job title: Programme Policy Officer (Refugees Transition & Self Reliance)
Type of Contract: FT/NOA
Unit Division: Programme
Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Duration: 1 Year
ORGNIZATIONAL CONTEXT
Ethiopia currently hosts over one million refugees originating from multiple countries, with more than 80% residing in camps across seven regions. The continued influx of refugees—driven by ongoing conflicts, political instability, and severe drought in neighboring countries such as Sudan and South Sudan—has further strained an already critical humanitarian situation for protracted refugee populations. To address these challenges, the Government of Ethiopia has launched the Mekatet Roadmap, a comprehensive framework designed to promote inclusivity and resilience in refugee assistance. This roadmap is supported by humanitarian partners and government ministries and aims to transition from short-term emergency assistance to sustainable, long-term solutions. Achieving this vision requires strong, strategic engagement from WFP at multiple levels, including through safety net programs, livelihood interventions, and resilience-building initiatives.
JOB PURPOSE
In line with this approach, WFP Ethiopia intends to recruit a Programme Policy Officer – Refugee Transitions and Self-Reliance, who will play a pivotal role in shaping and implementing WFP’s contribution to refugee solutions. The incumbent will be responsible for:
Strategic Leadership: Drive WFP Ethiopia’s refugee self-reliance portfolio, providing both strategic direction and technical oversight to ensure effective implementation of the self-reliance model.
Joint Strategic Dialogue: Lead WFP’s engagement with UNHCR on sustainable refugee solutions, including evidence-based analysis, advocacy, policy dialogue, referrals, and evaluations.
Partnership Development: Build and strengthen alliances with the Government of Ethiopia, private sector actors, national partners, and international organizations to expand economic opportunities and foster social inclusion for refugees.
Livelihoods and Economic Empowerment: Design and support integrated livelihood packages aimed at enhancing employment prospects, income-generating activities, and market access for refugee and host communities.
Implementation of Mekatet Roadmap: Spearhead WFP’s support activities under the Mekatet framework, ensuring coherence, scalability, and measurable impact across interventions.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
Sustainability Agenda for Refugee Response
Coordinate strategically with the Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) and UNHCR on the self-reliance model, actively engage in the joint secretariat, and lead WFP’s self-reliance workstream.
Ensure programmatic integration by working closely with WFP teams delivering humanitarian assistance to refugees, creating strong linkages between emergency programming and referral mechanisms, advocacy, and livelihood activities.
Contribute to strategic development of pathways linking humanitarian assistance to sustainable solutions for refugees, including internal programmatic readiness and external partner engagement.
Lead WFP Ethiopia’s advocacy efforts with relevant government departments and national counterparts to advance refugee self-reliance and inclusion.
Evidence-Based Advocacy
Co-lead data analytics initiatives with the Research, Assessment, and Monitoring (RAM) team to identify refugee skills and capabilities, translating findings into evidence-based advocacy messages for stakeholders.
Identify data gaps from a programmatic perspective and collaborate with RAM and technical units to address them, including labor market analysis and skill mapping updates.
Develop strategic advocacy materials, including policy briefs and messaging, based on data insights, and drive WFP’s advocacy activities.
Coordinate joint advocacy efforts with UNHCR and other actors to amplify impact.
Support monitoring and evidence generation for projects, ensuring close collaboration with RAM on data-driven decision-making.
Livelihood Support Packages
Lead implementation of integrated livelihood and economic empowerment packages, in collaboration with national and international partners, targeting urban refugees to enhance access to employment and income-generating opportunities.