About Modern Agriculture Animal Husbandry Organization (MAAO):

Modern Agriculture Animal Husbandry Organization (MAAO) is a national, non-political, non-racial, non-profitable, and non-governmental organization founded on human values. Registered with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ministry of Economy, MAAO adheres to international standards and is headquartered in Mazar-e-Sharif, Balkh province.

MAAO operates nationwide to enhance sustainable economic opportunities by improving agriculture and livestock productivity, advancing education, promoting rural development, building capacity, and strengthening civil society. The organization places a special focus on empowering women.

MAAO specializes in providing training and conducting research in agriculture components, agriculture education for capacity building, value chain development in all relevant sectors, vocational training, handicrafts, Higen, Health, Mother and Child nutrition and other related fields.

In line with its commitment to supporting food-insecure communities affected by malnutrition, MAAO prioritizes pregnant and lactating women (PLW) and children aged between 6-59 months to prevent child malnutrition, people with disability, women and elderly headed households.

Position Summary:

The helpdesk operations involve being available full-time during distributions to assist and prioritize vulnerable beneficiaries, maintain detailed records, and ensure prompt response to their needs and complaints. Information and awareness tasks include regularly providing accurate project updates and educating beneficiaries on GBV, PSEA, and nutrition programs. Support and complaint management requires assisting beneficiaries with information, addressing their complaints efficiently, and ensuring proper documentation and follow-up. Effective communication and coordination with the project team and beneficiaries are essential, along with adherence to MAAO policies and humanitarian principles and maintaining professionalism, and staying informed about available food commodities, the Help Desk Assistant mast follow Do No harm strategy. He/ She must have 1-2 years of relevant experience and fluency in Pashto/ Dari and English reporting skills, both verbal and written.  

Major Area of Responsibilities:

1. Helpdesk Operations:
   • Be available full-time at the helpdesk during distributions to assist beneficiaries.
   • Detect and report any inclusion and exclusion errors to the supervisor and M&E team for further verification process.
   • Prioritize assistance for elderly, disabled, Pregnant and lactating women (PBW) at distribution sites to ensure they receive timely support.
   • Keep detailed records of beneficiary interactions, transactions, comments, and complaints for accountability and continuous improvement.
   • Respond promptly and effectively to the needs and complaints of beneficiaries, ensuring their issues are resolved or properly escalated.
   • Maintain transparent and open communication channels with beneficiaries, fostering trust and reliability.
   • Organize distribution points with support of field team to ensure the safety and protection of beneficiaries, particularly the most vulnerable.
   • Uphold and commit to humanitarian principles, ensuring non-discrimination, impartiality, and neutrality in all actions and decisions.
2. Information and Awareness
   • Regularly provide accurate and detailed information about the project to beneficiaries, ensuring they are well-informed about project objectives, progress, and any changes.
   • Stay updated with the latest information on overall project activities to provide correct and relevant information.
   • Provide comprehensive information on GBV, PSEA, Do No Harm principles, and other safeguard guidelines to beneficiaries.
   • Ensure that beneficiaries understand these guidelines and know how to seek help if they encounter such issues.
   • Educate beneficiaries on food allocation, nutrition programs and promote nutrition sensitization among vulnerable groups in targeted communities.
3. Support and Complaint Management
   • Assist beneficiaries seeking information, ensuring they receive clear and helpful responses.
   • Provide timely and effective support to beneficiaries’ complaints or inquiries, ensuring proper documentation and follow-up.
   • Register and report the most vulnerable households who are not listed for assistance to the project supervisor for verification and support.
   • Manage and address beneficiaries' queries and complaints efficiently, ensuring they feel heard and supported.
   • Regularly collect complaint forms from designated points in each Food Distribution Point (FDP) and ensure proper documentation and follow-up.
   • Acknowledge and resolve beneficiaries' complaints promptly and professionally.
4. Communication and Coordination
   • Maintain clear and effective communication between beneficiaries and the project team.
   • Engage with beneficiaries through various channels, ensuring their concerns and feedback are properly communicated and addressed.
   • Provide constructive feedback on the efficiency of the helpdesk support process to enhance service delivery.
   • Work closely with project staff to achieve program objectives and targets, especially in sensitization and information provision activities.
   • Coordinate with colleagues to ensure a cohesive and responsive approach to beneficiary needs.
5. Compliance and Principles
   • Adhere to MAAO policies and procedures, including the code of conduct, child protection, PSEA principles, equal opportunities, security, and safety.
   • Commit to the core humanitarian principles of strict neutrality, religious and political impartiality, and non-discrimination.
6. Other Duties
   • Perform any other tasks assigned by the project manager or supervisor as needed.
   • Maintain a positive, empathetic, and professional attitude toward beneficiaries at all times, especially when they are frustrated.
   • Stay knowledgeable about available food commodities to accurately answer beneficiary questions.

