Head, Policy & Technical Services

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

7 June 2026-23:59-GMT Greenwich Mean Time (Abidjan)

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• 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).

Title: Head, Policy & Technical Services

Org. Unit: ARC

Duty station: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire or Remote

Contract Type: Regular Consultant

Duration contract: 6 months

Reporting: ARC Group Director General

Background

The African Risk Capacity, a Specialised Agency of the African Union, is a development finance institution designed to help African Union member states resist and recover from natural disasters and adapt to climate change. Because droughts, floods and cyclones do not happen in the same year in all parts of the continent, pan-African solidarity in the creation of a disaster risk pool like ARC is financially effective. Pooling risk across the continent could save countries significant resources in the cost of emergency contingency funds. Contingent funds linked to early warning systems and appropriate contingency plans linked with credible national response mechanisms offer the best solution for delivering more effective and efficient responses to weather shocks in the short term and can facilitate longer-term investments in increasing food security, disaster risk reduction and climate resilience.

The African Risk Capacity (ARC) is seeking a qualified candidate for the position of Head, Policy & Technical Services Department.

Responsibilities

The Policy & Technical Advisory Services (PTS) Department is responsible for ensuring the ARC Group has sufficient resources to deliver on its mandate and enable the implementation of its programme, overseeing the development and subsequent implementation of the Group comprehensive fundraising strategy, consolidating partnerships with regional and international bodies in line with ARC Group vision and goals, and transferring or disseminating knowledge within and outside the organisation.

Reporting to the ARC Director General, the Head is responsible for effectively leading, managing and coordinating the day-to-day operations and activities of the Policy & Technical Services Department within the ARC Agency Secretariat. This will require to some extent, engagement with ARC Member States, regional organisations, donors and partners.

The Head, Policy & Technical Services shall be required to lead a team of professionals to provide expert, innovative advice to build, manage, monitor and optimize the impact of partnerships with other organisations, member governments and donor partners aimed at addressing issues of critical mutual interest between parties whilst also successfully advocating for the work of the ARC in various fora and knowledge communities.

Key Accountabilities (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

• Lead the design and implementation of strategies and work plan for the Policy & Technical Services Department and ensure that the partnerships are identified, developed and maintained.

Policies and Procedures

• Spearhead ARC efforts in creating an enabling environment for Disaster Risk Management and Financing at country, sub-regional and continental level.
• Through partnership, lead initiatives aiming to influence policies, strategies and regulations related to Disaster Risk Management and Financing in Member States.
• Strategically identifying, recommending and highlighting opportunities to senior management on policy issues with partner organisations.
• Identifying improvements in process and capitalising on synergies across ARC in-country work streams to streamline and improve the delivery of services to ARC Member States and in line with established partnerships.
• Leading the refinement of ARC Standard Operating procedures and codifying the experiences of the ARC to date.
• Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance and periodically monitoring the management of risks towards limiting institutional enterprise risk.

Resource Mobilisation

• Oversee the review and reshaping of a comprehensive ARC Group fundraising strategy in order to increase the organisation's capacity to secure multi-year, sustainable sources of funding from alternative and diverse sources to enable the implementation of the ARC Group strategy

Partnerships

· Oversee a portfolio of partnerships, including with the African Development Bank, IFAD, the World Bank, WFP, etc., donor partners and other relevant institutions to ensure ARC's work programme aligns with and strengthens in-country initiatives and regional and global dialogue. This shall include development, execution and monitoring the implementation of work plans in support of established partnerships, as needed. Partnerships will be demand-driven to complement ARC's in-house resources, capabilities and product offering, and will be considered for relevance to the ARC programme in order to best serve Member States

• Representing ARC and monitoring international meetings at appropriate levels in such a way that advances the ARC's partnership and policy strategies and objectives and builds support for ARC activities.
• Overseeing the compilation of briefing documents for senior level management meetings with stakeholders, and potential and existing partners, and providing strategic input and advice.

