Food Safety and Quality Assurance Officer

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

24 November 2026-23:59-GMT+01:00 West Africa Standard Time (Niamey)

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 extreme weather shocks.

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).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
In Niger, the most vulnerable households are affected by poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, especially women and children. This is aggravated by land degradation and recurrent crises, such as natural (floods, droughts) and economic shocks, climate change, conflict, and insecurity. WFP, together with the Nigerien Government, is working to achieve Zero Hunger through the implementation of a diversified programme. By means of a multi-sector and multi-actor integrated approach that combines asset creation, education, and nutrition activities with a focus on the strengthening of capacities among local and national stakeholders, WFP aims to enhance resilience to shocks. WFP also responds to the food and nutrition needs of crisis-affected populations in the areas at the border with Nigeria, Mali, and Burkina Faso. A wide operational presence, with a Country Office in Niamey, four Sub-Offices and three antennas, allows proximity to its programmes and beneficiaries.
The purpose of the job is to Lead and continue the implementation of food safety and quality management and/or food product optimization initiatives at country level.
JOB PURPOSE
To provide support to the collection, analyses and reporting of information relevant to the implementation of WFP food safety and quality initiatives, policies and procedures. Job holders liaise with supply chain and programme functions to improve an integrated approach that supports WFP’s strategic objectives in food assistance.

 ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provide technical inputs to assist with the implementation of policies and procedures that align WFP’s FSQA approach with FSQA and supply chain strategies, and support compliance with FSQA regulations.

2. Draft specific inputs related to the design and implementation of WFP food assistance programmes, ensuring that food safety and quality is embedded in all food-related WFP operations.

3. Gather information for drafting of documentations for risk and incident management, assist with investigations to support rapid response to food safety concerns, and share lessons learned to reduce re-occurrences.

4. Follow WFP FSQA regulations in the organisation of field operations systems for the prevention and mitigation of FSQA issues, including participating in drafting product specifications, support communication with regulatory authorities, and contribute to the implementation of processes for supplier assessment and compliance testing.

5. Provide technical inputs to supply chain colleagues, within the area of assignment, to support maintaining and monitoring food safety and quality throughout the WFP supply chain.

6. Liaise with counterparts across UN agencies, NGOs, governments, and the private sector to identify and compile relevant sources of data for operational collaboration.

7. Participate in FSQA assurance and packaging research required for implementing WFP FSQA guidelines and regulations. This includes sample collections, compiling and reviewing data and literature, and organizing consultations.

8. Liaise with WFP staff, partners, and governments to contribute to efforts aimed at strengthening the capacity of local food producers. This may include supporting quality assurance in food production, organizing information related to food processing facilities, compiling data on food processing machinery needs, and collecting information for product stability studies in line with regulations.

9. Assist country operations to build the capacity of local food and food control systems. This may include supporting quality assurance in food production, laboratory testing, inspection, and strengthening local food standards and control systems.

10. When required by operational structures exceptionally, staffing limitations hinder full segregation of duties between FSQA management and capacity building, assist FSQA embedded initiatives in COs, such as strengthening food systems or improving food diversity for nutrition interventions, under the guidance of Global HQFSQA.

11. Collect and organize data to support the preparation of reports that inform planning and decision-making, contributing to a knowledge base that supports improvements in FSQA and overall Supply Chain.

12. Act in an assigned emergency response capacity as required to meet emergency food assistance needs.

13. Other as required.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:

• Experience or training in food safety and quality protocols, with basic exposure to implementing tools or procedures within operational contexts.
• Experience with data collection and analysis, using insights to monitor trends and support decision-making or operational activities.
• Worked in collaborative team environments, contributing to tasks across different functional areas and supporting emergency or time-sensitive operations.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

Education: Advanced university degree in Food Technology, Health Sciences, Food Control, Nutrition or other related field, or First University degree with two additional years of related work experience.

Experience: Minimum 1 year of relevant experience in Food Safety and Quality and/or experience in procurement, logistics, and/or supply chain management, contributing to integrated operations.

Language: Fluency (level C) in English language and the duty station’s language, if different.

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:  [email protected]

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 [email protected]. 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.