About the Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR Japan):

Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR Japan) is an international non-governmental organization founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1979. It is active in 15 countries and registered in Afghanistan in 2002. AAR Japan functions in Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE), Victim Assistance (VA), Inclusive Education (IE), and Relief Assistance (RA).

AAR Japan has conducted projects in Explosive Ordnance Risk Education, Victim Assistance, Promoting Inclusive Education, and Relief Assistance throughout the country.

The Explosive Ordnance Risk Education Project consists of community-based mobile cinema and direct presentation to educate people who are at risk of mines and war remnants.

The Victim Assistance Project assists people who have lost their body parts in the explosion of mines or war remnants. Promoting Inclusive Education supports children and adults with disabilities to be considered at schools. The Relief Assistance Project aids vulnerable people during an emergency by providing them with food and non-food items.

These projects are conducted and implemented with financial assistance mainly from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan (MOFA Japan), Japan Platform (JPF), and funds raised by the people of Japan.

Job Description:

The incumbent is a member of the management and assists with all aspects of the project from planning to completion under the direct supervision of the Project Manager as well as the Program Coordinator in Tokyo Headquarters.

Moreover, the incumbent supports the Project Manager and Program Coordinator in the implementation and quality management of the project following the work plan, budget, donor requirements, and internal procedures. Also, the Project/Quality Assurance (QA) Officer conducts programmed internal monitoring of all operational teams in the operation fields, provides daily QA reports to the management with close coordination with operation officers, and supports external QA visitors in the field.

Furthermore, the Project/QA Officer conducts due diligence on data quality, analysis, and reporting to ensure all projects at the field level are implemented by required AAR Japan humanitarian and monitoring standards. The duty station is based in Kabul with field visits to the project site.

Responsibilities as Project Officer:

• Implement the project activities, according to the project application documents such as project narrative, operational plan, budget, and schedule.
• Assist timely and effective grant management.
• Assist with grant processes, which include conducting prospect research on donors, the preparation of proposals as well as project budgets for review.
• Cultivate collaborative relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including but not limited to, international organizations, governmental agencies, NGOs, local actors, and community members.
• Communicate the status of project implementation with the Project Manager at the Kabul Office and the Program Coordinator at the Tokyo Headquarters.
• Translate documents to English, Dari, and Pashto and ensure the accuracy and quality of the translated documents.
• Assist in compiling daily and monthly reports from the Field Coordinators and preparing monthly reports on the project.
• Conduct periodic monitoring of the project and circulate the results of the monitoring.
• Collect and compile project data in the relevant database and project management systems and ensure proper archiving of project documents and information.
• Ensure timely completion of assigned tasks while maintaining quality standards.
• Assist in administration and management tasks as needed and undertake any tasks assigned by the Project Manager and Program Coordinator in line with the project objectives and priorities.
• Collaborate with team members to accomplish shared goals and contribute to the overall success of the project.

Responsibilities as QA (Quality Assurance) Officer:

• Produce a personal QA work plan for each mission for Project Manager approval, or perform according to the prepared plan by the management.
• Coordinate activities with field staff and support field staff when required.
• Report all findings on minor and major non-conformities during QA inspections to the management when required, after each field visit.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and correct completion of conformity, non-conformity reports and accident investigations.
• Follow-up corrective and preventive actions on the previous non-conformities reported.
• Review “the AAR Japan SOPs of Mine Risk Education" at all times, and propose amendments to the management if required for EORE activity
• Assist field staff to decrease faults and improve EORE, VA, IE, and RA, according to AAR Japan SOPs
• Attend periodic external Quality Management (QM) meetings and workshops to improve new and updated techniques and tools
• Cooperate and assist AAR Japan management and field staff when required.
• Assist trainers during training sessions if required
• Keep updated records of internal inspections of all relevant teams.
• Coordinate and plan activities with external QM.
• Archiving of operational and quality control documentation
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of trends and best practices of Quality Assurance.
• Develop and implement innovative and new applications that will ensure required quality of AAR Japan
• Review the implementation and efficiency of quality inspection systems.
• Assume any other task assigned by the Project Manager.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree education (Master's degree is preferred)
• Minimum 3 years of working experience (Master’s degree) and 5 years of working experience (Bachelor’s degree) with non-governmental organizations as a Project/QA Officer and at least 1-year experience related to Quality Assurance and Management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Email, Adobe Acrobat, typing, and smartphone, including knowledge of remote data collection using Kobo, Open Data Kit(ODK), Mobile Operational Data Acquisition(MODA), etc.
• Fluency in English and Dari or Pashto; both written and spoken.
• Ability to travel to the targeted provinces and districts
• Good analytical skills and capacity to coordinate with a variety of humanitarian actors and local institutions
• Experience with donors and government is an asset
• Ability to be flexible and multi-tasked and interpersonal skills
• Skills in management, record-keeping, and problem-solving
• Reliable, honest, professional, and transparent.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Reporting and monitoring skills and experience
• Ability to work autonomously and act under pressure with minimum supervision
• Good planning and organizational skills
• To work independently and as part of a team
• Excellent interpersonal relationships and networking skills

Submission Guideline:

• Interested and qualified candidates are requested to send their cover letters and curricula vitae to the submission email.

• Please indicate the position title and vacancy number in the subject line of the email (Project/QA Officer KBL-PQAO-1), otherwise your application will not be considered.

• Please make sure that your application (Cover Letter & CV) is in your full name and will not exceed 1 MB and be submitted as a single PDF file.

• Applications after the closing date will not be accepted.

• Only shortlisted candidates whose applications meet the job criteria will be contacted for the written test and interview