Programme Assistant (Disaster Preparedness)

Join the World Food Programme (WFP), 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, as a Programme Assistant supporting disaster preparedness and resilience initiatives in Pakistan. Based in Islamabad, you will assist in coordinating emergency preparedness activities, Anticipatory Action programs, and resilience-building measures across vulnerable districts. Working under the Activity Manager, you'll engage with government partners, cooperating organizations, and stakeholders to ensure effective planning and implementation of humanitarian interventions. This 6-month service contract offers exposure to international humanitarian operations and opportunities for extension based on performance.

Key Responsibilities

• • Support emergency preparedness and Anticipatory Action activity planning at field and headquarters level
• • Integrate resilience-building initiatives into existing programmes across provinces
• • Maintain comprehensive records of program activities, budgets, and outputs with regular updates
• • Facilitate training sessions, workshops, and emergency preparedness simulations
• • Coordinate communication between Provincial teams, partner organizations, and government agencies
• • Document institutional knowledge, lessons learned, and effective practices for future reference
• • Prepare official correspondence, meeting schedules, and detailed minutes from coordination meetings
• • Process administrative requirements including procurement, travel, and payment processing for Activity 1
• • Organize and maintain filing systems and digital databases for programme documentation
• • Review budget proposals for alignment with operational strategies, donor specifications, and organizational financial standards
• • Validate invoices and receipts from implementing partners and field office teams
• • Establish ongoing relationships with government officials, civil society, UN partners, and local representatives
• • Communicate programme progress, emerging challenges, and readiness status through regular updates
• • Organize and support field missions to project implementation areas
• • Conduct monitoring visits to assess field activities, address concerns, and report findings
• • Undertake additional responsibilities aligned with position requirements as directed

Requirements

• ✓ Completion of secondary school education as minimum requirement
• ✓ Bachelor's degree in social science, development studies, climate change, disaster risk reduction, or project management (highly desirable)
• ✓ Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience in coordination and administrative functions
• ✓ Demonstrated expertise in disaster risk management, emergency response, or Anticipatory Action programming
• ✓ Background working with government institutions, international development organizations, or NGOs (advantageous)
• ✓ Strong grasp of disaster risk reduction principles and implementation approaches
• ✓ Excellent coordination capabilities and organizational proficiency
• ✓ Capacity to engage effectively with government ministries, civil society groups, and grassroots communities
• ✓ Superior written and verbal communication with strong interpersonal abilities
• ✓ Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• ✓ Bilingual fluency: English and Urdu (speaking, reading, and writing)
• ✓ HEC-verified educational credentials (mandatory for appointment)
• ✓ Pakistan national (position restricted to national applicants)

Skills & Expertise

What We Offer

• ✓ Competitive salary package
• ✓ Social security contributions
• ✓ Medical insurance coverage
• ✓ Annual leave benefits
• ✓ Parental leave entitlements
• ✓ Professional development and training opportunities
• ✓ Career mobility within WFP network
• ✓ Inclusive and diverse work environment
• ✓ Mentorship and coaching programs
• ✓ Exposure to international humanitarian operations
• ✓ Possibility of contract extension based on performance
• ✓ United Nations-affiliated employment