Nafasi ya kazi :- Programme Policy Officer (Markets and Logistics) at World Food Programme (WFP) May 2026

JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer (Markets and Logistics)

TYPE OF CONTRACT: SSA Level 9

UNIT/DIVISION: Farm to Market Alliance

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

DURATION: 6 Months

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA) is a multi-stakeholder platform bringing together public and private sector actors with a shared mission to strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers by increasing access to productivity-enhancing services and structuring access to reliable off-take markets through the Farmer Service Centre (FSC) model. FSCs serve as vital last-mile agribusiness hubs, providing farmers with access to quality agricultural inputs, financial products, extension and advisory services, mechanization, post-harvest solutions, and market linkages, thereby improving productivity, profitability, and resilience. Launched in 2022, FtMA Tanzania currently operates across six regions: Iringa, Njombe, Mbeya, Manyara, Singida, and Morogoro, with a network of 493 FSCs across 18 districts.

The strategic aim of FtMA is to increase income and resilience of smallholders by linking them into commercially sustainable value chains. By strengthening agricultural retail input networks, structured trade, aggregation systems, and long-term off-taker relationships, FtMA improves access to reliable, cost-effective services, inputs, technologies, and markets. This creates a stronger market pull for sustained smallholder development while unlocking opportunities for innovation and modernization across the value chain. FtMA’s broader vision is to enable sustainable food systems through strengthened markets that empower smallholders to increase yields, incomes, and resilience while contributing to food security. This is achieved through an inclusive commercial ecosystem supported by enabling policies, strategic partnerships, and investments in both hard and soft market infrastructure.

As FtMA Tanzania enters its final implementation and project close-out phase toward December 2026, the focus has shifted from expansion to sustainability, institutionalization, and protection of results achieved since 2022. Priority is now on consolidating gains under the FSC model, strengthening market continuity, deepening access-to-finance pathways, transitioning mature FSCs into sustainable agribusiness hubs, and supporting supplier readiness for WFP and private-sector procurement systems. Within this context, Pillar 2: Markets and Access to Finance is central to securing the commercial viability of FSCs and ensuring that farmer-level gains and private-sector relationships continue beyond WFP support. WFP, as host of the coordination function for this comprehensive market systems intervention, is seeking an individual to provide technical leadership and implementation support to advance these close-out priorities.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Under the direct supervision of the FtMA Deputy Coordinator/Activity 5 Manager, the incumbent will provide strategic and technical support to drive FtMA close-out implementation under Pillar 2 (Markets and Access to Finance), ensuring strong market continuity mechanisms, FSC graduation, structured trade linkages, supplier readiness, and sustainability commitments from both government and private-sector actors.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

The incumbent will be responsible for the following:

Market Systems Strengthening & Close-Out DeliveryLead implementation of Pillar 2 close-out priorities, ensuring market access gains are protected during the final implementation window.

Support the identification and execution of high-impact market interventions for the final 8 months, focusing on sustainability rather than expansion.

Strengthen commercially viable aggregation, logistics, storage, and market service models through mature FSCs and farmer organizations.

Support transition of selected FSCs and aggregators into WFP supplier readiness and procurement pathways in collaboration with Supply Chain.

Private Sector Partnerships & Structured TradeEstablish, strengthen, and manage partnerships with buyers, processors, traders, financial institutions, warehouse operators, and logistics actors.

Lead structured trade and forward delivery contract arrangements between farmer organizations/FSCs and private-sector off-takers.

Identify and secure commercially sustainable market opportunities that remain functional beyond project closure.

Access to FinanceStrengthening linkages between FSCs, farmer organizations, and financing partners including banks, MFIs, digital lenders, and risk-sharing facilities.

Support development of credit readiness, business cases, and aggregation financing models for mature FSCs and farmer-facing SMEs.

Work closely with CRDB, NMB, PASS, ACELI-aligned facilities, and other financing partners to sustain access-to-finance pathways.

FSC Graduation & SustainabilitySupport vetting, profiling, and due diligence of target farmer organizations, FSCs, and aggregators with emphasis on business viability and market readiness.

Lead market-facing graduation pathways for FSCs, including business performance reviews, trade readiness, and service-bundle profitability.

Support documentation of FSC graduation cases, lessons learned, and sustainability success stories.

Coordination, Evidence & Reporting14. Provide high-quality project management, implementation tracking, and reporting support for all Pillar 2 interventions.

Contribute to donor reporting, close-out documentation, lessons learned, and sustainability handover products.

Support coordination with government counterparts to institutionalize the FSC market access model within local systems.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Advanced university degree in Agriculture Economics, Agribusiness, Agricultural Marketing, Finance, Value Chain Development, Economics, or related field. A first university degree with additional years of relevant experience may be accepted.

Experience:

• At least 6–8 years of progressively responsible experience in agribusiness, agricultural market systems, value chain development, structured trade, or access to finance.
• Strong experience working with private-sector off-takers, aggregators, financial institutions, and farmer-facing SMEs/FSCs.
• Proven experience in project close-out, sustainability planning, or institutionalization of market systems models is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in supplier development, aggregation business models, or WFP/local procurement ecosystems is a strong advantage.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong knowledge of agricultural market systems, structured trade, crop aggregation, off-taker engagement, and warehouse-linked business models.
• Demonstrated expertise in access to finance models for smallholder farmers, Farmer Service Centers (FSCs), farmer organizations, and agribusiness SMEs, including credit readiness, working capital, and partnership development with financial institutions.
• Proven experience in building and strengthening commercially viable Farmer Service Centre and farmer aggregation business models, with strong understanding of sustainability and graduation pathways.
• Strong technical understanding of post-harvest handling, logistics coordination, storage systems, and market quality requirements for staple crop value chains.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and manage public-private partnerships involving government, financial institutions, buyers, processors, input suppliers, and development actors.
• Strong knowledge of supplier development and market readiness, including ability to support FSCs and aggregators to meet WFP and private-sector procurement standards.
• Excellent analytical skills with ability to interpret farmer, FSC, and market performance data to identify commercially viable market and financing opportunities.
• Strong project management and implementation tracking skills, with ability to drive project close-out priorities, sustainability commitments, and evidence-based reporting.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and relationship management skills in multi-stakeholder and geographically diverse environments.
• Strong report writing, documentation, and communication skills, including lessons learned, close-out evidence, and donor-facing reporting.
• Ability to work independently, establish priorities, and deliver under pressure while maintaining strong coordination with internal WFP teams and external partners.
• Demonstrated experience in sustainability planning, institutionalization, or project close-out of market systems interventions is highly desirable
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently within Tanzania.

Languages:

Fluency in English and Kiswahili a must.

CONTRACT DELIVERABLES / EXPECTED RESULTS

The selected candidate will be expected to support delivery of the following results:

1. Strengthened market access and structured trade linkages for Farmer Service Centers (FSCs), farmer organizations, and aggregators.
2. Improved access-to-finance pathways through stronger partnerships with financial institutions and private-sector actors.
3. Support to FSC graduation and supplier readiness, including transition of mature FSCs into viable agribusiness and procurement pathways.
4. Strengthened government and private-sector sustainability commitments for continuation of Pillar 2 interventions during project close-out.
5. High-quality close-out reporting, lessons learned documentation, and evidence generation on market systems outcomes.