Programme Associate – Cash-Based Transfers job at World Food Programme (WFP)

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of extreme weather shocks. At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP’s values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

WFP Uganda uses Cash-Based Transfers (CBT) across emergency response, refugee assistance, nutrition, livelihoods and resilience, anticipatory action and social protection. Delivery mechanisms include cash-in-hand, agency banking and digital solutions such as mobile money. The Uganda CBT portfolio is progressively strengthening digital payment systems, financial inclusion, programme assurance and linkages with Government and market systems. Karamoja is of particular importance because of recurrent shocks, vulnerability to drought and food insecurity, limited financial infrastructure and the increasing use and potential expansion of cash transfers across emergency, anticipatory action, nutrition, resilience and social protection interventions.

Job Purpose.

The growing CBT portfolio in Karamoja requires dedicated field-level capacity to strengthen implementation, beneficiary onboarding, Financial Service Provider coordination, payment verification, reconciliation, assurance, issue resolution, reporting and emergency preparedness. The Programme Associate – CBT will therefore provide dedicated operational support to CBT interventions in Karamoja while contributing, as required, to consistent approaches, operational learning and effective implementation of WFP Uganda’s wider CBT portfolio. To provide specialized programme and operational support for the timely, effective, accountable and beneficiary-centred implementation of Cash-Based Transfers in Karamoja, including digital payments, payment reconciliation, assurance, FSP coordination, beneficiary accountability, emergency preparedness and operational monitoring. The Programme Associate will maintain close technical linkage with the Country Office CBT function and contribute to strengthening CBT implementation and learning across WFP Uganda.

Brief Description Of Duties

Under the overall supervision of the designated Programme Officer (Head of Programme – Karamoja Area Office) and in close collaboration with relevant Country Office and Area Office functions, the incumbent will:

CBT Programme Implementation

• Support CBT planning, delivery and monitoring across Karamoja programmes.
• Support payment readiness, including beneficiaries, schedules, arrangements and coordination.
• Track caseloads, transfer cycles, payments, actions and implementation issues.
• Identify bottlenecks and document, escalate and follow up corrective actions.

Digital CBT and Financial Inclusion

• Support onboarding and delivery through approved digital channels.
• Monitor connectivity, access, agent coverage, liquidity and FSP capacity.
• Promote digital and financial inclusion through beneficiary sensitization and literacy.

Payment Management and Reconciliation

• Verify payment cycles, entitlements and transfer values.
• Track payments and reconciliations and follow up unresolved transactions.
• Coordinate with relevant teams and FSPs to resolve payment and reconciliation issues.

Financial Service Provider Management

• Engage FSPs and monitor readiness and performance.
• Monitor agent availability, liquidity, service quality and payment access.
• Escalate FSP issues and support corrective actions.

CBT Assurance and Risk Management

• Conduct and document required CBT assurance checks before, during and after payments.
• Maintain, complete, accessible CBT records and audit trails.
• Identify and promptly escalate operational, financial, fraud, control and protection risks.
• Follow up corrective actions from assurance, monitoring, audits and reviews.

Beneficiary Accountability and Protection

• Communicate entitlements, payment details and feedback channels to beneficiaries.
• Follow up CBT complaints and issues and refer protection concerns appropriately.
• Identify barriers to safe, equitable CBT access for vulnerable groups.

Emergency Preparedness and Anticipatory Action

• Support CBT preparedness for shocks, including delivery, onboarding, FSP readiness and contingency arrangements.
• Support rapid CBT activation and scale-up following approved triggers.
• Document lessons from major CBT activations to strengthen preparedness.

Coordination, Monitoring and Learning

• Coordinate with WFP functions, partners, FSPs, Government and other CBT stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate CBT data and submit timely monthly and quarterly reports.
• Analyze implementation, payment exceptions, FSP performance, beneficiary concerns and risks.
• Document Karamoja lessons and good practices to improve CBT guidance, tools and procedures.
• Provide CBT operational or surge support across WFP Uganda as required.

