Entrepreneurship Specialist

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 enterprises and institutions that seek to empower communities and individuals, usually in disadvantaged circumstances, to improve living conditions and opportunities. 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 Entrepreneurship Specialist is a technical position responsible for leading and delivering training programs that empower individuals to develop entrepreneurial skills and knowledge. The role involves designing, delivering, and evaluating training materials on various aspects of entrepreneurship, including business planning, innovation, market research, Regulatory requirements for private ECD centers, Operations and service quality in ECD centers, Risk management and business sustainability financial management, digital marketing and business expansion. This position requires extensive experience in entrepreneurship, training, and the ability to engage and inspire diverse audiences. The Entrepreneurship Specialist position will work under the direct supervision of the MDP Manager and the overall supervision of the EI Lead and close coordination with relevant staff. The Entrepreneurship Specialist will be responsible for developing entrepreneurship training materials and delivering training, as well as providing mentorship and coaching support to the project beneficiaries. The position is required for 6 months with extension if required.

JOB SPECIFICATION

• Mater/University degree in social science/ Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, or in other related fields. Advanced certifications, having an MBA degree is plus.
• Certifications: Relevant certifications in entrepreneurship, business coaching from a recognized training source (e.g., Certified Business Coach, Entrepreneurship Educator).
• Minimum of 5-7 years of hands-on experience as a master trainer in entrepreneurship and business development services.
• Proven track record in delivering entrepreneurship training, workshops, or courses.
• Experience in coaching and mentoring entrepreneurs at various stages of their business journey.
• Strong communication, presentation, and facilitation skills.
• Deep understanding of business development, financial management, marketing, and scaling businesses.
• Ability to create dynamic, engaging, and interactive training programs.
• Proficiency in using technology and digital platforms for delivery training.
• Strong networking and relationship-building abilities.
• Having good language proficiency in English, Persian/Pashto.
• Having professional writing skills in English, Persian and Pashto.

Training Materials Development and Delivery

• Review and assess existing AKF entrepreneurship, business development, financial management and related training materials and identify areas for improvement.
• Revise and/or develop a comprehensive, practical and user-friendly entrepreneurship training package suitable for AKF's target communities and entrepreneurs.
• Develop a dedicated entrepreneurship and business management training package for commercial Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centers, with particular focus on supporting women to establish, manage and sustain ECD businesses.
• Ensure that training materials are highly practical, visually engaging and appropriate for participants with low literacy and limited formal education, with strong use of photographs, illustrations, diagrams, examples and other visual learning methods rather than text-heavy content.
• Develop accompanying presentations, facilitator materials, exercises and practical learning resources to support effective delivery of the training.
• Deliver high-quality entrepreneurship and ECD business training to prospective and existing ECD business owners using participatory, practical and adult-learning methodologies.
• Adapt training delivery methods according to the needs, literacy levels and learning capacities of participants.

Training in Trainers and Capacity Building

• Conduct Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions for AKF Economic Inclusion staff in the regions to enable them to effectively deliver the entrepreneurship and ECD business training.
• Build the capacity of regional EI staff on the effective use of the training manuals, presentations, exercises and practical business tools.
• Provide practical guidance and coaching to AKF trainers during the initial implementation and roll-out of the training package.
• Ensure consistency and quality in the delivery of entrepreneurship training across different regions.

ECD Business Development and Coaching

• Provide practical coaching and mentorship to ECD entrepreneurs for establishing, managing and developing commercially viable ECD centers.
• Support ECD business owners to apply the knowledge, tools and practices introduced through the training.
• Provide technical guidance on business development, financial management, marketing, operations and sustainability appropriate to the target entrepreneurs.
• Identify common business and operational challenges faced by ECD entrepreneurs and provide practical recommendations to address them.

Development of ECD Business Management Tools

• Develop practical and easy-to-use tools and templates to support the day-to-day management of commercial ECD centers.
• Ensure that the tools are appropriate for low-literacy users and can realistically be used by ECD business owners in rural and resource-constrained settings.
• Develop appropriate tools for business planning, financial and operational management, marketing, customer/parent engagement, monitoring, feedback and other areas required for effective ECD business management.

Training Evaluation and Continuous Improvement

• Develop appropriate mechanisms for assessing participant learning, training effectiveness and application of knowledge.
• Conduct pre- and post-training assessments, participant feedback and other relevant evaluations.
• Field-test the training materials and tools with actual target users and incorporate feedback and lessons learned into the final versions.
• Continuously improve training content, methodologies and materials based on field experience, participant feedback and emerging good practices.