Knowledge Management

• Lead the provision of strategic guidance, advice and technical support to the ARC Group in ensuring the continued contribution of ARC towards global knowledge and best practice and vice versa, to ensure the optimal positioning of the ARC Group as a thought leader in Disaster Risk Management and Financing on the African continent.
• Work with the Heads of Unit/Department to identify interests and information needs of ARC's target stakeholder groups for the purposes of promoting Disaster Risk Management and Financing.
• Oversee the production of information, technical and scientific evidence in Disaster Risk Management and Financing.
• Work with technical experts in the organization to lead the development and dissemination of regular publications on topics of interest in the area of Disaster Risk Management and Financing.
• Promote knowledge sharing in the organization by engaging ARC departments, organizing training, and facilitating seamless exchange of information with both internal and external parties.
• Implementing lessons learned from ARC's in-country M&E program, external evaluations and reviews to ensure ARC continues to evolve and improve with experience to become the standard setting agency for disaster risk management, contingency planning and risk transfer in Africa.
• Supervise the design and manage the deployment of ARC's internal and external training program including the creation of the planned online training portal.

Other as required.

Qualifications & Experience Required

Education:

Advanced university degree from an accredited institution in a technical relevant area such as Economics and management sciences , political science, international development, Or any other related field.

Experience:

Ten years of progressively responsible professional experience in technically related area in a multi-cultural organisation or national organisation providing support on a global scope.

Managerial Experience:

Demonstrated managerial and professional competence with progressively responsible professional experience in public affairs strategy and advisory roles at high levels of government, economic development at scale and Africa-related agricultural or insurance development. This should include:

• Firm knowledge of the Agency's mandate, structure and program of work.
• Proven intellectual, managerial and technical leadership in one or more areas of the Agency's mandate.
• Experience in weather risk management and insurance in developing countries.
• Sound knowledge of continental and international climate, agriculture, insurance and finance policy networks.
• Has contributed to the design and implementation of strategies and work plans to identify, build and maintain partnerships between organisations and with governments.
• Has led complex negotiations for partnership agreements.
• Has gained significant experience leading large and/or multicultural teams and improving performance.

Functional Capabilities

• Relationship Management: Able to proactively develop deeper relationships at a senior level with appropriate stakeholders. Able to apply this ability strategically to identify opportunities to raise the profile of ARC, develop new relationships and further organisational aims.

• Communication Expertise: Represent ARC in multilateral/inter-agency fora, leading guidance to team members in facilitating open and informative oral and written communication between partners and influencers and directs a team in support of preparation of external communication materials.

• Information Analytics, Reporting & Management: Demonstrates ability to conceptualize impactful means for reporting outcomes of ARC internal activities and also outcomes of multilateral/interagency dialogues to facilitate decision-making. Utilising ARC internal information along with partnership information and analysis to form insights which support fact-based discussion for enhanced partnership relationships whilst proactively identifying opportunities for improvement. Supports the maintenance, management and analysis of information in appropriate ARC systems.

• Business Process Support and Technical Guidance: Provides expert technical support to other Departments and Units within ARC. Supports the systems improvement implementation process.

Organisational Capabilities

• Strategic vision: Able to translate the ARC strategic objectives into action-oriented plans at the Department level and for internal and external stakeholders.
• Leadership: Leads by example, initiates and supports innovation. Is decisive with proven mature judgment and initiative. Demonstrates a high sense of integrity, trust and confidence.
• People Management: Successful track record of managing groups of people of diverse language, age, gender and cultural groups towards a common objective, by fostering team spirit, building trust and ownership and recognising team successes and ensuring staff development.
• Result Oriented: Demonstrates an ability to manage programs and projects efficiently under shifting priorities in order to achieve targets.
• Strong Communication skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a track record of showing dynamism and tact.
• Rigorous analytical and conceptual thinking.

Languages

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and French is required
• Knowledge of another African Union working language is an added advantage.

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REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

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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.

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• 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.