Programme Associate, Social Protection

Independent since 2002, Timor-Leste – an island nation situated between Indonesia and Australia – is one of the world’s newest countries. It has successfully managed to transition out of conflict and become one of the region’s most stable democracies, with opposing political forces maintaining a peaceful dialogue to resolve differences. Its economy is dependent on oil and gas revenues, but with aspirations to develop agriculture and tourism. Timor Leste is a young nation. 59 percent of the population is under 25 years of age and women bear children at very early ages: one in four gives birth before turning 20. The right investments in education, employment and the empowerment of women can accelerate development in the course of a generation. Improved nutrition must underpin these efforts. The Government of Timor-Leste is firmly committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), of which it was a staunch supporter during negotiations. However, serious obstacles to the achievement of SDG 2 on Zero Hunger and improved nutrition remain. WFP works in close collaboration and coordination with the Government of Timor-Leste, with a view to strengthening its capacities for delivering social safety programmes, and with other partners including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO).

In Timor-Leste, WFP is enhancing the capacities of the Government of Timor-Leste and stepping up its work as an enabler of national hunger and nutrition solutions, to complement direct implementation. The Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI), with technical support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and WFP, is implementing the Integrated Nutrition and Adaptive Social Protection for Increased Resilience (INSPIRE) project. This project aims to develop an effective and adaptive social protection model that integrates nutrition-sensitive interventions, strengthens maternal and child health, and enhances resilience to economic and environmental shocks. To support the Government in implementing the INSPIRE project (and its new, flagship, nutrition-sensitive social protection programme, the Bolsa de Mae Kondisional or BdMK SANUTRIO programme) and ensure continued excellence in technical and operational support, WFP is seeking a qualified Social Protection Programme Associate. This role will play a key supporting role in enhancing WFP’s contributions to strengthening the national social protection system, advancing project initiatives, and supporting the country team in implementing effective, evidence-based social protection and nutrition programmes.

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Policy Officer (PPO) – Social Protection and the overall supervision of the Head of Programme, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: - Support the coordination of WFP’s social protection activities, assisting the PPO in liaising with WFP teams, government counterparts (MSSI, INETL, MoH). Tasks may include preparing meeting notes, following up on actions, helping organize coordination meetings, and keeping documents and schedules updated. - Assist in implementing social protection activities, particularly the BDMK SANUTRIO. This includes helping prepare materials, supporting logistics for field missions, assisting with basic information gathering, and learning about programme delivery in the pilot municipalities and during scale‑up preparations. - Contribute to programme support tasks, such as helping prepare drafts for programme documents, organizing data and files, assisting municipal‑level activities (e.g., outreach, registration, monitoring), and supporting field teams with administrative or coordination needs. - Support the development and organization of project tools and documents, including helping edit, format, and compile guidance notes, process documents, checklists, and templates used by MSSI, WFP staff, and local partners. - Assist in maintaining partnerships, helping track engagements with government entities and development partners, preparing briefs or summaries for meetings, maintaining updated contact lists, and supporting smooth communication between stakeholders. - Contribute to reporting and information sharing by collecting updates from field activities, helping prepare short written inputs, organizing data, photos, and materials, and assisting in drafting presentations or progress summaries. - Support research, analysis, and learning tasks, such as gathering and organizing background information, summarizing key documents, helping compile lessons learned, and assisting PPO and partners (e.g., ADB) in research or documentation activities. - Assist with capacity‑building and training initiatives, helping organize workshops or training sessions, preparing materials, coordinating logistics, tracking attendance, and documenting sessions, while availing opportunities to learn about topics such as registration, grievance redress, SBCC, gender and climate considerations, and referral systems. - Support internal coordination and workflow management, including organizing shared folders, tracking deadlines, preparing agendas, coordinating small tasks across teams, and helping ensure the timely progress of project activities. - Participate in internal and external meetings, as delegated by the PPO, assisting with note‑taking, preparing summaries, and supporting follow‑up actions. - Performs any other tasks assigned by the supervisor, contributing to day‑to‑day programme support and gaining hands‑on experience in social protection and programme management.