CRS JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Summary

Provide vision, leadership, and overall management for CRS’s pilot project integrating Natural Resource Management (NRM) and Market Systems Development (MSD) to strengthen climate resilient rural livelihoods in Afghanistan. The Project Director, rather than delivering services, leads a facilitative system-driven approach that aligns incentives across market actors, catalyzing private sector co-investment through a competitive Challenge Fund and supports pathways for scale. The Project Director will additionally serve as a key actor in positioning CRS as a partner of choice for major development actors in Afghanistan by deepening strategic engagement with priority donors including the World Bank, EU, BMZ, FCDO, USAID. This includes translating project learning into compelling, evidence-based insights that support donor dialogue for future investment in resilient rural development. As a senior leadership position, the Project Director also plays a key role in strengthening the technical and leadership capacity of project and country office staff, fostering adaptive management, facilitative systems approach, learning and strong program quality.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall strategic leadership for the pilot, ensuring implementation remains facilitative, market-led, and systems-oriented, rather than service-delivery driven.
• Lead strategic donor engagement and positioning efforts for the pilot, including preparation of targeted donor briefers, evidence summaries, and positioning materials aligned with World Bank, EU, USAID, FCDO and BMZ priorities.
• Coordinate with regional and HQ Business Development teams to identify and cultivate emerging funding opportunities related to resilience, NRM, MSD, and rural livelihoods.
• Ensure that learning and results from the pilot are systematically packaged and shared to influence donor thinking and support future scale‑up.
• Lead full project cycle management (design, start-uo, implementation, close-out) and integrated technical diagnostics, including land use, water management, market systems analysis, and oversight of the competitive Challenge Fund to ensure co-investment and transparent selection. 
• Facilitate strategic partnerships among farmers, private sector anchor firms, service providers, financial institutions, community institutions, and relevant authorities to improve coordination, reduce transaction costs, and unlock investment.
• Lead scaling and learning processes, including scaling strategy development, resource mobilization, sustainability/exit planning, structured reflection sessions, after-action reviews, and documentation of lessons learned. 
• Ensure the production and dissemination of knowledge management products (toolkits, case studies, learning briefs) to support scale-up and replication.
• Identify and leverage synergies with other CRS and partner projects in Afghanistan and the region.
• Foster technical collaboration and strategic partnerships with local authorities, research institutions, academia, and the private sector to strengthen stakeholder engagement and support resilient livelihoods and local economic development.
• Strengthen the technical and leadership capacity of project and country office staff through coaching, mentoring, and on-the-job training in NRM, MSD, facilitation, adaptive management and systems thinking, while supporting professional development plans, peer learning, and talent development priorities.
• Lead stakeholder mapping and co-creation activities with key partners.
• Serve as primary contact for donors, ensuring timely, high-quality reporting and visibility.
• Represent CRS in coordination forums, technical working groups, and donor meetings.
• Provide team leadership, supervision, compliance oversight, and MEAL management, including staff supervision and mentoring, adherence to CRS and World Bank standards, compliance with Afghan regulations, and ensuring MEAL systems generate evidence for scale, replication, and adaptive management.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of NRM, MSD, and resilience programming in fragile contexts
• Strong knowledge of climate-resilient land use, water management, and sustainable intensification.
• Knowledge of food systems performance, including productivity, markets, and trade dynamics.
• Familiarity with different (including bilateral) donors’ requirements for private sector engagement, job creation, compliance, and reporting standards. 
• Strong grasp of Afghanistan’s socio-economic, political, and environmental context.

Skills

• Systems thinking: Ability to analyze and influence interconnected land, water, market, and institutional systems.
• Market systems & private sector engagement: Strong capability to align commercial incentives and structure co-investment partnerships, including Challenge Funds.
• Adaptive management: Proven skill in leading learning-oriented programs that adapt to market signals, climate risk, political and economic dynamics.
• Facilitation, partnership building, negotiation & influencing across diverse stakeholders
• Strategic leadership and project management, including multi-sectoral program design and implementation, analytical and problem-solving skills for complex, dynamic environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including donor reporting and knowledge product development.
• Strong donor engagement, negotiation, and influencing skills, with demonstrated ability to position programs with major development actors.

Abilities

• Lead complex, multi-actor programs in dynamic environments and proactively analyze risk to enable locally led solutions.
• Facilitate system change by aligning incentives rather than delivering services directly.
• Translate diagnostics, evidence, and learning into strategic decisions and action.
• Develop and implement scaling strategies and sustainability plans.
• Build and maintain effective partnerships with government, academia, private sector, and civil society.
• Ability to navigate power dynamics, informal institutions, and incentives shaping behavior in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

Required Languages: Fluency in English required; Dari and/or Pashto (preferred).

Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 60%. Must have ability to travel to remote rural areas with challenging terrain.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Yes

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business management, international development, Agriculture, Economics, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years’ in senior leadership roles managing complex, multi-sectoral projects.
• Proven experience engaging private sector actors, academic and research institutions, government authorities, peer international and national organizations and bilateral donors.
• Demonstrated experience applying market systems development and facilitative approaches, including private sector engagement.
• Strong background in climate resilience, land use, or natural resource management integrated with livelihoods.
• Demonstrated success in scaling interventions, adaptive learning, and technical collaboration.

Agency Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

• Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions. 
• Acts with Integrity - Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission.  Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust - Shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:

• Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.

What we offer

CRS offers U.S. based staff a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan.  Benefits packages for successful candidates employed outside the U.S. are based on the country of employment/in-country office where the candidate will perform the role.  CRS' work culture is a collaborative, mission-driven culture committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.

CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.  CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.

CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse.  The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS´ Code of Conduct.

CRS talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people - especially children and vulnerable adults - to live free from abuse and harm.

Disclaimer:  This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. 

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

General Requirements

CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements.  All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.

CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.