The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a UN specialized agency dealing with work and workplace issues, and related rights and standards. Its overarching goal is to achieve decent work for all so that everyone benefits from working conditions that offer freedom, equity, security and human dignity. More information about ILO can be found at www.ilo.org

An ILO Office was formally established in Kabul in 2003. Since then, the ILO worked with its government, employer and worker constituents as well as other partners in many areas, bringing tangible and lasting benefits to a wide range of beneficiaries. Information about ILO in Afghanistan can be found at https://www.ilo.org/asia/countries/afghanistan/lang--en/index.htm

Introduction/Project Overview

Afghanistan’s labour market faces serious challenges due to economic decline, reduced international assistance, and restrictions on women’s participation in social and economic life.  Unemployment remains widespread, particularly among youth, women, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and returnees. Many struggle to find work due to a disconnect between their skills and market needs, while women face compounded barriers, including limited mobility and access to formal employment, confining them to informal, low-income home-based roles. The dominance of the informal economy has resulted in widespread issues such as unfair wages, unsafe working environments, and job insecurity.
The Road to Labour Markets Transformation project implemented by the ILO in collaboration with UNDP, addresses these challenges through a dual focus on decent work compliance and resilient economic recovery. Leveraging ILO’s tripartite governance structure and UNDP’s Area-Based Approach for Development Emergency Initiatives (ABADEI), the project targets high-employment sectors like carpet weaving, tailoring, and food processing, where women, youth, and displaced populations are concentrated. Key interventions include decent work diagnostics to identify systemic deficits, capacity-building for employers’ and workers’ organizations to enforce labour standards and establishing a “Centre of Excellence” to institutionalize compliance with Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW). The initiative will equip MSMEs with tools to improve workplace safety and fair wages, train local trainers on FPRW, and facilitate social dialogues to address labour rights violations. By aligning with SDG 8 (Decent Work) and the UN Strategic Framework for Afghanistan, the project aims to reduce unemployment, enhance gender inclusion, and strengthen compliance with international labour standards. Outcomes include 25% of MSMEs adopting FPRW, improved worker-employer relations, and scalable models for national replication, fostering a resilient, inclusive labour market.

Description of Duties

The National Project Coordinator will oversee the implementation of the project in Northern Region. This role involves day-to-day coordination, stakeholder engagement, and ensuring the achievement of project objectives. The coordinator will ensure the successful execution of the project by coordinating activities with implementing partners, local authorities, and beneficiaries. Effective project management is crucial, ensuring timely delivery of outputs, monitoring progress, and achieving sustainable project outcomes, particularly in supporting decent work promotion. The NPC will manage a multi-disciplinary team (national professionals, administrative staff, and consultants) and ensure synergies with other ILO/UNDP initiatives. The NPC will be reporting to the ILO’s Senior Coordinator for Afghanistan and closely working with Programme Officer and Operations Officer in Kabul, Decent Work Team (DWT)-Delhi, and relevant units in HQs. 

