Government Partnerships Officer

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DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 11 January 2026 - 23:59 GMT United Kingdom Time (London)

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.

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Consultant, Level 1

UNIT/DIVISION: Global Partner Countries Division (GPC)

DUTY STATION (City, Country): London, United Kingdom

DURATION: EOD (11 months)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT: The WFP London Global Office guides WFP Country Offices on how to support national governments and work with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) towards achieving SDG 2, while shaping the global partnership with these institutions. The Partnerships Officer would report to the Head of partnerships at WFP London Global Office and support engagement with the FCDO and other relevant counterparts.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive):

• Manage and respond to field-related FCDO enquiries to ensure timely and accurate information exchange.
• Conduct partner profiling, analyze data trends, and develop outreach plans to maximize resources and leverage policy and technical support for WFP’s initiatives.
• Maintain an overview of forecasts and gather/share partner intelligence using key information systems (e.g., WINGS, Salesforce, WFPGo) to inform strategic decisions.
• Collect, analyze, and synthesize data to contribute to quality business information management and enhance decision-making processes.
• Conduct in-depth research, review, and analysis on assigned topics, drafting notes-to-the-file to facilitate decision-making and follow-up.
• Collaborate with COs to develop and manage partnership/contribution action plans, including proposal and report writing, by engaging with other WFP entities and external stakeholders.
• Utilize socio-political insights to support WFP’s strategic positioning vis-à-vis FCDO and other key partners.
• Provide strategic advice and support to the WFP London Director and Head of Partnership, on a range of issues related to the WFP London Global Office to ensure alignment with organizational goals.
• Draft timely and strategic briefing materials for WFP leadership for meetings and engagements with senior UK officials to amplify key messages and strengthen thematic and policy partnerships with the UK.
• Support missions of WFP leaders to the UK, facilitating and accompanying leadership group and regional/country directors to meetings with FCDO and other partners (think tanks, other governmental bodies, IFIs), taking notes, and ensuring follow-up is swiftly actioned.
• Coordinate and oversee special projects, briefs, and initiatives produced by the WFP London Team, ensuring they are comprehensive and align with strategic objectives.
• Perform any other duties or roles as required to support the effective functioning of the WFP London Global Office.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

• Ongoing communication maintained with the UK Mission to WFP in Rome, Italy through weekly calls, regular correspondence, and coordinated meetings and engagements between HQ and the Mission.
• Consistent senior leadership engagement facilitated with FCDO senior officials, including participation at the Executive Board, ensuring strategic dialogue and alignment.
• Timely and accurate reporting for core funding (both Payment by Results and non-Payment by Results).
• Effective grant management and support provided to COs.
• UK Salesforce pages regularly updated, and inputs provided to CSP, PAP, OTF, and GOTF documents to support informed strategic decision-making.
• Strategic briefings prepared for high-level meetings and engagements, enhancing WFP’s advocacy and partnership efforts with senior UK officials.
• WFP leadership missions to the UK supported, including facilitation and accompaniment of leadership groups and regional/country directors to meetings with FCDO and other partners, with effective follow-up ensured.
• New partnerships developed and existing ones strengthened to diversify WFP’s funding base and enhance advocacy efforts within the UK.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATION:

• Education: Advanced or first university degree in development, business administration, public administration, environment, or related fields.
• Language: Fluency (level C) in English is required. Fluency in a second official UN language is desirable: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese (a working language).
• Experience: A minimum of three (3) years of relevant working experience in development, policy, or humanitarian response is preferable. Experience working directly in or with WFP operations in the field is an asset. Basic knowledge of UK governmental structures, particularly the FCDO, and understanding their mechanisms is required.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Proven ability to manage projects effectively, ensuring timeliness and quality of outputs.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to interact with FCDO officials and other stakeholders.
• In-depth practical knowledge of interdisciplinary humanitarian and development issues.
• Effective communication skills with staff at all levels of the organization and in handling external engagements.
• Demonstrates sensitivity, tact, and diplomacy in external relations.
• Excellent networking, team building, organizational, and communication skills, with a strong teamwork spirit and ability to work in multicultural settings.

Please note that this is a local consultancy recruitment. Candidates must be residents of United Kingdom (UK) or have a legal work permit there. In addition, candidates must reside within commuting distance of the duty station (London, UK) at the time of application or, if not residing within commuting distance at the time of application, candidates must be willing to relocate to (London, UK) at their own cost before taking up the assignment. WFP shall not be responsible for any costs associated with such relocation nor shall WFP assist or otherwise be involved in obtaining residency status or legal work permits. Preference will be given to candidates who reside within commuting distance of (London, UK).

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK: WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process.