Hassel Microfinance Institution is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Agriculture Development Fund (ADF). The Agricultural Development Fund (ADF) is a standalone institution constituted as a monetary fund operating under the leadership of its High Council. The principal function of the ADF is to catalyze the delivery of finance and related non-finance services to commercial farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs through a variety of intermediaries as well as direct Islamic financing in an unprecedented effort to revolutionize Afghan agriculture.

Hassel was established in November 2024 by the Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) and received an operational license from the Central Bank of Afghanistan (DAB). Hassel is a national microfinance institution exclusively supporting agricultural businesses. Through Shariah-compliant financing products, Hassel provides accessible financial services designed for the agricultural sector, empowering both male and female clients to enhance productivity and sustainability. With a mission to uplift farmers and agribusinesses, Hassel aims to improve economic growth, resilience, and improved quality of life across agricultural communities.

• Contributing to defining Hassel’s business strategy (clients, products, channels) and overseeing its successful implementation.
• Identify opportunities for new products, services and markets to support sales targets and institutional objectives and provide inputs to design the same.
• Prepare and present reports on new business prospects, pipeline and achievement against targets.
• Leading and supervising operations department of Hassel.

• Setting commercial objectives for each product and branch, monitoring performance, and proposing and implementing actions to address gaps.
• Working closely with support functions at the Head Office, particularly HR, IT, and Logistics, to ensure that the branch network has all the necessary resources—well-trained staff, adequate IT, and logistics infrastructure—to achieve its objectives.
• Creating, distributing, and updating policies, guidelines, processes, and procedures related to products and services to enhance efficiency while preserving a robust control environment.
• Participating in the financing decision-making process according to their level of authority.
• Enhancing the professional development of staff while promoting Hassel’s values through focused coaching, training, and effective communication.
• The head of operations directly reports to the CEO and is part of the Management Board, overseeing operations at Hassel’s head office and its branches.
• Hire, train, and guide a strong operations team while encouraging a sense of responsibility and teamwork.
• Keep track of the budget by aligning resources with the organization's goals and regularly check financial performance to fix any differences and ensure sustainable growth.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards and establish risk management frameworks to mitigate operational risks.
• Represent Hassel at sector events, forums, and stakeholder meetings, enhancing the institution’s visibility as needed.
• Oversee daily operations with a focus on improving service delivery and operational efficiency.
• Build and maintain relationships with farmers, peratives, government bodies, and partners.
• Make sure that all operational activities and financial products strictly adhere to the principles of Islamic finance.
• Facilitate formulating and updating/revising the financing policies and the operational manuals, based on the prudent financing norms, for expansion of the financing business of the Hassel Microfinance Institution.
• Prepare and update the annual sales/marketing and business development plans to support financing and other strategic targets and position the Hassel Microfinance Institution, as the leading source of financing for agricultural sector in Afghanistan.
• Prepare a strategy for the diversification of financing of the Hassel Microfinance Institution, thereby spreading its risk and building a large/sustainable client base.
• Identify, develop and participate in sales and marketing activities/events, including the Agricultural Shuras, trade shows, marketing tours, etc. and develop relationships with agricultural cooperatives, associations, institutions and firms to identify, develop and strengthen relationships with potential and existing clients.
• Monitor financing portfolio, from the point of view of meeting business targets and measuring the performance of the staff concerned with the development of financing. Oversee customer service and relationship management to ensure client satisfaction and retention.
• Collaborate with the Shariah advisory board to develop and implement compliant financial instruments and services.
• Develop and oversee programs aimed at enhancing clients' understanding of Islamic financial products and services.
• Ensure clients are well-informed about the benefits and obligations of the financial products offered, promoting responsible financial behavior.
• Monitor and evaluate the social impact of the institution's financial services, ensuring they contribute positively to poverty alleviation and community development.
• Incorporate social performance metrics into operational reporting to provide a comprehensive view of the institution's impact.
• Prepare clear and detailed reports on operational performance for the CEO, board, and other stakeholders.
• Any additional tasks assigned by the CEO.

• A bachelor’s degree in business administration, Banking, finance, agriculture, or a related field, as well as an MBA or related graduate degree, is preferred.
• At least 7 years of experience in a microfinance institution or SME Bank in a senior management position in Operations, Sales, or Business Development. Experience and knowledge of Islamic finance will be a plus point.

The application package, only acceptable in the English language, should comprise an up-to-date resume and a cover letter explaining your interest and suitability for the position, salary, and benefits expectations, and the earliest joining date if selected.

Interested candidates should submit only a simple application letter along with their CV via email with the mentioning in the subject line vacancy number and position – Head of Operations vacancies@adf-af.org.

Due to the expected large number of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.