Veterinarian (Livestock Extension & Animal Health)

1-            About Modern Agriculture Animal Husbandry Organization (MAAO):

Modern Agriculture Animal Husbandry Organization (MAAO) is a national, non-political, non-racial, non-profitable and non-governmental organization, based on human values.

MAAO is a national organization with international standards registered with Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ministry of Economy, headquartered is in Mazar-e-Sharif, Balkh province.

MAAO operation will be in all part of Afghanistan to boost sustainable economic opportunities through enhancing the agriculture & Livestock productivity, Livelihood, Education, rural development, capacity development and Civil Society, focusing on women role.

MAAO has the ability to provide trainings and conducts researches in agriculture components, in agriculture education for capacity building, value chain in all relevant sectors, vocational trainings, handicrafts, Health and Nutrition, other relevant fields

1-            Background

Under the Maternal and Child Benefit Program (MCBP), the Nutrition-Sensitive Livelihoods (NSL) component aims to enhance the food security, nutrition, and resilience of vulnerable households in selected districts. The NSL component focuses on building the practical and entrepreneurial capacities of targeted beneficiaries so they can engage in income-generating and nutrition-improving activities that contribute to sustainable household wellbeing.

2-            Purpose of the Position

The Veterinarian will provide technical veterinary and livestock management support to NSL beneficiaries, strengthen their knowledge and skills in animal health, and contribute to improving the sustainability and profitability of livestock-based livelihoods.

3-            Key Responsibilities and Duties

A.       Technical Veterinary Support

• Conduct regular field visits to monitor livestock owned by NSL beneficiaries.
• Diagnose common livestock diseases and provide appropriate treatment recommendations.
• Coordinate vaccination campaigns in collaboration with DAIL and local veterinary services.
• Advise beneficiaries on disease prevention and biosecurity measures.
• Monitor livestock mortality and investigate disease outbreaks.

B. Livestock Extension Services

• Deliver practical coaching on:
• Animal husbandry
• Feeding practices
• Animal nutrition
• Housing and shelter
• Breeding management
• Hygiene and sanitation
• Milk hygiene
• Livestock productivity improvement
• Demonstrate practical livestock management techniques.
• Promote climate-resilient livestock management practices. Troubleshoot operational and technical challenges faced by trainees and provide timely solutions or referrals.

C. Beneficiary Capacity Building

• Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD)
• Brucellosis
• CCHF (Congo-Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever)
• Internal and external parasites
• Vaccination schedules
• Safe handling of livestock
• Early disease detection
• Neonatal animal care
• Heat stress management.
• Seasonal disease prevention

D. Livelihood Monitoring

• Visit beneficiary businesses regularly.
• Assess livestock health and productivity.
• Verify implementation of livestock business plans.
• Provide technical recommendations to improve business performance.
• Identify beneficiaries requiring additional technical support.

E. Expected Deliverables

The Veterinarian will:

• Support all livestock-based NSL beneficiaries.
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits.
• Deliver practical livestock management sessions.
• Coordinate vaccination campaigns.
• Improve beneficiary knowledge on livestock health.
• Reduce livestock mortality through preventive interventions.
• Support sustainability of beneficiary businesses.

4-            Livelihoods Monitoring

• Visit beneficiary businesses regularly.
• Assess livestock health and productivity.
• Verify implementation of livestock business plans.
• Provide technical recommendations to improve business performance.
• Identify beneficiaries requiring additional technical support.

5-            PSEA Declaration & Vetting Procedure:

·                  As an organization committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability, we are dedicated to preventing sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) in all our operations. We expect all employees to maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or harassment.

·                  By applying for this position, you agree to adhere to our PSEA principles and report any concerns or incidents related to misconduct promptly to the designated focal point within the organization. Failure to comply with these standards may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

·                  As part of our commitment to safeguarding vulnerable individuals, we conduct a thorough vetting process for all candidates. This includes a specific inquiry into any past allegations, investigations, or disciplinary actions related to sexual misconduct.

·                  We will ask all references to confirm if the candidate has ever been subject to any such issues, left employment pending an investigation, or refused to cooperate with an investigation related to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA).

6-            Protection Tasks

·                  Consider the protection needs of beneficiaries and ensure to mitigate harm to beneficiaries.

·                  Support beneficiaries with specific needs to access referral services and additional support.

·                  Ensure, “Do No Harm” strategies are practiced and the field teams are briefed and guidance provided properly.

7-            Additional Job Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities set out above are not exhaustive, and the postholder may be required to carry out additional duties from time to time, subject to change with the evolution of the project progress and in accordance with project nature, MAAO, and donor requirements, which are reasonable in relation to their level of skills and experience. The Veterinarian (Livestock Extension & Animal Health) is required to carry out the tasks that are unforeseen issues and circumstances in relation to the project and should remain adaptable to perform responsibilities that may not be mentioned above as and when required.

1-            Job Requirements:

A.      Technical Skills:

·         Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from a recognized university.

·         Registration with the relevant Veterinary Council or Veterinary Authority is preferred.

·         Strong technical knowledge of livestock production, animal health, disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of common livestock diseases.

·         Demonstrated experience in livestock extension services, including farmer training, community awareness, and promotion of good animal husbandry practices.

·         Sound knowledge of vaccination campaigns, deworming programs, biosecurity measures, disease surveillance, and outbreak response.

·         Familiarity with livestock-based livelihood interventions, value chain development, and resilience-building approaches in rural communities.

·         Experience in poultry, small ruminant, and large ruminant health management, including nutrition, breeding, and reproductive health.

·         Knowledge of national veterinary regulations, animal welfare standards, and humanitarian livestock programming is an asset.

·         Ability to design and deliver technical training for Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs), livestock farmers, and producer groups using participatory adult learning methodologies.

·         Experience in conducting field assessments, collecting technical data, preparing veterinary reports, and using digital data collection tools (e.g., KoboToolbox, ODK, or similar) is desirable.

·         Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills with the ability to work effectively in remote and resource-constrained environments.

B.      Soft Skills:

·         Excellent knowledge of livestock diseases.

·         Practical experience in animal treatment.

·         Good communication and facilitation skills.

·         Ability to train low-literacy communities.

·         Strong report-writing skills.

·         Computer literacy (MS Office).

• Competence:

Passionate to work, teamwork oriented, problem-solving skills, excellent communication, interpretation and analytical skills, providing feedback, willingness to work in tough field conditions, meet tight deadlines, work under pressure, willingness to travel based on need and requirement, a self-oriented and good planner with professional communication and representation skills.

A.      Core Competencies:

·         Technical expertise

·         Communication

·         Community engagement

·         Teamwork

·         Problem-solving

·         Planning and organization

·         Accountability

·         Cultural sensitivity

2-            Work Experience

• Minimum 3 years of veterinary experience.
• Experience in livestock extension services.
• Experience working with rural communities.
• Experience with NGOs or humanitarian organizations is preferred.
• Experience in training farmers is an advantage.

1-            Submission Guidelines:

Interested and qualified candidates can submit their CVs along with a cover letter to the HR Department of MAAO through the link address: https://maao.org.af/form/form.php  - MAAO Job List

Please note, while sending your C.V & Cover letter, please mention the vacancy number and position in the subject line, application received after the closing date and without subject line will not be taken in consideration. Local applicants from the same province are encouraged to apply and will be given priority.

Due to huge number of applications, only those applicants who meet the minimum qualification and requirements for the mentioned position will be contacted for the written test and interview.