Market Linkage Officer – Food Process (Local Recruitment)

Market Linkage Officer-– Food Process will support the Skills for Livelihood Opportunities (SLO) component in developing and strengthening market linkages for small-scale food processing businesses, producers, and value-chain actors. The officer will identify market opportunities, connect beneficiaries with buyers and suppliers, facilitate business relationships, and support sustainable access to local and regional markets. The goal of this position, to enhance the resilience, and income-generating capacity of vulnerable households in through sustainable market linkage facilitation. The capacity-building program will span a six-month coaching and mentoring and market linkage support. The continuation training aims to strengthen the existing capacities of beneficiaries in food processing, drying, preservation, packaging, hygiene management, and value addition techniques. The coaching and market linkage will focus on improving product quality, increasing production efficiency, and enhancing business sustainability.

• Packaging, labeling, and product presentation;
• Pricing and basic business management;
• Record-keeping and household enterprise management;
• Market assessments and identification of local demand;
• Establishment of linkages with local traders and markets.
• Improve market access and strengthen value chain integration for SLO and SSVC beneficiaries.
• Enhance women’s economic empowerment and household income generation through continued support to food processing.
• Improve community resilience through construction of irrigation structures (Protection Wall and Gabion Wall).

Key Competencies

• Market linkage and value-chain development.
• Business networking and market linkage.
• Communication and negotiation.
• Market assessment and analysis.
• Community and beneficiary engagement.
• Planning and coordination.
• Reporting and documentation.
• Problem-solving and teamwork.
• Professionalism and integrity.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree, 14th-grade certificate, or High School diploma in Marketing, Business Administration, Food Technology, Food Science, Agriculture, Economics, or a related field. A Bachelor’s degree is preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant professional experience in market linkage, food processing, value-chain development, livelihoods, private-sector engagement, or similar NGO/development projects.
• Previous experience working with NGOs, development projects, or donor-funded programs is highly desirable.
• Ability to practical coaching, and stronger market integration support to ensure the sustainability and growth of their livelihood activities.
• Good understanding of local markets and food-processing value chains.
• Knowledge of small and medium-sized businesses and local entrepreneurship is an advantage.
• Strong communication, networking, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Good analytical, reporting, and documentation skills.
• Have ability on the market linkage and planning.
• Good computer skills, particularly MS Office.
• Willingness and ability to travel to field locations.
• Fluency in Dari and/or Pashto; working knowledge of English is preferred.

• Identify potential markets, buyers, suppliers, traders, retailers, wholesalers, and other relevant food-processing value-chain actors.
• Help beneficiaries transition from basic production activities to sustainable and market-oriented livelihood opportunities.
• Support beneficiaries in developing individual business plans tailored to local market opportunities and their respective skills.
• Provide advance practical coaching, and stronger market integration support and market linkage facilities to ensure the sustainability and growth of their livelihood activities.
• Establish and strengthen market linkages between project beneficiaries and potential buyers.
• Conduct market assessments to identify demand, prices, market trends, opportunities, and challenges related to food-processing products.
• Support beneficiaries in identifying suitable food products and market opportunities based on local demand.
• Provide support on market access, sufficient business management skills, packaging and branding knowledge, and linkages with traders.
• Continuing mentoring and technical follow-up to improve product quality, expand production, and connect with sustainable market opportunities.
• Provide market-oriented support to strengthen the profitability and sustainability of their businesses.
• Facilitate linkages between small-scale food processors and relevant suppliers of raw materials, packaging materials, equipment, and other inputs.
• Organize and facilitate business-to-business meetings, market visits, exhibitions, fairs, and networking events where appropriate.
• Provide practical guidance to beneficiaries on market access, product presentation, pricing, packaging, quality, and customer requirements.
• Support beneficiaries to develop basic marketing and business plans for their food-processing activities.
• Coordinate with technical, livelihood, agriculture, M&E, and community mobilization teams to ensure effective implementation of activities.
• Maintain updated records of market actors, beneficiaries, market assessments, business linkages, referrals, and agreements.
• Monitor market linkage activities and document achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations.
• Prepare regular activity and progress reports and provide relevant information for donor and project reporting.
• Ensure that all activities comply with organizational policies, project requirements, safeguarding standards, and donor regulations.
• Perform any other duties relevant to the position as assigned by the supervisor.

Please submit your application and update CV, copies of required university degree certified by the relevant Ministry (ministry of education/Higher Education) and all work certificates as per your CV, before the closing date. (Please make sure that the size of documents that you attach does not exceed 2MBs). If any of the mentioned documents are not sent/provided, To apply please click on Apply Now button. Only complete applications will be accepted and short-listed candidates will be contacted.