The Organization for Humanitarian Assistance (OHA) is a non-profit, non-governmental, and non-political organization based in Afghanistan, founded on January 12, 1994. As a cooperative partner of the United Nations and various international organizations, OHA focuses on implementing developmental and humanitarian projects primarily in the southern region of Afghanistan.

OHA is dedicated to advancing sustainable development goals (SDGs) while upholding key humanitarian principles, including participation, transparency, and accountability. Its mission is to alleviate suffering, raise awareness, and empower individuals to achieve self-employment and self-sufficiency at the village, district, and city levels. This approach aims to enhance both rural and urban economies and livelihoods through collaboration with donors and local communities.

The organization operates in several key areas, including:

• Irrigation: Developing canals, culverts, bridges, and flood protection systems.
• Education: Establishing schools, promoting literacy, and conducting awareness campaigns.
• Road Infrastructure: Constructing and enhancing road networks.
• Capacity Building: Providing management training and vocational education.
• Drinking Water: Drilling wells and expanding water supply systems.
• Health Systems: Building healthcare infrastructure.
• Humanitarian Assistance: Offering support during both natural and man-made disasters.

Through these initiatives, OHA works to foster community resilience and improve the overall quality of life for individuals across Afghanistan.

1. Position Summary

The Livelihood Specialist will lead the design, implementation, and monitoring of livelihood and economic empowerment components within the Women Empowerment Hubs (WEHs). The role focuses on supporting women to build market-relevant skills, develop income-generating opportunities, access vocational training, and engage in small business development. The Specialist will ensure all livelihood interventions are gender-sensitive, culturally appropriate, and aligned with UN Women and OHA program standards.

2. Duties and Responsibilities:-

• Develop and refine livelihood strategies, training modules, and market-relevant skill development curricula for WEH participants.
• Conduct needs assessments, skills-gap studies, and market analysis to identify viable livelihood opportunities for women in Kandahar.
• Design income-generating activity (IGA) models and pathways tailored to women’s skills, market demand, and cultural context.
• Contribute to the development of annual/quarterly work plans and activity schedules.

• Deliver or facilitate technical and vocational training sessions, workshops, and coaching for women participants.
• Build participants’ capacities in areas such as small business management, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, savings, and marketing.
• Support women in developing feasible business plans and microenterprises.
• Mentor women-led groups and cooperatives within the WEHs.

• Establish connections with local markets, traders, suppliers, and vocational service providers.
• Facilitate women’s access to markets, resources, and value chains relevant to their skills.
• Support product development, quality control, pricing strategies, and branding for women’s products.
• Assist participants in accessing small grants, start-up kits, or in-kind support according to project guidelines.

• Track progress of livelihood activities, participant performance, income generation, and market engagement.
• Maintain accurate records of training sessions, attendance, business plans, and economic outcomes.
• Prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports on livelihood activities.
• Support the MEAL team during assessments, surveys, and evaluation processes.
• Document success stories, lessons learned, and best practices related to women’s economic empowerment.

• Work closely with WEH Coordinators, trainers, mobilizers, and community leaders to ensure smooth delivery of livelihood programs.
• Liaise with government departments, vocational institutes, private sector actors, and NGOs to create livelihood partnerships.
• Participate in project coordination meetings, market visits, and donor missions.
• Support community mobilization efforts to encourage women’s participation in livelihood initiatives.

• Ensure that all livelihood interventions follow UN Women’s protection, and safeguarding guidelines.
• Create a safe and inclusive learning environment for women in the WEHs.
• Uphold OHA’s code of conduct and accountability mechanisms.
• Report any protection or safeguarding concerns immediately according to organizational procedures.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Business Administration, Livelihood Development, Gender Studies, Agriculture, or related fields.
• Master’s degree is an advantage.

Experience

• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in livelihood programming, economic empowerment, vocational training, or entrepreneurship development.
• Experience working with women in humanitarian or development programs.
• Experience conducting market assessments, value chain analysis, and business development training.
• Prior experience with UN agencies, INGOs, or NGOs is a strong advantage.
• Knowledge of local markets and livelihood dynamics in Kandahar Province is preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of livelihood approaches, women’s economic empowerment, and microenterprise development.
• Excellent facilitation, training, and coaching skills.
• Ability to develop market-based livelihood solutions within cultural constraints.
• Strong planning, coordination, and organizational skills.
• Good reporting and documentation abilities.
• Strong interpersonal and community engagement skills.
• Proficiency in Pashto; Dari and basic English are assets.
• Computer literacy (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

4. Key Attributes

• Commitment to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
• Culturally sensitive and respectful in interactions with communities.
• High integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks.
• Creative, proactive, and problem-solving mindset.

5. Working Conditions

• Based primarily at the WEHs in Kandahar Province with regular travel between hubs.
• Frequent engagement with women participants, trainers, community stakeholders, and market actors.
• Must adhere to OHA’s security and risk management procedures.
• Requires flexibility and willingness to work in culturally sensitive environments.

To apply for this position, please use OHA's online recruitment system. You can access the application by clicking the link below or by copying the link into a new tab and following the provided instructions to complete your application.

Link: http://69.197.177.211/Vacancy/VacancyList_Description?_id=15