DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

9 October 2026-23:59-GMT+02:00 Central Africa Time (Blantyre)

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?

WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.

WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.

A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.

We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

JOB TITLE: Head of Partnerships, Reports and Communications

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Regular CST II

UNIT/DIVISION: Partnerships, Reports and Communication, Malawi Country Office

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Lilongwe, Malawi / RBJ

DURATION: 11 months

BACKGROUND:

The Partnerships, Reports and Communications (PRC) unit plays a central role in delivering WFP Malawi's Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2024-2028. The CSP positions WFP to meet urgent humanitarian needs while strengthening national systems for long-term resilience, food security and social protection. Delivery requires a strong and diversified resource base, strategic partnerships, and coherent public and policy positioning that demonstrates the value and results of WFP's work.

The PRC unit leads WFP's positioning and engagement with donors, Government, multilateral institutions, the UN system, private sector, academia and media. It drives resource mobilisation and partnership development, ensures timely and compelling donor reporting, and leads external advocacy and communications.

The consultant will lead the PRC unit, advising the Country Director and senior management on strategic positioning, resource mobilisation and high-level engagement; setting team priorities; and ensuring high-quality partnership, reporting and communications products. The incumbent will report directly to the Country Director, serve as a member of the senior management team, supervise national and international staff and consultants, and work closely with programme, field and enabling functions across the Country Office.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS:

The consultant will provide high-level strategic, managerial and technical leadership to the PRC unit. Key accountabilities and expected results include:

Strategic leadership and unit management

• Provide vision and strategic direction for WFP Malawi's partnerships, resource mobilisation, donor reporting and external communications, aligned with the CSP 2024-2028 and Country Office priorities.
• Lead and manage a multi-functional team of national and international staff; set clear accountabilities and priorities, ensure quality and timely delivery, and complete annual performance evaluations (PACE).
• Strengthen collaboration across units and clarify PRC interfaces with programme, M&E, finance and field teams so partnership and communications priorities are supported by sound evidence, technical design and financial assurance.
• Represent the PRC function at senior management and UN inter-agency fora, supporting strategic positioning, joint advocacy, donor harmonisation and visibility efforts.
• By the end of the assignment, ensure an operational PRC strategy and workplan, a prioritised donor pipeline, strengthened reporting and communications systems, and a documented capacity and handover plan; identify remaining gaps and provide forward-looking recommendations to the Country Director.

Donor relations and resource mobilisation

• Lead implementation of WFP Malawi's resource mobilisation strategy and maintain a prioritised, actively managed pipeline of existing and prospective donors and funding opportunities.
• Lead development and quality assurance of high-level funding proposals, donor pitches, briefings and talking points, aligned with donor priorities, country needs and WFP's comparative advantage.
• Deepen relationships with traditional and non-traditional partners, including private foundations, IFIs and regional partners, and advance appropriate innovative financing opportunities.
• Oversee timely, accurate and results-based donor reports in coordination with programme, M&E and finance teams, with clear accountability for inputs, quality assurance and deadlines.
• Ensure compliance with donor visibility and communication requirements and maintain effective coordination with Regional Bureau and HQ focal points.

Public advocacy and strategic communications

• Lead the design and implementation of a strategic communications plan that strengthens WFP Malawi's positioning and supports resource mobilisation, advocacy and stakeholder engagement.
• Provide strategic direction and quality assurance for multimedia content and advocacy campaigns that demonstrate results and impact across resilience, school meals, nutrition, social protection and anticipatory action.
• Provide final quality assurance for priority external materials, including press releases, social media content, stories, speeches and fact sheets, while delegating routine production appropriately within the team.
• Strengthen relationships with local, regional and international media and position WFP as a credible, evidence-based voice on food security in Malawi.

Capacity strengthening and systems development

• Build internal capacity in donor engagement, resource mobilisation, storytelling and strategic communication through structured training, coaching and mentoring.
• Strengthen use of WFP corporate and digital systems, including WFPGo, Salesforce and SharePoint, to improve pipeline management, reporting, communications planning and knowledge management.
• Foster a culture of creativity, accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement across the PRC unit, with systems that support continuity and handover.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

• Advanced university degree in International Development, Political Science, Communications, Public Policy, or a related field;
• Or a first-level university degree with additional years of relevant professional experience in lieu of an advanced degree.

Experience:

• At least 5-10 years of progressively responsible experience in partnerships, donor relations, resource mobilisation, strategic communications or related functions in international development or humanitarian contexts, including significant experience at senior advisory or management level.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams, managing donor and partner portfolios, and influencing senior stakeholders, including government, donors and multilateral institutions.
• Proven experience in donor intelligence and pipeline management, complex proposal development, executive-level briefing, and translating programme evidence into compelling funding and advocacy narratives.
• Previous experience working with the UN system or WFP highly desirable.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Excellent analytical, strategic thinking and stakeholder-mapping skills.
• Strong people-management, collaboration and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively in multicultural settings.
• Excellent writing, editing and executive-briefing skills for diverse audiences.
• Strong interpersonal, diplomatic, negotiation and influencing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to use partnership, knowledge-management and workflow systems; knowledge of WFP operations, donor landscape and corporate systems (e.g. WINGS, WFPGo, Salesforce) an asset.

Languages:

• International Professional: Fluency (level C) in English language, Proficiency in another UN language an asset.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

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

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.

We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.

At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.