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Oversee the planning, execution, and monitoring of all project activities, in accordance with ILO guidelines, project objectives, timelines, and budgets, ensuring gender equality and non-discrimination are integrated throughout. 
• Prepare detailed work plans, including specific timelines for each project activity, and adjust as necessary to ensure project success, with gender equality and non-discrimination as cross-cutting issues.
• Manage a multidisciplinary team (national staff, consultants, administrative personnel) to deliver outputs such as decent work diagnostics, compliance toolkits, and sectoral training programmes.
• Coordinate with UN agencies, funds and programmes, social partners (ACCI, NUAWE), and MSMEs to integrate decent work principles into private sector activities.
• Integrate gender equality, disability inclusion, non-discrimination, and conflict-sensitivity principles in all aspects of the project.
• Identify problems, propose solutions and action and follow-up with relevant internal and external stakeholders to expedite implementation and meet targets.
• Coordinate with national and local stakeholders, ensuring effective consultation with key organizations, including the Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI) and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), promoting the inclusion of gender equality and non-discrimination.
• Act as the primary liaison in the region between ILO, UNDP, public entities, employers’/workers organizations, and community leaders to foster collaboration for the effective project implementation.
• Represent the project in policy dialogues, stakeholders’ meetings, and inter-agency forums to advocate for labour rights, gender equality, and FPRW compliance.
• Facilitate structured social dialogues between employers and workers to address wage disparities, child labour, and occupational safety in target sectors.
• Support the organization and facilitation of capacity-building workshops for project staff, partners, and beneficiaries, promoting gender equality and non-discrimination
• Lead the establishment of the “Centres of Excellence” in target business chambers, ensuring they develops context-specific training materials and delivers Train-the-Trainer (ToT) programmes 
• Organize workshops to enhance MSMEs’ understanding of international labour standards and support businesses with in-kind equipment to improve compliance.
• Strengthen the institutional capacity of employers’/workers’ organizations to monitor and enforce decent work practices.
• Ensure transparent and efficient financial management, adhering to ILO policies and donor requirements, with gender-responsive and inclusive budgeting and planning.
• Prepare and monitor project budgets, ensuring proper allocation of funds and cost-effectiveness, with an emphasis on inclusion of marginalized groups.

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• Establish and develop knowledge management system covering technical activities under the project, including other economic and social issues of relevance to the project.
• Supervise decent work diagnostics in carpet weaving, tailoring, and food processing sectors to identify systemic deficits and inform interventions.
• Prepare quarterly technical reports and final evaluation, highlighting impacts on target beneficiaries
• Prepare progress, briefing, and analytical reports for ILO, funding agency, and other stakeholders, ensuring accuracy and adherence to deadlines, and gender sensitivity in the use of language. 
• Document best practices and lessons learned to support knowledge-sharing and future programming.
• Implement and maintain a results-based M&E system in line with ILO and UNDP standards to track progress against indicators, ensuring gender equality and non-discrimination are integrated
• Monitor progress of the project and activities, by reviewing, verifying and analysing work-plans, progress reports, final reports and other data for clarity, consistency and completeness, with attention to gender-sensitive evaluation criteria
• Manage the collection and analysis of project data, assess progress toward outcomes, and recommend adjustments to improve effectiveness, ensuring adherence to the ILO’s Gender Action Plan.
• Embed decent work practices into local institutions to ensure continuity beyond the project’s lifespan.
• Identify risks and propose mitigation strategies, supporting the development of tools and guidance notes for sustainability and long-term impact.
• Support the development of a joint ILO-UNDP proposal for scaling interventions to other regions/value chains.
• Ensure female participation in training and dialogues, addressing barriers to women’s economic empowerment in existing policy environment.
• Integrate gender-sensitive approaches into all activities, including tailored support for women-led MSMEs and home-based workers.
• Provide technical backstopping and mentorship to project team members and partners.
• Develop communication and visibility products for the project audience
• Contribute to resource mobilization efforts for project expansion and sustainability.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Senior Coordinator, ILO Afghanistan.

Competencies

• Strong organizational and multitasking skills to manage multiple priorities efficiently.
• Ability to work independently with initiative, self-motivation, and minimal supervision.
• Excellent analytical skills, with proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research and data interpretation.
• Strong report drafting and guideline preparation skills for program implementation.
• Proficiency in MS Office, project management tools, and technical documentation.
• Strong leadership and coordination skills to guide teams and ensure stakeholder collaboration.
• Effective negotiation and communication skills for engaging diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to foster an inclusive and respectful work environment in multi-cultural settings.
• Capacity to engage with and mobilize local communities, ensuring their needs are addressed.
• Experience in coordinating and managing external collaborators, consultants, and contractors.
• Deep understanding of ILO and UN missions, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Commitment to equal opportunity, gender mainstreaming, and human rights principles.
• Adaptability and flexibility in responding to changing circumstances and project challenges.
• Strong sense of ethics, transparency, and accountability in professional conduct.

Languages

Excellent English, Dari and Pashto.

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit the ILO Jobs website. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.