Afghanistan Value Chains Program (AVCP), a USAID-funded program implemented by DAI Global, LLC (DAI), supports the expansion of sustainable agriculture-led economic growth across Afghanistan. AVCP achieves this goal through the support of anchor firms in the livestock and crops value chains. AVCP partners with and supports anchor firms through a market systems development approach, implemented through ‘Deal Notes’ which are co-designed agreements that respond to critical constraints while driving project outcomes. In implementing Deal Notes, AVCP works almost exclusively with agribusinesses and key value chain stakeholders to increase sales, investment, and productivity, among other key indicators. The growth of the anchor firms promotes the efficiency, profitability, and strengthening of the value chains with a direct and positive impact on rural economies, households, and livelihoods. The AVCP focuses its interventions on key value chain leverage points, such as input suppliers or traders linked to large wholesalers, processors, and farmer associations. In doing so, AVCP will accomplish the following fundamental sub-purposes:

Sub-Purpose 1: Increased Productivity and Stability of Value Chains

Sub-Purpose 2: Improved Commercial Viability and Operational Efficiency of Agribusinesses

Sub-Purpose 3: Engage Afghan Women in Agriculture

Sub-Purpose 4: Climate Change Mitigation and Resiliency Strengthened.

This training will help the firm staff to produce quality processed food and supply market-oriented products to their customers, decrease raw material losses, ensure the quality of the products become ready for HACCP and ISO certification, and improve their knowledge of advanced techniques of processing vegetables and fruits.

TASKS (Performance Requirements): The job requires the firm’s constraints in processing the fruits and vegetables, developing comprehensive training material, conducting training sessions and technical assistance along with and carrying out the following activities:

• Conduct a needs assessment of the target audience to determine the most appropriate training content and methodologies.
• Design and facilitate interactive training sessions, group discussions, and exercises to engage the participants and enhance their learning experience.
• Demonstrate, identify, and address the key constraints of processed fruits and vegetables supplied to the market and by the AVCP firm.
• The technical expert will recommend the technical knowledge and skills of the firm’s staff on advanced methods of fruit and vegetable processing practically.
• Develop hands-on skills of food processors in food processing (use of tools, materials, and techniques, formulation, cooking/baking, packaging, labeling, and marketing of food products).
• The expert will develop and understand the firm staff with the formula for the composition and ingredients of processing the jams, pickles, Juices, squashes, and tomato Pastes.
• The technical expert will implement theoretical training to improve the knowledge and skills of the firm’s staff on food safety, hygiene, and sanitation and will make necessary improvements in building the capacity of the firm staff on HACCP and ISO certification.
• Deliver a customized training program to key staff of the company with a focus on Fruits and vegetable process products (Jams, Pickle, Juices, squashes, tomato Pastes), quality assurance (raw materials – selection and storage, processing, packing, and storage, testing ingredients and products, acidity, moisture content, standardized recipes, pectin content of fruit juices (for jam production), batching and organoleptic evaluation), hygiene and sanitation (Cleaning methods, control of hazardous chemicals, developing cleaning schedules, verification methods, Water treatment).

• A university degree (BSc) in Food Technology, Agribusiness, Agriculture, and or horticulture.
• Professional and practical knowledge of making pickles, jams, vermicelli, sauce, tomato paste, and fast food is a plus.
• At least 3 years of practical work experience in Food processing.
• Experience working with rural SMEs, farmer groups, or cooperatives.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and report-writing skills.
• Fluency in national languages such as Pashto/Dari and English.

To apply for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter, with the position name and the job location as Food Processing Trainer-Nangarhar in the subject line, by email to (HR_AVCP@dai.com). To apply for any AVCP vacancies, please make sure you put the title and the Job Location on the subject of your email, or your application will be disregarded by the system. Please note that applications received after the closing date and without Subject line will not be given considerations. Only shortlisted candidates whose applications responds to the above criteria will be contacted for test/interview. In submitting your application, you understand that additional requests for information and/or participating in a screening interview to narrow candidate pools for short listing do not constitute a job offer or guarantee of employment.