Food Technologist

ARWEO is a nonprofit organization with a visionary focus on the rehabilitation and protection of vulnerable communities in Afghanistan. ARWEO has a strategic goal of assisting the lifesaving and immediate needs of the marginalized population including IDPs, refugees, and host communities in eastern, central, northern and central highlands regions. ARWEO has a history of 21 years implemented 86 projects with 65% of projects in Shelter, education, protection, food security, nutrition, and livelihoods. ARWEO is dedicated to transforming the lives of marginalized children including boys and girls, particularly those with immediate education, protection, and humanitarian needs, and those belonging to IDP, refugee, and host communities in the affected provinces of Afghanistan.

Project Background:

ARWEO is implementing the School Feeding Project (SFP) in Nuristan province seven remote districts—Parun, Bargi Matal, Waygal, Nurgram, Du Ab, Mandol, and Kantiva—ARWEO will distribute High Energy Biscuits (HEB) to children’s enrolled in primary schools and Community-Based Education (CBE) classes. The biscuits will be provided daily during school days to address short-term hunger and improve students’ concentration and learning readiness. in the relatively accessible districts of Wama and Kamdesh, ARWEO will implement the Home-Grown School Feeding (Bread+) modality, which engages local bakeries to produce fresh bread. This component will providing a daily bread ration during school days while also supporting local economic activity.

 Summary:

The Food Technologist will be responsible for the safety and quality assurance of school feeding modalities. The role involves process optimization and technical support to ensure high-quality and safe designated food commodities are prepared and delivered to the school students.

Key Responsibilities

• Test and evaluate raw materials for quality and compliance with food safety standards.
• Conduct regular food storage warehouse inspections and quality checks of ingredients. 
• Collaborate with school meal production teams to improve efficiency and consistency in manufacturing.
• Develop standard operating procedures for ingredient mixing baking, cooling, and packaging.
• Monitor parameters during the storage, preparation, and handling, and provide technical guidance to improve school feeding food commodities quality and safety.
• Ensure compliance of food production areas with food safety regulations and GMP practices.
• Conduct quality-control tests and sensory evaluations.
• Identify and mitigate potential risks in the production process.
• Develop training materials on food safety, food quality, and technical processes.
• Train production and quality control staff on best practices in school meal processing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, food technology, Microbiology, or related field.
• Certification in food safety.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in food manufacturing and processing units
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, capable of influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience working in community-based or school feeding settings is an added advantage.
• Strong knowledge of food safety standards, HACCP, and GMP.

 Technical Knowledge

• Familiarity with food testing procedures and basic laboratory interpretation.
• Knowledge of cold chain management for perishable foods.
• Ability to evaluate cooking processes for nutrient retention and meal quality.

Skills and Competencies

• Goal-oriented and visionary
• Ability to work under pressure, independently, and with limited supervision.
• Flexible, creative and a sense of humors.
• Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal
• Strong analytical and diagnostic skills.
• Excellent communication and report-writing abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple sites and prioritize tasks.
• Integrity, commitment to child safety, and strong ethics.
• Ability to work well with school staff, local authorities, and community committees.
• Computer skills: MS Office, data collection tools, digital monitoring systems.

Protection From Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Commitment:

ARWEO has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and abuse. All employees are expected to comply with our PSEA policy. This includes:

• Undergoing PSEA training
• Signing a self-declaration form
• Participating in reference checks that include questions on PSEA
• Reporting any suspected cases of sexual exploitation and abuse

Safeguarding:

• Uphold and promote ARWEOI’s commitment to ensuring the safeguarding and safety of the vulnerable communities we serve.
• Consistent with ARWEO’s safeguarding and protection policies, ensure all people who come into contact with ARWEO are as safe as possible.

Interested candidates should submit their CV and a cover letter without educational documents to HR@arweo.org.af

Note: Applications without mentioning the Position Title & Vacancy Number in the subject line of the email will NOT be considered.

Females are particularly encouraged to apply

"The Food Technologist will have to create and maintain an environment which prevents sexual exploitation and abuse and promotes the implementation of the code of conduct"