2 days ago

Head of Operations

Turquoise Mountain
306

Position Title: Head of Operations

2025-11-16    Kabul     Full Time     306

Job Location: Kabul
Nationality: National
Category: Information Technology Inventory Management Purchasing-Procurement Coordination
Employment Type: Full Time
Salary: As per Company Salary Scale
Vacancy Number: 1125-01
No. Of Jobs: 1
City: Kabul
Organization: Turquoise Mountain
Years of Experience: As per Requirement
Contract Duration: 12 Months
Gender: Male
Education: As per Job Requirement
Close date: 2025-11-16

About Turquoise Mountain:

Turquoise Mountain is a non-profit, non-governmental organization specializing in urban regeneration, business development, and education in traditional arts and architecture. We seek to provide education, skills and livelihoods to Afghan men and women. Since 2006 Turquoise Mountain has cleared 36,000 cubic meters of rubbish from the streets, restored or built 150 historic and community buildings, created a primary school and a clinic, and installed water, electricity, and sanitation through the historic traditional craft neighborhood of Murad Khani in the old city of Kabul. It has created the internationally accredited Institute for Afghan Arts & Architecture, training the next generation of craftsmen and women in woodwork, jewelry and gem cutting, calligraphy and miniature painting, and ceramics. Finally, it has sold over US$15,000,000 of Afghan artisan products internationally.

Job Descriptions:

Job Summary

This is a core position in the Turquoise Mountain Afghanistan country office that will drive forward the operational strategy of the program. The successful candidate will oversee the office’s operations across its locations (Kabul, Balkh, Jawzjan, and Bamiyan) and lead the institutionalisation of sector-standard systems, processes, and ways of working that strengthen coordination, transparency, effectiveness, and accountability.

Reporting directly to the Turquoise Mountain Afghanistan Country Director, the postholder will play an essential role in instilling the organisation’s workplace culture and values. The Head of Operations will cultivate strong working relationships with all heads of department and sector leads to foster positive collaboration within and across functions and ensure the timely and quality delivery of operational activities for program delivery. Additionally, the Head of Operations will be the accountable lead in ensuring that day-to-day operations needs are planned and executed effectively and will offer strategic direction and mechanisms through which operational efficiency can be improved.

The successful candidate will be a resourceful, proactive, collaborative, and solutions-oriented leader who can build positive working relationships with a variety of stakeholders, both internal and external. The position will be based in Kabul, Afghanistan, with some provincial travel.

 

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Management and Team Building

  • Oversee all operations functions of Turquoise Mountain Afghanistan, providing strategic direction and leadership to the department.
  • Serve as a country office champion and leader for promoting and instilling Turquoise Mountain’s workplace culture, behaviour, and values, ensuring inter- and intra-departmental cohesion, promoting collaboration, and ensuring timely completion of all activities.
  • Line manage Security Manager, Supply Chain Coordinator, Admin & Logistics Officer, Senior Liaison Officer, and IT Manager, facilitating one-on-one support, strategic guidance, and coordination meetings. Oversee the wider Operations team including assistants, guards, kitchen staff, cleaning staff, and drivers.
  • Ensure fiscal responsibility of all operational processes, procurements, and activities, including budget development, management of operational costs, and reporting.
  • Attend routine meetings with the COO to provide summary updates on TM Afghanistan's operational activities, including challenges and proposed solutions.
  • Oversee external coordination, liaison, and communication, particularly with government counterparts in TM Afghanistan's associated line ministries.

Safety & Security

Policy Review and Implementation

  • Lead the strategic review of TM Afghanistan's Security Management Plan in line with the current security landscape and in accordance with international standards.
  • Oversee the development and implementation of security policies, practices, protocols, and SOPs, ensuring they protect the safety and security of TM staff, premises, and assets.
  • Lead the development of high-quality internal tools and response management plans.
  • Ensure TM adopts a proactive approach to effectively manage emergencies and incidents, ensuring structured protocols are in place.
  • Ensure TM's security protocols are fully compliant with organizational and donor requirements.
  • Maintain, update, and circulate as needed the TM Afghanistan Communication Phone Tree.

Liaison & Coordination

  • Oversee coordination with IEA representatives, per agreed protocol with the Country Director. Review coordination protocols (for example, frequency of engagement, terms of engagement) with the Country Director and Security Manager on a needs basis.
  • Participate in routine meetings with the COO providing relevant updates, outlining new, emerging, anticipated, and compounded risks, and proposing mitigation strategies.

