Consortium Agriculture & NRM Lead*

The position is to be filled as of November 1, 2024, with an initial contract duration of two years. There are good prospects for an extension. Employment location will be Kabul, Afghanistan, with frequent travel to the project locations in the country.

Welthungerhilfe’s (WHH) areas of intervention in Afghanistan are aligned with WHH’s core mandate of achieving sustainable food and nutrition security. Specifically, WHH Afghanistan works in four thematic areas: Emergency Relief, Humanitarian Assistance, Rehabilitation and Resilience, by addressing nutrition-sensitive agriculture and natural resource management, civil society, empowerment and skills development. As Consortium Agriculture & Natural Resource Management (NRM) Lead, you will work as part of the core consortium program management unit (PMU), providing advice to all partners and supporting the Consortium Director in the implementation of the FCDO-PREVALE program. In doing so, you will coordinate the planning and implementation of the agriculture and NRM component of the consortium and, where appropriate, actualize the design and provide technical advice on sustainable NRM for the anticipated five-year FCDO-funded ‘PREVALE’ program in Afghanistan.

Your responsibilities

• As a Program Management Unit (PMU) member, work in close coordination and consultation with the Consortium Director and partner focal points in the implementation of the PREVALE program, providing expertise and coordination, specifically concerning the agriculture and NRM component
• Provide strategic guidance, oversight, and quality assurance for the agriculture and NRM related program activities, outputs, and deliverables
• Assume overall responsibility for the effective implementation of the agriculture and NRM work plans in coordination with the consortium members, ensure timely delivery within the respective budgets, meet donor and stakeholder expectations, and ensure contractual compliance
• Monitor and ensure optimal integration of community approaches, gender sensitivity, safeguarding and capacity building into all agriculture and NRM activities
• Coordinate assessments and develop tailor-made agriculture and NRM interventions based on the community needs in close coordination with the Consortium Director, Senior MEAL Manager, the agriculture and NRM teams of the consortium members and the target communities
• Mainstream climate adaptation through the program by assessing each value chain and systematically identifying risks and promoting context appropriate climate adaptations to improve the resilience of activities to climate shocks
• Develop value chain specific technical agriculture and NRM training modules for implementation with staff and communities, and annually review the modules based on received feedback, practicality, lessons learned, and, where applicable, add/develop new technologies
• Frequent field visits to verify the quality of the agriculture and NRM interventions
• Manage and help with the recruitment, orientation, professional development, and ongoing training of PMU staff and key personnel to ensure they are of the quality and technical capacity necessary to ensure the successful implementation of activities
• Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security

Your profile

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as agriculture sciences, environmental science, NRM, development studies or similar
• A bachelor’s degree and five additional years of relevant international experience can be substituted for the master’s degree
• A minimum of five years of responsible experience in agriculture and NRM, with preference given to watershed management, agricultural livelihoods development, or climate-resilient agriculture programming
• Experience in building the capacity of staff and partner organizations
• Professional experience in fragile contexts is required, with experience in Afghanistan preferred, and with an in-depth understanding of gender, age, and other locally significant socio-cultural factors
• Proven experience navigating complex and high-pressure operating environments
• Strong oral and written communication skills wkith demonstrated ability to think strategically and communicate your vision to partners and colleagues
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including government officials, NGO partners, and local communities
• Ability to work under time pressure and, sometimes, high workload
• Willingness to work in an insecure environment and commitment to adhere to strict security procedures
• Readiness to receive necessary vaccinations for working in Welthungerhilfe’s program countries
• Excellent spoken and written English; knowledge of Dari and/or Pashto is an advantage

Our offer

We offer you the opportunity to work in a responsible and interesting field as part of an extremely dedicated team. Welthungerhilfe attaches great importance to the personal and professional development of its employees and the balance of their work and private life. Remuneration is based on our gender-independent salary scale. In addition, Welthungerhilfe offers numerous other benefits, which are listed under “Our benefits”.