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Regional Disaster Risk Financing Specialist CST II

World Food Programme

Position description

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Climate change multiplies existing threats to food security, hunger and malnutrition. It will make natural disasters more frequent and intense, land and water scarce and difficult to access, and increases in agricultural productivity even harder to achieve. It will disproportionally impact the most vulnerable people, the majority of whom live in fragile areas prone to climate hazards, ultimately putting hundreds of millions of people at risk. It is estimated that by 2050, the risk of hunger could increase by 20 percent, and child malnutrition is anticipated to be 20 percent higher than it would have been without a climate change scenario. WFP approaches the challenge of climate change from the point of view of its impact on hunger and malnutrition. Specifically, on disaster risk financing (DRF), WFP takes a climate & resilience lens, based on the recently approved strategic plan (2026-2029) and focuses on developing risk financing instrument to provide timely resources to respond to climate events (SO1) and develop inclusive risk financing, through insurance, saving and credit to improve financial resilience and reduce humanitarian needs (SO2).

In addition, the DRF team strengthens national systems, particular around adaptive social protection, and rural market development, and Prearranged finance is also mentionned under SO3. In the recently approved strategic plan, disaster risk financing is recognized as an innovative finance component, highlighting its role in supporting WFP's evolution of its financing and delivery model. In 2024, WFP implemented disaster risk financing activities in 37 countries, providing pre-arranged finance to more than 6.1 m people to a limit of US$ 361 million. The CST II role is part of Global HQ / Climate & Resilience Service, reporting both to the Climate & Resilience Lead in the regional hub (1st level supervisor) and to the Lead DRF Advisor in Rome (2nd level supervisor). The Service provides technical guidance and support to a range of activities, from household-level micro and meso insurance programmes to macro insurance schemes both for WFP and governments.

The CST role will work closely with the other climate & resilience teams (Anticipatory Action, SAMS, Youth in Work in priority) and in programme (Emergency Preparedness and Response, social Protection) to ensure strong programmatic alignment and strategic vision at global, regional and national level, through WFP Country Strategic Plans. The CST II DRF Specialist will be based in GHQ, in Panama. The positions will also play a key role in further development, integration with other programmes, partners and units, and build stronger visibility on the work, internally and externally.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

  1. Position overview : The Regional DRF Specialist is part of the Global HQ DRF team, which provides technical expertise and support to COs and governments across regions. While the primary focus is on the assigned region, the specialist may occasionally support other regions upon supervisor approval.
  2. Core Responsibilities / Global team Engagement : i. Participate in weekly HQ DRF team meetings to share progress, receive global updates, and align on challenges and solutions. ii.

Collaborate with HQ and other regional DRF specialists to ensure consistency and harmonization of approaches.

  1. Regional Coordination & Reporting : i. Coordinate with Country Offices (COs)
  2. on reporting requirements, including a/ DRF Annual Report (published on WFP & Donor reports), b/ Annual Country Report (ACR), c/Annual Performance Report (APR), d/ Corporate Reporting Framework (CRF), e/ Payout implementation reports, f/ After Action Reviews on payouts; ii. Conduct regular calls with COs to monitor programme progress, identify challenges early, and provide timely support.
  3. Strategic alignment : i. • Review and provide input on Country Strategic Plans, budget revisions, and other regional/country strategies. ii. Ensure alignment of DRF activities with other WFP units and initiatives, including a/Macroinsurance: Emergency Preparedness & Response (EPR), Anticipatory Action (AA), Social Protection, b/Inclusive Risk Financing: SAMS, Youth in Work
  4. Evidence Generation & Knowledge Management : i. Support monitoring and evaluation activities (e.g., Post-Distribution Monitoring, outcome monitoring, After Action Reviews, impact evaluations). ii. Contribute to knowledge products such as factsheets, case studies, evaluations, and lessons learned. iii. Support the DRF Community of Practice, including through supporting the design and running of webinars.
  5. Resource Mobilization : In coordination with HQ, to ensure streamlined messaging and avoid duplications, participate in regional resource mobilization efforts: i. Draft proposals and concept notes, ii. Develop partnerships for specific initiatives, iii. Engage with partnership colleagues and donors
  6. Partnership Development : In coordination with HQ, to ensure streamlined messaging and avoid duplications, build and maintain partnerships at regional and global levels with: i. UN agencies, ii.Platforms (IDF, Global Shield, Microinsurance Network), iii. Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)
  7. Technical responsibilities :
  8. Inclusive Risk Financing (IRF) : i. Support COs with a/Feasibility assessments and project design, b/Selection of technical service providers and insurers, c/Product design and distribution strategies, d/Capacity strengthening for governments and private stakeholders, e/Education and awareness activities. ii. Agree on clear timelines, workplans, and frequency of updates with COs. iii. Facilitate partnerships for savings and credit activities (e.g., VSLAs, microfinance linkages).
  9. Macroinsurance : i. Preparedness : a/ Ensure COs know the process and timing for developing Operational Plans and provide support to them in the OP design if requested. b/ Review and support drafting of Operational Plans for COs and governments. c/Ensure alignment with AA plans and WFP CONOPS/EPR guidance. d/ Coordinate stakeholder review (EPR, Nutrition, CBT, AA, VAM) through the WFP Technical Review Committee. ii. Response : a/ Ensure COs know the process and timing for developing Final Implementation Plans. b/ Support COs in developing Final Implementation Plans for rapid and efficient response. c/Ensure review and approval processes are adhered to by the deadlines. iii. Product design & placement : Support the DRF Technical Expert by joining product design workshops, reviewing technical reports, and drafting the Technical Briefing notes for the countries in your portfolio
  10. Any other tasks as required

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

  1. COs in LACRO (and other regions as required) supported to advance their DRF programmes.
  2. Regular progress updates to HQ and regional management.
  3. Reviewed and/or drafted Operational Plans and Final Implementation Plans for COs.
  4. At least one knowledge product (factsheet, case study, evaluation) per quarter.
  5. Contributions to at least one resource mobilization proposal per year for each workstream
  6. Documented partnerships and engagement with regional/global platforms
  7. All reporting requirements fullfilled.
  8. Participate to at least 1 public event.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education: Advanced university degree in one of the following disciplines: economics, social sciences, agriculture, environmental sciences, agricultural insurance, social protection, disaster risk management, journalism, international relations, public relations, communications, development studies, or other related fields.

Experience: At least 7 years of post-graduate, progressively responsible work experience in disaster risk financing, insurance (micro, macro or traditional), or climate risk management. Experience in partnership is desired.

Knowledge & Skills: Excellent analytical and writing skills and data collection experience. An understanding of food security vulnerability and ability to link analysis to programme design, in the context of WFP programmes. Knowledge and understanding of WFP procedures. Well organized and details oriented Strong understanding of how climate-related risks affect food security. Demonstrated ability to present information and ideas and to communicate effectively. Proven experience building partnerships with international organisations, Governments and the private sector in developing countries. Ability to work in a team, and to work independently. Working knowledge of climate chage adaptation, and / or Loss and Damage issues is desired Previous experience working in a UN agency would be valued.

Languages: Excellent knowledge of English (proficiency/level C) and at least intermediate knowledge (intermediate/B2) of another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish). Working proficiency in French would be considered an asset.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Number of openings: 1

Based in: Panama City, Panama

Type of Contract: Consultant

Level: CST II

Duration: 11 months

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

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Application instructions

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