Programme Policy Officer - Disaster Risk Reduction

Madagascar is among the world’s most disaster‑prone countries, facing recurrent shocks such as cyclones, floods, droughts, epidemics, and socio‑economic crises. Floods represent one of the most frequent and damaging hazards, particularly in the country’s major urban and riverine areas, where rapid population growth, informal settlements, and limited infrastructure exacerbate vulnerabilities. These recurring shocks undermine food security, disrupt livelihoods, and constrain progress towards national development priorities.

In line with its mandate and the Government of Madagascar’s disaster risk management frameworks, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) supports national institutions to strengthen risk reduction, early warning, preparedness, and anticipatory action. WFP also plays a growing role in advancing innovative risk financing mechanisms—such as macro‑insurance instruments—to help protect national systems and vulnerable populations from the impacts of extreme weather events. In urban settings, WFP aims to deepen its engagement on disaster risk reduction (DRR) by supporting municipalities and decentralized structures to strengthen risk‑informed planning, emergency preparedness, and shock‑responsive social protection.

Against this backdrop, WFP Madagascar is recruiting a Programme Policy Officer – Disaster Risk Reduction to reinforce its technical capacity in these areas. The Officer will provide strategic and operational support to enhance disaster prevention, mitigation, and preparedness efforts, with a strong focus on flood risk management, risk financing and macro‑insurance solutions, and DRR in urban environments. The role will contribute to the design, implementation, and coordination of evidence‑based interventions that reduce vulnerability, strengthen resilience, and support government partners in managing climate‑ and disaster‑related risks more effectively. Through this position, WFP seeks to advance integrated, scalable, and sustainable approaches that protect lives and livelihoods before, during, and after shocks.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

Under the supervision of the Head of Emergency Preparedness & Response Section, the PPO DRR should:

• Contribute to the design and development of DRR projects, strategies and operational plans, ensuring alignment with WFP corporate policies, the Madagascar CSP, government DRM frameworks, and best practices in flood management, risk financing, and urban resilience.

• Provide project management support to specific DRR and resilience programmes—including flood risk reduction initiatives, macro‑insurance product development, anticipatory action and urban DRR interventions—ensuring coherent planning, quality implementation and compliance with WFP standards and procedures.

• Strengthen and coordinate data collection, analysis and monitoring systems related to hydrometeorological hazards, urban risk profiling, exposure and vulnerability mapping, and risk financing triggers, ensuring that data meets rigorous quality and accountability standards.

• Conduct research and analysis on DRR, climate risks and risk financing mechanisms, including flood modelling, insurance market assessments, urban hazard trends, and policy gaps, to inform programme design, operational decision‑making and innovation opportunities.

• Support the preparation of accurate and timely reports, briefs, concept notes and donor updates on DRR, risk financing, flood‑related activities and urban resilience initiatives, ensuring consistent, evidence‑based information for internal and external stakeholders.

• Liaise with government counterparts, UN agencies, NGOs, municipalities, academia and technical partners to facilitate coordinated DRR efforts; monitor progress of ongoing DRR and risk financing initiatives; and identify risks affecting delivery, proposing mitigation measures as needed.

• Support the identification, development and management of partnerships with technical agencies, private sector actors (including insurers and reinsurers), research institutions and community‑based organizations to strengthen integrated DRR and risk financing solutions.

• Contribute to capacity strengthening of WFP staff, government institutions and partners, including sectoral ministries, municipalities and social protection actors, by developing and delivering trainings on flood preparedness, urban DRR, anticipatory action, and risk financing tools.

• Guide other colleagues or field teams involved in DRR, flood risk management or resilience activities, providing technical guidance, quality assurance and support in analysis and problem‑solving.

• Perform other related duties as required to support WFP Madagascar’s climate risk management, DRR and resilience objectives.

• Other as required

• Technical contributions to the design, planning or refinement of WFP’s disaster risk reduction (DRR), flood management, risk financing, and/or urban resilience activities, in line with programme priorities.

• Analytical inputs and documentation produced to support decision‑making, such as briefs, technical notes, situation analyses, or updates related to disaster risks, climate impacts, or programme performance.

• Monitoring and reporting contributions delivered, including inputs for corporate reports, donor updates, implementation reviews, and activity tracking tools.

• Strengthened coordination and partnerships, evidenced by regular engagement with government counterparts, technical stakeholders, and partners involved in DRR, flood management, risk financing, and resilience initiatives.

• Capacity strengthening support provided to WFP staff, government institutions, or cooperating partners through training, guidance materials, or technical assistance.

• Improved internal processes, tools or mechanisms related to data, planning, preparedness, or programme implementation (e.g., templates, guidance notes, monitoring tools), developed or updated as relevant.

• Clear handover materials summarizing progress, pending actions, key contacts, and recommendations for continuity of DRR and resilience activities.

Education: Advanced University degree in Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Risk Reduction, Meteorology, Environmental Science, Social Sciences and other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Language: Fluency (level C) in both oral and written communication in French, English and Malagasy.

• At least 05 years of progressively responsible professional experience in disaster risk reduction, climate risk management, emergency preparedness or resilience programming, ideally with exposure to flood risk management, early warning systems, urban disaster risk reduction or anticipatory action.

• Experience supporting the design or implementation of DRR or climate resilience projects, working with government counterparts, technical partners or humanitarian and development actors, and contributing to project management, coordination, reporting and analytical work is essential.

• Familiarity with risk assessments, hazard and vulnerability data, or monitoring systems is considered an asset, as is prior engagement in capacity strengthening activities.

• Experience with risk financing or insurance‑related initiatives is advantageous.

• Has gained experience in implementing technical programs.

• Has implemented programmes and provided input into designing operations.

• Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.

Deadline for Application: April 16, 2026