CRS is an international humanitarian and development agency working to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

CRS has been operating in Afghanistan since 2002 and CRS is currently maintaining staff presence in Kabul, Herat, Ghor and Bamiyan, alongside an expanding scope of partnership implemented programs in Kunar, Samangan, Balkh, with strategic expansion planned further in 2026. CRS Afghanistan focuses on poverty and risk reduction and promoting resilience, human development through implementing livelihoods, education and emergency response.

Provides strategic and technical leadership to facilitate inclusive, market-led livelihood pathways within CRS Afghanistan’s Resilient Rural Livelihoods activities. The role focuses on strengthening market systems and value chains by identifying binding constraints, aligning incentives, and catalyzing partnerships among farmers, enterprises, service providers, and institutions. Rather than delivering services directly, the Technical Advisor applies Market Systems Development (MSD) principles to integrate market opportunities with climate-resilient land and water management, sustainable intensification, and inclusive business models. The role emphasizes learning, innovation, and scalability, ensuring that successful approaches inform new business models, policy dialogue, future investment, and replication within Afghanistan’s fragile context.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement an MSD–NRM integration framework for CRS Afghanistan, ensuring productive landscapes are linked to inclusive value chains and market opportunities.
• Conduct market and value chain systems diagnostics to identify functional constraints, incentive failures, and leverage points across priority food and income crops.
• Facilitate the development and testing of market-led upgrading strategies (e.g. aggregation models, embedded services, PPPs, inclusive sourcing arrangements).
• Champion integration of climate-smart agriculture, digital financial services, and nature-based solutions into market systems strategies.
• Assess the commercial viability, scalability, and inclusion outcomes of proposed interventions through cost–benefit analysis and evidence review.
• Support the design and technical review of Challenge Fund proposals, ensuring alignment with MSD principles, inclusion objectives, and systemic impact.
• Assess scalability of technical approaches and lead cost-benefit and impact analyses to inform scaling decisions.
• Foster technical collaboration and partnerships with local authorities, research institutions, academia, and the private sector to drive innovation and stakeholder engagement.
• Provide CP-level technical advisory support for all CRS projects utilizing MSD approaches.
• Produce policy briefs for government and donors on inclusive market systems, livelihoods, and innovation pilots.
• Lead innovation pilots (e.g., digital platforms for market access, climate risk insurance), ensuring robust documentation and analysis of results.
• Ensure scaling strategies are inclusive of women, youth, and marginalized groups.
• Collaborate closely with the Senior Technical Advisor – NRM & Disaster Risk Reduction to ensure integrated approaches and joint deliverables.

Key Deliverables

• An operational MSD–NRM Integration Framework, informing value chain and landscape interventions.
• Evidence-based market systems diagnostics and upgrading strategies for priority value chains.
• Technically sound inputs to Challenge Fund selection and learning, supporting robust business cases and leverage.
• Joint policy briefs and evidence summaries for donors and government on inclusive market systems, livelihoods, and innovation pilots.
• Innovation pilots (e.g., digital market platforms, climate risk insurance) designed, implemented, and evaluated for scalability, with shared learning and results.
• Peer learning events and technical roundtables organized with key stakeholders.
• Technical guidelines for inclusive market systems, climate-smart approaches, and nature-based solutions.
• Formalized technical collaboration agreements with local authorities, research institutions, academia, and the private sector.

• Master’s degree in agricultural economics, business, development economics, or related fields.
• 7+ years of experience in MSD and value chain development.
• Experience integrating MSD with NRM and climate resilience approaches, and scaling interventions.
• Proven track record in evidence of generation, learning, and policy engagement.
• Experience with a wide range (including bilateral) of donors and major donor-funded MSD/VC projects.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The Technical Advisor will champion inclusive, market-led approaches that integrate gender, youth, and marginalized groups, and utilize digital platforms for market access and learning. The role requires strong commercial acumen, conflict sensitivity, and adaptive management skills, with a commitment to locally-led development and sustainability. Deliverables must be SMART, with clear inclusion outcomes and mechanisms for regular learning and feedback.

Knowledge

• Advanced understanding of market systems development, value chain analysis, and inclusive livelihoods.
• Integration of MSD with climate resilience, land use, and natural resource management.
• Knowledge of scaling frameworks, innovation, and adaptive learning in development contexts.
• Familiarity with different (including bilateral) donors' requirements for private sector engagement, job creation, compliance, and reporting standards.
• Strong grasp of Afghanistan’s market, economic, and social challenges.

Skills

• Technical expertise in MSD, value chain development, and market facilitation.
• Commercial and cost–benefit analysis for inclusive business models.
• Stakeholder facilitation, partnership building, and negotiation.
• Analytical skills for cost-benefit analysis, impact assessment, and policy engagement.
• Excellent facilitation, training, and capacity-building skills.
• Strong communication and report writing skills.
• Partnership-building and stakeholder engagement skills.

Abilities

• Ability to identify and address systemic constraints rather than deliver services.

• Ability to support innovation while maintaining commercial and institutional realism.
• Ability to synthesize evidence into actionable recommendations for scale.
• Ability to collaborate across multiple actors, teams and sectors
• Ability to synthesize learning and adapt approaches for greater impact.

Supervisory Responsibilities: May supervise Market Facilitators and field-based staff

Key Working Relationships:  

• Internal: Project Manager/, NRM & DRM Advisor, MEAL Officer, field teams
• External: Private sector actors, financial institutions, government agencies, local technical authorities, research institutions, academia, donors

Required Languages – English (required); Dari and/or Pashto (preferred).

Travel

• Must be willing and able to travel up to 50% to rural areas.

• Ability to travel extensively to rural markets and communities.

CRS is committed to providing daily allowances for mahrams who accompany female staff on day trips to the field, and per diem and accommodation for mahrams who accompany female staff on work-related trips that require overnight stays.

CRS Core Competencies

• Integrity: Consistently acts in line with CRS values and mission.
• Accountability & Stewardship: Takes responsibility for actions and outcomes; manages resources efficiently.
• Service: Demonstrates a commitment to serving others and the greater good.
• Excellence: Strives for the highest quality in work and results.
• Collaboration: Works effectively across teams, departments, and external partners.
• Leadership: Inspires, motivates, and guides others toward achieving shared goals.
• Learning: Champions for continuous improvement, adaptation, and knowledge sharing.

We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.  

CRS' talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. 

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Protection Acknowledgment: CRS prohibits all forms of abuse and exploitation towards children and vulnerable adults. As a professional candidate, you commit to adhering to the Agency’s policy on protection, rights and dignity of children and vulnerable adults and to safeguard them from abuse and exploitation as defined in CRS’ Safeguarding Policy

Applications comprise a one-page cover letter to explain your interest and suitability for the post and your CV. Please do not attach your education documents and work certificates unless requested.

Dear Applicants!

The process of submitting a CV/Application has been changed to the online system. Therefore, interested candidates are encouraged to apply using the link provided below. Applications sent to any other email address or location will not be considered. Please ensure to rename your application file according to your name entered on the first page of the application forms.

Interested candidates can submit their applications by clicking on this link.

Please note that applications received after the closing date (i.e., February 10^th, 2026), will not be given consideration. Only short-listed candidates whose applications respond to the above criteria will be contacted for tests and interviews.