DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

20 September 2026-23:59-GMT+13:00 Tonga Standard Time (Tongatapu)

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).

THE ROLE

The Project Coordinator in Tonga is responsible for supporting WFP to design, operationalize, and monitor and report on progress of a new time-bound WFP project. The function will require a generalized understanding of the diverse areas in which WFP will support (logistics, early warning, emergency telecommunications, shock responsive social protection, food security and nutrition).

Beyond the generalized or specific technical knowledge, success will require the Project Coordinator has demonstrated skills in project management, the ability to coordinate with diverse stakeholders on diverse topics, demonstrated capacity to build relationships and to influence, the ability to identify and prioritize opportunities which align to WFP’s mission, a proactive approach to risk management, a commitment to upholding WFP’s principles and values, and strong organizational and oral and written skills to be able to track, report, and communicate effectively on progress. Ideally, Project Coordinators will already be familiar with the disaster management, food security, and social protection landscape of the Pacific islands, and the diverse stakeholders present; alternatively, the candidate should have a proven track record to of being able to quickly identify potential partners, gaps and opportunities, and to develop relationships relevant for the project.

Specific note: In Tonga, the role will require strong expertise on government policy development, processes and financial flows; familiarity with technical areas of CBT, social protection and targeting, disaster risk financing and anticipatory action; and food security and nutrition to support policy guidance.

CONTRACT TYPE:

Consultancy

DURATION:

11 months

DUTY STATION:

Nukuʻalofa, Tonga

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Under the coordination of the overall Project Manager in Fiji, and guided by technical functions in the WFP Multi-Country Office: Act as first line / local representation of WFP in Tonga, to enable coordination and planning of activities. Where technical capacities are outposted on the same islands, ensure coordinated and coherent engagement and dialogue with local actors.
• Coordinate (and when requested, lead) engagements between WFP technical units and Government ministries/departments to identify priority gaps and opportunities [including at community level / last mile], work with functions to design contextually relevant interventions, and support implementation of activities and lead the local monitoring / tracking of progress.
• Build / maintain strong relationships with national actors linked to the project, to ensure readiness to receive / implement the project. Identify potential risks to readiness / absorption, and work with Project Manager and Technical Functions to put in place appropriate preparedness / risk mitigation measures.
• Act as liaison for the Pacific Multi-Country Office in as relates to the development of partner agreements (with NGOs, UN, Government, other) to mitigate delays.
• Under the guidance of the Pacific Project Manager, technical functions, and risk management, actively identify or and monitor potential risks related to the project which could delay timely, quality, assured outcomes. Ensure regular communication / escalation with Project Manager and technical functions.
• Where requested, and where technical expertise of the Project Coordinator matches the project requirement, engage in the implementation of the project activities. (Eg: advising / supporting government on horizontal expansion of SRSP, beneficiary identity management, payment platforms and other cash transfer related functions, AA or DRF).
• Participate in inter-agency discussions and related relevant coordination fora.
• Identify where there could be further opportunities to advance inclusive, gender and disability responsive, and localized action within the areas of WFP’s project (early warning, SRSP, disaster management, FSN, logistics) - and the relevant influential partners.
• Maintain a tracking system of activities (assets, trainings, assessments, etc) planned and delivered to ensure proper tracking, monitoring and reporting on progress of the project – linked to outputs and outcomes for eventual project monitoring.
• Maintain regular contact with the Pacific Multi-Country Office (project manager and technical functions) to update on progress of implementation, residual gaps / risks, support needs, or further opportunities.
• In the event of a shock – act as first line WFP representation on the ground engaging with national counterparts, UN and NGO/RedCross partners; identify early opportunities where WFP can add value; support coordinated call forward of surge / assets / etc.

QUALIFICATIONS & KEY REQUIREMENTS

Education:

Advanced University degree in International Affairs, Food Security, Social Science or other field of relevance to international development assistance, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience.

Experience:

At least 5 years of professional experience in the development or humanitarian/ development sector demonstrating high performance and leadership capacity; Strong technical familiarity in at least one of the priority technical areas of the project (logistics/supply chain, disaster management, food security and nutrition, early warning, SRSP, AA, CBT, DRF); Firsthand experience leading or supporting the design and implementation of disaster response; Experience in advisory / enabling / capacity building of government and local actors in one or more areas covered by the project; Proven capacity to identify, initiate and lead opportunities and innovation that strives for continuous improvements and leverages established partnerships; Proven effective cognitive abilities, analytical and problem-solving skills; Exhibited ability to communicate effectively (oral and written); Demonstrated exceptional partnership building skills with diverse set of internal and external stakeholders (governments, community-based actors, donors, UN, private sector); Familiarity with WFP’s enabling, convening, supporting and complementarity role in the Pacific region (or similar CCS context); Familiarity with WFP’s global mandates in logistics, emergency telecommunications, and food security.

Preferred:

Strategic and policy engagement / advisory / influencing skills; Understanding of government policy budgets; Experience working in the Pacific.

Languages:

Fluency in oral and written English; Knowledge of local language(s) desirable.

Knowledge and Skills:

Strategy development, coordination, action planning and capacity development skills; Solid and well-developed approach towards partnership; Proven/Excellent skills in strategic/analytical work; Understanding risk management and proactive approach to identify and mitigate risks; Respect for working in a cross functional and diverse team; Self-starter and ability to work independently, with remote supervision / guidance; Willing to live in a remote island, and to travel within and across islands.

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.