Training Planning and Facilitation

• Plan and facilitate entrepreneurship and ECD business training workshops in close coordination with AKF.
• Prepare appropriate training schedules, session plans and facilitation approaches for different participant groups.
• Use interactive and participatory approaches, including practical exercises, demonstrations, case studies, role plays and group activities, as appropriate.
• Coordinate with AKF regional teams on training preparation, participant engagement and implementation requirements.

Documentation, Reporting and Knowledge Transfer

• Maintain appropriate records of training activities, participants, results, feedback and lessons learned.
• Prepare periodic and final reports on training activities, achievements, challenges and recommendations.
• Document practical examples, lessons and case studies that can strengthen future entrepreneurship and ECD business training.
• Ensure complete handover of all finalized training materials, tools, templates and supporting resources to AKF in editable formats.
• Support AKF in institutionalizing and replicating the developed training package across relevant program locations.

• Develop and follow an agreed work plan and timeline for completion of the assignment.
• Coordinate regularly with the designated AKF focal point and relevant Economic Inclusion and ECD teams.
• Manage agreed training preparation and facilitation requirements in coordination with AKF.
• Track progress against agreed deliverables and promptly communicate any risks, delays or issues affecting implementation.
• Perform any other relevant duties related to entrepreneurship development, ECD business development and capacity building as assigned by the supervisor.

Expected Deliverables

• The Master Trainer will be expected to deliver, at minimum, the following outputs by the end of the assignment:

 Entrepreneurship Training Package

 Revised and/or newly developed Entrepreneurship Training Manual.  Corresponding Trainer/Facilitator Guide.  Training presentation for entrepreneurship training.  Practical exercises, activities and supporting learning materials.  Relevant entrepreneurship/business development tools and templates.

 Commercial ECD Business Training Package

 Dedicated ECD Entrepreneurship and Business Management Training Manual.  Corresponding ECD Trainer/Facilitator Guide.  ECD-focused training presentation.  Practical ECD business exercises, examples and learning materials.  A practical ECD Business Management Toolkit containing relevant business, financial, operational, marketing, monitoring and feedback tools.

 Multilingual Training Materials

 Finalized English versions of the agreed training manuals, presentations and tools.  Professionally translated and adapted Dari versions.  Professionally translated and adapted Pashto versions.  All final materials are provided in editable formats.

 Training of Trainers

 Delivery of agreed Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions for AKF Economic Inclusion staff.  Training resources and guidance required for regional staff to independently deliver the training.  Practical orientation/coaching for trainers on using visual and low-literacy training methodologies.

 Direct Training Delivery

 Delivery of agreed entrepreneurship and ECD business training sessions to prospective and/or existing ECD business owners.  Training attendance records and training completion documentation.  Training evaluation and participant feedback results.

Testing and Finalization

• Field testing of the developed training materials and business tools with representative target users.
• Documentation of feedback and lessons learned from field testing.
• Final revised versions incorporating feedback from participants, AKF staff and relevant stakeholders.

Final Assignment Report

• Final report summarizing activities undertaken, deliverables completed, training results, key lessons learned, challenges and recommendations for future roll-out and replication.

Complete Handover Package

• Complete electronic handover of all final manuals, presentations, facilitator guides, tools, templates, exercises, visual materials and related resources in editable/source formats.
• Organized master files in English, Dari and Pashto to enable AKF to use, adapt and replicate the training package in future programs.

APPLICATION

Interested applicants should submit their CV along with a cover letter to [email protected] no later than 16th September 2026.

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, step 1 – 3 based on the organization’s salary scale.

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 apply through the designated link. Each job vacancy is assigned a unique identification number for your reference, and upon submitting your application, you will receive an automatic confirmation acknowledging its receipt immediately.

AKF- Afg recruitment and selection process reflects our commitment to equal opportunity and protecting children and at-risk adults, beneficiaries, partners, community members, and employees from safeguarding violations. AKF (Afg) participates in the Scheme for the disclosure of safeguarding-related misconduct within the humanitarian and development sector (Misconduct Disclosure Scheme). In line with this Scheme, AKF (Afg) will contact previous employers of job applicants to request information about any investigations or findings of misconduct concerning allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, and/or sexual harassment (sexual misconduct) against the applicant, during or after their employment. AKF (Afg) further implements 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 always comply with AKF (Afg)s Safeguarding Policy.

By submitting the job application, the applicant confirms to have understood and consented to AKF (Afg) contacting the applicant’s prior employers, during AKF (Afg)’s recruitment process, to request any such information and maintain this information on file for Recruitment and Human Resources Management purposes.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply for this position.