Key Deliverables

The incumbent will be accountable for the following consolidated deliverables:

• Timely, accountable CBT delivery
• Digital CBT and FSP management
• Payment tracking and reconciliation
• CBT assurance and risk management
• Beneficiary accountability and protection
• Emergency and anticipatory-action preparedness
• Coordination, monitoring and reporting
• CBT learning and wider Uganda support

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education

• Secondary school completion required; a post-secondary qualification or degree in Economics, Development Studies, Business Administration, Finance, Social Sciences, Information Management, Agriculture, International Development or a related field is an advantage.

Experience

• Progressively responsible programme or operational experience in humanitarian, development or social protection contexts.
• Experience in CBT, digital payments, financial inclusion, payment operations or social protection is highly desirable.
• Experience in beneficiary onboarding, payments, reconciliation, assurance, monitoring or data management is desirable.
• Experience with FSPs, mobile operators, banks or other digital payment providers is an advantage.
• Experience working with Government, partners and communities.
• Experience in Karamoja or a similar remote, shock-prone environment is an advantage.

Languages

• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Knowledge of languages commonly spoken in Karamoja is an advantage.

• Support CBT planning, delivery and monitoring across Karamoja programmes.
• Support payment readiness, including beneficiaries, schedules, arrangements and coordination.
• Track caseloads, transfer cycles, payments, actions and implementation issues.
• Identify bottlenecks and document, escalate and follow up corrective actions.
• Support onboarding and delivery through approved digital channels.
• Monitor connectivity, access, agent coverage, liquidity and FSP capacity.
• Promote digital and financial inclusion through beneficiary sensitization and literacy.
• Verify payment cycles, entitlements and transfer values.
• Track payments and reconciliations and follow up unresolved transactions.
• Coordinate with relevant teams and FSPs to resolve payment and reconciliation issues.
• Engage FSPs and monitor readiness and performance.
• Monitor agent availability, liquidity, service quality and payment access.
• Escalate FSP issues and support corrective actions.
• Conduct and document required CBT assurance checks before, during and after payments.
• Maintain, complete, accessible CBT records and audit trails.
• Identify and promptly escalate operational, financial, fraud, control and protection risks.
• Follow up corrective actions from assurance, monitoring, audits and reviews.
• Communicate entitlements, payment details and feedback channels to beneficiaries.
• Follow up CBT complaints and issues and refer protection concerns appropriately.
• Identify barriers to safe, equitable CBT access for vulnerable groups.
• Support CBT preparedness for shocks, including delivery, onboarding, FSP readiness and contingency arrangements.
• Support rapid CBT activation and scale-up following approved triggers.
• Document lessons from major CBT activations to strengthen preparedness.
• Coordinate with WFP functions, partners, FSPs, Government and other CBT stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate CBT data and submit timely monthly and quarterly reports.
• Analyze implementation, payment exceptions, FSP performance, beneficiary concerns and risks.
• Document Karamoja lessons and good practices to improve CBT guidance, tools and procedures.
• Provide CBT operational or surge support across WFP Uganda as required.

• CBT
• digital payments
• financial inclusion
• payment operations
• social protection
• beneficiary onboarding
• payments
• reconciliation
• assurance
• monitoring
• data management
• FSP management
• risk management
• beneficiary accountability
• emergency preparedness

• Secondary school completion required
• Post-secondary qualification or degree in Economics, Development Studies, Business Administration, Finance, Social Sciences, Information Management, Agriculture, International Development or a related field is an advantage
• Progressively responsible programme or operational experience in humanitarian, development or social protection contexts
• Experience in CBT, digital payments, financial inclusion, payment operations or social protection is highly desirable
• Experience in beneficiary onboarding, payments, reconciliation, assurance, monitoring or data management is desirable
• Experience with FSPs, mobile operators, banks or other digital payment providers is an advantage
• Experience working with Government, partners and communities
• Experience in Karamoja or a similar remote, shock-prone environment is an advantage
• Fluency in spoken and written English
• Knowledge of languages commonly spoken in Karamoja is an advantage