Vulnerability Analysis & Mapping (VAM) Officer, NOB)

job Description

ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT:
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Zimbabwe works in partnership with the Government of Zimbabwe, humanitarian and development actors, the private sector, and local communities to address immediate food needs while supporting long-term solutions to hunger and malnutrition.

WFP’s portfolio in Zimbabwe is guided by its Country Strategic Plan (CSP 2022–2026), which aligns with national development priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. The CSP focuses on four key areas:

Crisis Response: Providing emergency food assistance during critical periods such as the lean season, with a focus on protecting lives and livelihoods, particularly in response to climate shocks like droughts and floods.

Resilience Building: Supporting communities to strengthen food systems, improve agricultural productivity, diversify livelihoods, and build resilience to climate change through integrated rural and urban programmes.

Nutrition Improvement: Addressing malnutrition, particularly among children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people living with HIV, while promoting healthy diets and social behaviour change.

Capacity Strengthening: Enhancing the capacity of government institutions to manage food security and nutrition programmes, social protection systems, and emergency preparedness and response.

WFP Zimbabwe is a key partner in supporting the Government’s Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy (FDMS), advancing localization through partnerships with local organizations, and driving innovation in digital solutions, youth empowerment, and private sector engagement. WFP continues to deliver life-saving assistance and invest in long-term, sustainable food security solutions for vulnerable Zimbabwean communities.

This position is based in Harare and reports to the Head of RAM.

THE ROLE:
To contribute to the VAM evidence base that supports food security and nutrition policies and programmes (e.g. needs assessment and situation analyses, programme design, targeting, cost effectiveness, and operational efficiency).

Duties and Responsibilities

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):
-Contribute to the development of VAM projects and activities, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider WFP policies and guidance.
-Support the development of systems and tools for the monitoring and assessment of food assistance needs in line with innovative methodologies and best practice.
-Support the development of food security and vulnerability analysis and the preparation of timely reports on food assessment needs in line with wider VAM policies, processes and guidance to enable effective decision-making on the development of country strategy, policies and programmes.
-Provide assistance on the coordination of data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained.
-Liaise with implementing partners (internal and external) to monitor ongoing projects, ensuring effective collaboration, timeliness and efficiency and highlight potential risks to project delivery.
-Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to conduct vulnerability analysis to effectively inform preparedness and response activities.
-Provide support to relevant partners that are focusing on food security and nutrition issues to enable sharing of experience, lessons learned and best practice.
-Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analysis and queries.

Qualifications and Experience

Education: Advanced University degree in Economics, Food Security, Statistics, Data Science, Public Health/Nutrition, Geography or other related field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

Education:
-At least three years of postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience in monitoring, food security, vulnerability analysis or a closely related area.
-Work experience in monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian and/or development interventions.
-Demonstrated experience in monitoring food security, vulnerability and livelihood analysis, and other needs assessments.
-Previous experience supervising and coordinating work teams.
-Language: Fluency (level C) in English language and the duty station’s language, if different.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE
-Demonstrated proficiency in the use of several statistical tools and methods for food security analysis.
-Developed practical expertise in food security analysis and mapping by participating in multiple assessments in countries, including the design, data collection and analysis.
-Demonstrated technical knowledge and understanding of WFP vulnerability mapping systems and emergency assessment standards.