PSEA Declaration & Vetting Procedure:

• As an organization committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability, we are dedicated to preventing sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) in all our operations. We expect all employees to maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or harassment.
• By applying for this position, you agree to adhere to our PSEA principles and report any concerns or incidents related to misconduct promptly to the designated focal point within the organization. Failure to comply with these standards may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
• As part of our commitment to safeguarding vulnerable individuals, we conduct a thorough vetting process for all candidates. This includes a specific inquiry into any past allegations, investigations, or disciplinary actions related to sexual misconduct.
• We will ask all references to confirm if the candidate has ever been subject to any such issues, left employment pending an investigation, or refused to cooperate with an investigation related to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA).

Protection Accountability to Affected Population (PAAP) Tasks

• Consider the protection needs of beneficiaries and ensure to mitigate harm to beneficiaries.
• Support beneficiaries with specific needs to access referral services and additional support.
• Ensure, “Do No Harm” strategies are practiced and the field teams are briefed and guidance provided properly.

Soft Skills

• Ability to cope well under pressure, work irregular hours and meet tight deadlines
• Sound organizational skills and ability to prioritize and deliver assignments in a timely manner often under severe time pressures
• Strong English Writing skills
• Report writing and communication skills
• Deadline-Oriented
• Experience in needs assessment, monitoring and evaluation.
• Attention to details

Additional Job Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities set out above are not exhaustive, and the postholder may be required to carry out additional duties from time to time, subject to change with the evolution of the project progress and in accordance with project nature, MAAO, and donor requirements, which are reasonable in relation to their level of skills and experience. The Beneficiary Verification Assistant/ food distributer is required to carry out the tasks that are unforeseen issues and circumstances in relation to the project and should remain adaptable to perform responsibilities that may not be mentioned above as and when required.

Competence:

Passionate to work, teamwork oriented, problem-solving skills, excellent communication, interpretation and analytical skills, field activities coordination, monitoring & Evaluation and providing feedback, willingness to work in tough field conditions, meet tight deadlines, work under pressure, willingness to travel based on need and requirement, a self-oriented and good planner with professional communication and representation skills.

Core Competencies:

Highly motivated, effective communication skills, both verbally and written in group or individual.

Experience utilizing computers including word processing, spreadsheet and other software packages.

Familiarity with Cluster work at national or sub-national level

Be respectful, possess cultural and political awareness and sensitivity

Demonstrate flexibility, consistency and sound work ethics.

Integrity, loyalty and discretion on high standard.

Education

• Bachelor degree, in Law & Political Since, Business Administration, Social Since, Public Administration, Rural Development or any other relevant field.
• Full knowledge of MS Office Package.
• Advance knowledge of MS Excel and data analysing.

Work Experience

• At least 1-2 years of professional & progressive experience in humanitarian program or implementation of project activities with National and International NGOs.
• Experience in programme coordination, preferably in emergency context will be an asset.
• Experience working with International and National organizations, NGOs and communities in the field of management.

Language Skills

• Fluency in Dari/ Pashto and English language skills (writing, speaking, reading and understanding)

Interested and qualified candidates can submit their CVs along with a cover letter to the HR Department of MAAO through the email address: jobs@maao.org.af

Please note, while sending your C.V & Cover letter, please mention the vacancy number and position in the subject line, application received after the closing date and without subject line will not be taken in consideration. Local applicants from the same province are encouraged to apply and will be given priority.

Due to huge number of applications, only those applicants who meet the minimum qualification and requirements for the mentioned position will be contacted for the written test and interview.