Graphic Designer – Agro-Climate Crop Handbooks

The Research Organization for Development (ROD) is a registered Afghan non-governmental organization specializing in remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), climate analysis, hydrology, and agricultural development. ROD operates through partnerships with leading international organizations including Welthungerhilfe (WHH), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the World Bank, drawing on a global network of more than one hundred researchers.

Under its ongoing partnership with Welthungerhilfe (WHH), ROD is implementing the Farmer Agro-Climate Crop Handbooks project across five provinces in Afghanistan's Northern Agro-Ecological Region. The project aims to translate complex climate, hydrological, and agronomic analysis into clear, visual, and practical guidance that supports smallholder farmers many of whom have limited literacy in making informed cropping decisions under changing climate conditions.

Each of the five target provinces will receive a dedicated, province-specific handbook reflecting local climate conditions, water resources, crop calendars, and twelve recommended crops. To ensure these handbooks are accessible, culturally appropriate, and visually compelling, ROD is seeking a qualified Graphic Designer to lead the visual development and production of all handbook materials and related communication products.

The Graphic Designer will be responsible for transforming ROD's technical content into visually engaging, farmer-friendly publications that communicate climate-smart agricultural guidance effectively to low-literacy audiences in Dari and Pashto. The designer will work closely with ROD's technical team (GIS specialists, agronomists, hydrologists, and climate analysts) to develop a unified visual identity, a master template, and final print-ready handbooks and supporting materials.

3. Scope of Work

Under the direct supervision of the Project Lead / Principal Investigator, the Graphic Designer will undertake the following tasks:

3.1 Design Strategy and Visual Identity

• Develop a coherent visual identity and style guide for the Agro-Climate Crop Handbook series, aligned with ROD's brand (teal #217178 and orange #F78F1E) and WHH's visual standards.
• Propose and agree with the project team on a design approach suitable for low-literacy rural audiences, emphasizing clarity, iconography, and illustration over dense text.
• Design a master layout template (Dari/Pashto RTL-compliant) that can be adapted across the five province-specific handbooks.

3.2 Handbook Layout and Production

• Design and lay out five (5) province-specific Agro-Climate Crop Handbooks (one per province), each covering twelve recommended crops, climate profiles, water resources, crop calendars, risk advisories, and good agricultural practices.
• Integrate GIS-derived maps, remote sensing outputs, and charts provided by the technical team into the handbook layouts, ensuring cartographic clarity and consistent styling.
• Develop custom infographics and data visualizations for climate trends, crop calendars, water availability, and climate risk indicators.
• Create a custom icon set and illustration library (hand-drawn or vector illustration style) tailored to Afghan rural contexts and culturally appropriate.
• Ensure all typography, layout direction, and text flow fully comply with Dari and Pashto right-to-left (RTL) conventions and use appropriate Persian/Pashto fonts.

3.3 Supporting Communication Materials

• Design farmer-facing posters summarizing key messages from each provincial handbook for display at community and extension level.
• Design extension flyers and leaflets to complement the handbooks for field distribution by WHH and partners.
• Design WHH-facing report covers, title pages, and layout templates for associated project reports and deliverables.

3.4 Review, Validation, and Finalization

• Incorporate feedback from ROD's internal technical review, WHH review, and farmer validation focus group discussions conducted in the field.
• Prepare final print-ready files (high-resolution PDF/X, CMYK color profile), packaged InDesign source files with all linked assets, editable vector files, and embedded/outlined fonts.
• Provide digital versions (web-optimized PDFs) suitable for online publication and sharing.

3.5 Coordination and Documentation

• Participate in regular coordination meetings with the Project Lead and technical team.
• Maintain clear version control of all design files and submit editable source files at the end of the assignment.
• Document the design style guide and template specifications to enable future updates by ROD.

4. 1 Education

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Fine Arts, or a related field. A Master's degree or specialized certification is an asset.

4.2 Professional Experience

• Minimum two (2) years of demonstrated professional experience for male candidate and one (1) year for female candidate in graphic design and editorial/publication layout, preferably for NGOs, international organizations, or development projects.
• Proven track record designing publications for low-literacy or rural audiences, with a strong portfolio of farmer-facing, community-oriented, or extension materials.
• Prior experience designing multilingual publications in Dari and/or Pashto (RTL layout) is essential.
• Experience integrating maps, infographics, and data visualizations into printed materials is highly desirable.

4.3 Technical Skills (Essential)

• Expert proficiency in Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator (essential).
• Strong skills in Adobe Photoshop and related graphic production tools.
• Demonstrated ability to design infographics and data visualizations (climate data, crop calendars, risk charts).
• Demonstrated experience with Dari/Pashto RTL typography, including appropriate Persian/Pashto font selection and layout conventions.
• Strong illustration skills, preferably with a hand-drawn or custom vector style suitable for low-literacy audiences.
• Sound understanding of print production workflows, color management (CMYK), and preparing press-ready files.

4.4 Desirable Skills

• Familiarity with cartographic design principles and integrating GIS outputs into publications.
• Experience designing for humanitarian or agricultural development projects in Afghanistan or similar contexts.
• Basic knowledge of accessibility and inclusive design principles.

4.5 Language

• Fluency in Dari and/or Pashto is required.
• Working knowledge of English is required for communication with the technical team and reviewing source content.

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents:

• A cover letter (maximum one page) outlining motivation and suitability for the position.
• An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) with at least two professional references.
• A portfolio of previous relevant design work (PDF or web link), with particular emphasis on publications, infographics, and Dari/Pashto layouts.

Applications should be submitted by email to: hr@rod.af

Subject line: "Graphic Designer – Agro-Climate Crop Handbooks – [Applicant Name]"

Closing date: Open until filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and interviews will be conducted as suitable candidates apply. The position will be closed once a desired candidate is identified and contracted.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted applicants may be asked to complete a short design test as part of the selection process. ROD reserves the right to cancel, postpone, or modify this announcement at any stage.