Afghanaid is a British humanitarian and development NGO established in 1983. It is headquartered in Kabul and is currently working in four provinces: Badakhshan, Samangan, Ghor, and Daykundi. We also work through partners in nine others: Herat, Faryab, Jawzjan, Sar-i-Pul, Balkh, Bamyan, Takhar, Khost and Paktia. For 4 decades, Afghanaid has developed its thematic expertise and the capacity of its staff in correspondence with the evolving needs of the country, international best practice, and opportunities for innovation. Our work supports four pillars of sustainable development: providing basic services; strengthening sustainable livelihoods and food security; adapting to climate change and reducing disaster risk, and emergency humanitarian assistance. Three guiding principles are mainstreamed in all our work to ensure its contribution to sustainable development: gender and inclusion, good governance and community development, and conflict mitigation and peacebuilding.

Responsibilities:

• You as a Watershed Technical Specialist will conduct comprehensive assessments of watershed health, including hydrology, water quality, ecosystem functions, and land use patterns.
• You are responsible to advice the consortium partners’ team in the assessment and survey of micro-watersheds and communities within them as a technical expert.
• You will support/develop capacities of a team of Agriculture and watershed experts of the partners, in order to successfully deliver NRM component of the project.
• You will provide the guidance for establishing community based institutions /organizations such as watershed management groups and committees.
• You will be responsible for the production of the evidence-based guidelines, manuals and regulatory frameworks for the management of watersheds.
• Provide information and technical support to the consortium on project formulation, implementation, monitoring and reporting, in line with the donor expectation, project documents and in collaboration with the Project Stakeholders.
• Develop and deliver training programs to strengthen the technical and organisational capacities of partners.
• You need to advocate for the inclusion of watershed management principles in local and regional development plans, environmental strategies, and climate change adaptation initiatives
• You will ensure appropriate and timely implementation of NRM plans and agriculture development plans within the frame work of project and other initiatives as appropriate.
• You will conduct site visits to the project sites, providing information and technical advices to the partner’s team.
• Write technical manuals for the training to communities in community based and sustainable -NRM, forest and pasture management, soil and water conservation methods, climate resilient and sustainable agriculture practices, and sapling nursery management to provide saplings for reforestation.
• Establish and maintain a robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning system to track the progress and impact of watershed management initiatives.
• Work with the partner’s team to create a proper guide for the establishment of community seed and fodder banks and agricultural service centres.
• You will document and share case studies, success stories and field visit reports as and when required.
• Develop high quality donor reports for the NRM and agriculture related activities that is contributing to the project donor reports as required and submit them to the Consortium Coordinator.
• Provide required instruction for the implementation of the selected watershed technical interventions such as terraces, trenches, ponds and other soil water conservation practices.

Monitoring & Impact Assessment

• Ensure regular information collection on each agreed indicators and report through reports as per organizational and donor needs.
• Work with the monitoring and evaluation team and develop impact monitoring indicators and system to understand document and disseminate the impact of the project and learning.
• Organize internal monitoring and impact assessment visits

Net Working:

• Liaise with relevant government departments NGO networks as advised by the Consortium Coordinator.
• Participate in relevant national provincial and district level meetings and represent the program.
• Perform any additional tasks as and when assigned by the line manager.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Education & Professional Qualification

Master’s/Bachelor's degree from a well-recognized University in Civil Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Natural Resource Management, Environmental science, Hydrology, or Forestry.

Work Experience

Experience of at least 7 years for master or 10 years for bachelor in watershed management projects with a minimum of 5 years of NRM and livelihood position with national or international organizations is required.

Professional Skills, Competencies, Values and Attitudes

Afghanaid seeks a responsible and dependable Watershed Specialist with strong initiative, judgment and adaptability as well as excellent skills in communication, organisational, interpersonal relations, decision-making, financial management and reporting.

Specifically, the holder of this position should also demonstrate the following:

Key Skills and Competencies

Essential

• Strong technical knowledge of watershed management.
• Experience with project design, monitoring and evaluation, and training development
• Computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Excellent knowledge in the establishment and support of community led projects particularly NRM / Watershed activities and community development
• Proven management ability and strong interpersonal skills – team player
• Highly developed reporting
• Ability to provide technical supervision, motivate and train project beneficiaries and farmers.
• Ability to deal with difficult, often challenging work situations.
• Behavioural role model for peers and fellow team members.
• Competent to work with significant levels of autonomy and able to meet tight deadlines.
• A results-oriented approach to delivering work priorities in personal workload.
• Creative and innovative in conceptual and analytical thinking
• Clear and firm commitment to the rights, equality, role and empowerment of women, minorities and persons with disabilities.
• Commitment to support/develop the capacity of the project staff and rural communities.
• Fluent in Dari, Pashto and English (written and oral).
• Personal integrity, sense of humour, intuitive and self-motivation
• Knowledge of personal strengths and weaknesses, active listener

Other Information

Afghanaid’s core values are creativity, fairness and honesty. Our staff are passionate about and proud to work at Afghanaid. Teamwork is fundamental to our standards and demonstrated by taking initiative, assisting others and taking on additional responsibilities and tasks if necessary. We are results driven, committed and motivated to achieve targets and take accountability for our own actions.

Our remuneration and benefits package is competitive with other similar organisations.

This position presents an excellent opportunity for someone who has the ambition and determination to move up in their career.

Please submit your application by filling the Afghanaid standard job application form and email a completed application form, covering letter and your CV, by no later than Sunday 3^rd November 2024 to vacancies@afghanaid.org.uk  ; including your name, vacancy number and the job title in the subject line. Your covering letter should be no more than 1 standard A4 page in length and explain how you meet the essential and desirable position requirements and why you feel you would be a suitable candidate for this role. Your CV should be no more than 4 pages and include 3 professional references including your current employer. The precision and style with which you present yourself in your covering letter and CV will be given significant weight in short listing candidates. Application with no proper subject (requested above), without the application form or submitted after the deadline will not be considered. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to every application. If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the deadline, then you have not been successful for shortlisting.

Please note that applying without filling the standard job application form will result in disqualifying the applications to review for shortlisting.

Link for the Afghanaid Standard Job Application form:  https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1vLmMCTTa7peZ-8Odm-L4xm_5ULr6nvRG