Procurement

Policy, Process, & Compliance

  • Review and update the TM Afghanistan Procurement Policy, ensuring it remains compliant with TM global policies, is based on best practices, and is informed by internal lessons learned.
  • Review and update the procurement process authorization matrix and cash thresholds.
  • Respond to audit findings and implement recommendations with the relevant team members as needed.

Market Assessment & Supplier Engagement

  • Undertake market surveys for routine procurement requirements by gathering and documenting accurate information on prices, services of suppliers, and other related information.
  • Establish good relationships with new vendors and suppliers.
  • Maintain proactive communication, transparency, and sound working relationships with existing TM suppliers.

Procurement Administration & Delivery

  • Oversee TM's framework agreements with selected preferred suppliers to ensure smooth, timely, and cost-effective supplier procurement processes.
  • Oversee large and complex procurements, ensuring compliance with international best practice.
  • Oversee the delivery of all procurement processes ensuring procurement plans are delivered on time.
  • Ensure the execution of internal controls and procedures to deliver efficient and transparent acquisitions and promote stewardship of resources.

Fixed Assets & Inventory

  • Oversee the management of TM Afghanistan fixed assets, non-fixed assets, and inventories, ensuring that they are well protected against risks (for example, fire, theft, and misuse by staff), properly recorded, and reviewed on quarterly basis.
  • Liaise with central and local government authorities to ensure TM remains compliant with new rules and regulations issued by the government in relation to assets.

Administration & Logistics

  • Review, consolidate, and analyse monthly team activity reports, for example, those in relation to inventory and stock; fuel costs; office running costs; vehicle and building rentals; cleaning and kitchen schedules; and procurement/service providers. Offer strategic guidance on how to strengthen efficiencies across administrative and logistical operations.

Liaison

  • Oversee coordination and liaison efforts regarding operational and programmatic matters with IEA government offices, associated line ministries, Kabul municipality, and other local authorities, ensuring contact sheets are maintained and updated, and that communication is professional, respectful, compliant, and timely.
  • Schedule meetings between TM senior staff and line ministries as required.
  • Ensure the smooth and safe management of all international visits.

Information Technology

  • Oversee the development and execution of IT-related policies, software, and processes to promote systems effectiveness and protect the security and confidentiality of TM data.

This list is not exhaustive, and other duties may be required as determined by the needs of the organisation.

Key working relationships / cross-working

Internal: Operations, Programs, and Finance departments, COO

External: IEA, suppliers, community stakeholders

Job Requirements:

Professional approach:

A genuine collaborator in approach, with natural leadership qualities and an ability to build teams. Ability to coach and mentor team members, empowering others and helping them to be accountable for their areas of expertise. Experience of managing large teams in a frequently changing landscape, bringing a flexible approach while delivering results. Ability to synthesize different information and apply creativity and pragmatism to contribute to solutions.

Experience:

Experience working in a position of operational leadership in an international non-governmental organisation in Afghanistan.

Experience managing large teams with diverse skillsets, including a proven track record of leading and developing teams, promoting individuals’ professional development, and fostering a positive and collaborative working environment.

Experience developing and strengthening operational policies, standard operating procedures, systems, and processes for an international non-governmental organisation country office.

Experience managing complex security environments and ability to pivot and adapt response mechanisms accordingly.

Experience managing procurement, including developing and overseeing the implementation of organisational policies and practices and ensuring transparency and accountability at all stages of the cycle.

Experience liaising with external stakeholders, particularly government officials, community representatives, and suppliers, and ability to deliver results through such engagements.

Personal Attributes & Skills:

Collaborative approach with demonstrable experience of building strong and positive relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders

Detail orientated and experienced problem solver

Proven management and organisational skills

Excellent verbal and written communications skills

Ability to negotiate with external stakeholders

Ability to give and receive feedback

Good listener and responsive to needs of wider team

Ability to communicate vision and drive team forward

Digital skills and experience:

Experienced in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint)

Language skills:

Dari (essential), Pashto (desirable), and strong international standard spoken and written English (essential)

 

Submission Guidelines:

Candidates are requested to apply through the provided link (Head of Operations – Fill out form) no later than 16th-November-2025 2025

Kindly submit your CV and Cover Letter as a single PDF document and refrain from attaching certificates or large files.

Submission Email:

Head of Operations – Fill out form

Apply



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