The Aga Khan Foundation, Afghanistan (AKF (Afg)) is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a group of international, private, non-denominational development agencies working to improve living conditions and opportunities for people in some of the poorest parts of the developing world. The Network’s organizations have individual mandates that range from the fields of health and education to architecture, rural development and promotion of private-sector enterprise and institutions that seek to empower communities and individuals, usually in disadvantaged circumstances, to improve living conditions and opportunities.

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is a non-denominational international development agency established in 1967 by His Highness the Aga Khan. Its mission is to develop and promote creative solutions to problems that impede social development, primarily in Asia and East Africa. Created as a private, non-profit foundation under Swiss law, it has branches and independent affiliates in 19 countries.
AKF seeks to provide sustainable solutions to long-term problems of poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and ill health. In Afghanistan, AKF works with rural communities in mountainous, remote or resource poor areas to improve quality of life in the areas of natural resource management, market development, governance, education, and health.

POSITION OBJECTIVE
The Project Liaison Coordinator, reporting to and working closely with the PIU Lead, will act as a central link between internal teams and external stakeholders, ensuring seamless coordination and alignment across all facets of the project. This role is responsible for facilitating project planning and monitoring activities, managing stakeholder engagement, overseeing communication strategies, and supporting reporting processes. The coordinator will collaborate with key teams AP, EI, Finance, and PSU to ensure project goals are met in compliance with established guidelines. Additionally, the role includes maintaining updated risk and issues logs, organizing progress reviews, and preparing high-quality communication materials to promote project visibility and impact. The coordinator will support effective stakeholder relations, particularly with line ministries, and ensure timely, accurate reporting to inform decision-making and stakeholder engagement.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Program Coordination and Implementation Support
•    Facilitate project planning in close collaboration with implementing partners by ensuring alignment with the project implementation plan and adherence to compliance requirements.
•    Collaborate with AKF’s EI, AP, Finance, and PSU teams, AKCS and ACGF to monitor progress against the implementation project’s Yearly Plan of Operation (YPO) and identify critical areas of deviation that require action. 
•    Organize regular project progress review meetings with implementation teams to evaluate progress, address issues and challenges, and maintain an action point matrix to track action items.
•    Maintain the project risk matrix and issues log, ensuring that both are updated. Capture and address all issues and challenges throughout the project lifecycle.

Stakeholder Engagement
•    Collaborate with the head of PIU to build and maintain strong working relationships with all project stakeholders, including, but not limited to, the line ministries and implementing partners. 
•    Engage with line ministries as outlined in the project MOU, ensuring all interactions comply with both the project and AKF internal requirements, while also meeting the line ministries' requirements. 
•    Prepare and present project progress updates for the line ministries and facilitate joint monitoring activities and any other requests from them.
•    Ensure prompt and quality responses to all correspondence regarding coordination with the line ministry and maintain records of the correspondence.
Communication and public outreach
•    Develop a communication plan for the project that aligns with the communication needs specified in the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) and complies with both donor and AKF internal communication protocols.
•    Ensure that the project staff and all stakeholders are familiar with and adhere to the project's communication and branding requirements throughout the entire project cycle.
•    Collaborate with the Implementation teams, MERL unit, and the project M&E Coordinator to capture and highlight project achievements, impact, and lessons learned. Prepare communication materials and lead knowledge-sharing events.
•    Facilitate public engagement events as required by the implementation teams and as outlined in the project communication plan.

Reporting and Documentation Management 
•    Support the head of PIU in establishing project reporting tools and processes.
•    Support the head of PIU in preparing and reviewing quarterly, semi-annual and annual project progress reports by consolidating information from different project implementing partners and AKF sectors. 
•    Prepare ad-hoc analysis and reports on the project progress for the AKF-SMT and other stakeholders.
•    Maintain accurate project documents including reports, schedules, and status updates ensuring that all stakeholders have access to the latest information.
•    To carry out the responsibilities of the role in a way which reflects AKF (Afg)'s commitment to safeguarding staff, beneficiaries and protecting children from harm and abuse in accordance with AKF (Afg)s Safeguarding policy.  
•    To report any suspicions or actual violations of the Safeguarding Policy and/or Child Safeguarding Policy as per the given training.

OCCASIONAL SIGNIFICANT DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
•    Representing the project and organization on external platforms in the absence of the PIU lead.

JOB SPECIFICATION
•    Bachelor’s degree in relevant field while master’s degree will be an added advantage.
•    Excellent communication, organizational, and multitasking skills are required, along with strong proficiency in the English language.
•    Detail-oriented with a proactive mindset.
•    Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience in program coordination and stakeholder management.
•    Proficiency in Microsoft Office and project management tools is essential; proficiency in MS Project is a significant advantage.

REQUIRED CORE COMPETENCIES
•    Ability to convey information clearly and effectively to diverse stakeholders.
•    Proficient in planning, prioritizing, and managing multiple tasks efficiently to meet program goals.
•    Strong relationship-building abilities to engage with partners, team members and other stakeholders.

APPLICATION
Interested applicants should submit their CV along with a cover letter to Jobs.afghanistan@akdn.org no later than 25th November 2024.

Important Notes:
•    Please quote the Vacancy Number as the Subject of the e-mail when applying.
•    No supporting documents (e.g., diplomas, recommendation letters, identification card(s) etc.) are required at this stage.
•    Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for further assessment.
•    Salary scale: Grade C based on NTA Salary scale.

Aga Khan Foundation Afghanistan recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to equal opportunity and safeguarding of children, beneficiaries, partners, community members and employees in accordance with AKF(Afg)’s safeguarding policy.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Your details and information shared on this advertisement shall remain confidential.

The Aga Khan Foundation Afghanistan (AKF- Afg) promotes a transparent and equitable recruitment process. We reiterate that all services related to job applications, including processing, seminars, and training programs, are provided free of charge. 

Our official job announcements are posted on the ACBAR website (acbar.org/jobs). Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their applications through our designated email address: jobs.afghanistan@akdn.org. Please note that each job vacancy is assigned a unique identification number for your reference. After you submit your application, you will immediately receive an automatic confirmation acknowledging its receipt.

Aga Khan Foundation - Afghanistan (AKF- Afg) recruitment and selection process reflect our commitment to equal opportunity and protecting children and at-risk adults, beneficiaries, partners, community members and employees from safeguarding violations. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who are suitable to work with children and at-risk adults are recruited to work for us. In the process of recruitment, selection and appointment AKF (Afg) implement a range of procedures and vetting checks including criminal records disclosures to ensure everyone associated with AKF (Afg) is kept free from harm and abuse is prevented.
 
Protection from Sexual Exploitation Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) is the responsibility of everyone, and all selected individuals will be required to comply with AKF (Afg)s Safeguarding Policy at all times. 

By sharing your cover letter and resume with AKF (Afg) in response to this job application, applicants consent AKF (Afg) to keep this information on file for Recruitment and Human Resources Management purposes.

We request all job seekers to be attentive and report any instances of individuals or entities claiming to charge fees on behalf of AKF Afghanistan to AKFA.HR@akdn.org. Our commitment to ethical practices ensures that your career aspirations are supported without any financial burden during recruitment.