Executive Director

The Welfare Organization for Society and Development of Afghanistan (WOSDA) is an Afghan humanitarian and development organization established in 2021. The organization works to support vulnerable communities through humanitarian assistance, community development, education, health, WASH, livelihoods, social protection, orphan support, and emergency response interventions.

WOSDA seeks to improve the living conditions of vulnerable households, including widows, women-headed households, children, orphans, internally displaced persons, returnees, persons with disabilities, and communities affected by poverty, conflict, and natural disasters.

WOSDA is committed to integrity, transparency, dignity, respect, accountability, community participation, and sustainable development.

The Executive Director will provide strategic leadership, overall management, and organizational oversight to ensure the effective implementation of WOSDA’s mission, strategic plan, programs, and institutional development priorities.

The position is responsible for leading organizational strategy, program quality, resource mobilization, donor relations, financial sustainability, human resource management, compliance, risk management, and external representation.

The Executive Director will ensure that all activities are implemented in accordance with WOSDA’s policies and procedures, applicable laws and regulations in Afghanistan, donor agreements, humanitarian principles, and recognized standards of accountability and transparency.

• Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Organizational Management

• Lead the development, implementation, and periodic review of WOSDA’s strategic plan, annual work plans, and organizational priorities.

• Translate the organization’s mission and vision into measurable objectives, implementation plans, and institutional development strategies.

• Provide effective leadership and direction to senior management and project teams.

• Develop and maintain organizational policies, procedures, operational guidelines, and internal control systems.

• Ensure clear roles, responsibilities, accountability mechanisms, and reporting arrangements across all departments.

• Advise the Board of Directors on strategic priorities, organizational performance, emerging risks, and opportunities for growth.

• Promote a professional, inclusive, ethical, and results-oriented organizational culture.

• Program Development and Implementation

• Oversee the design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all organizational programs and projects.

• Ensure that programs respond to assessed community needs and prioritize the most vulnerable and underserved populations.

• Lead the development of quality project proposals, concept notes, budgets, implementation plans, and donor reports.

• Ensure that project activities are delivered on time, within approved budgets, and in accordance with agreed objectives and indicators.

• Oversee programs in relevant areas, including:

o Humanitarian and emergency response.

o Food assistance and cash-based interventions.

o Education and community-based education.

o Health and nutrition.

o Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

o Livelihoods and community resilience.

o Women and child protection.

o Orphan care and education support.

o Winterization and disaster response.

• Ensure effective beneficiary identification, transparent selection criteria, community consultation, and appropriate distribution monitoring.

• Strengthen coordination between program teams, field offices, finance, logistics, and monitoring and evaluation staff.

• Promote evidence-based programming, lessons learned, and continuous improvement.

• Resource Mobilization and Donor Relations

• Lead the development and implementation of an organizational resource mobilization and fundraising strategy.

• Identify funding opportunities from UN agencies, international NGOs, institutional donors, foundations, and other appropriate funding sources.

• Establish and maintain strong professional relationships with donors, humanitarian partners, development agencies, and relevant stakeholders.

• Oversee the preparation and submission of competitive proposals, budgets, expressions of interest, and partnership applications.

• Ensure timely, accurate, and high-quality donor reporting in accordance with contractual requirements.

• Negotiate and oversee partnership agreements, memoranda of understanding, and grant arrangements within delegated authority.

• Diversify funding sources and promote the financial sustainability of the organization.

• Ensure transparent communication with donors regarding project progress, challenges, risks, and corrective actions.

• Financial Management and Accountability

• Provide overall oversight of organizational budgets, expenditure, cash flow, financial forecasts, and financial sustainability.

• Ensure that annual budgets and project budgets are realistic, properly authorized, and aligned with strategic priorities.

• Oversee financial controls, expenditure verification, bank reconciliations, procurement payments, and financial reporting.

• Ensure compliance with donor financial rules, grant conditions, applicable legal requirements, and WOSDA financial policies.

• Review regular budget-versus-actual reports and take timely corrective action where necessary.

• Ensure proper segregation of duties, authorization procedures, documentation, and financial recordkeeping.

• Oversee internal and external audits and ensure that audit findings are addressed promptly.

• Prevent, detect, and respond appropriately to fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest, and misuse of organizational resources.

• Human Resources and Staff Development

• Provide leadership in recruitment, staff development, performance management, and workforce planning.

• Ensure that recruitment processes are transparent, competitive, merit-based, and consistent with organizational policies.

• Oversee staff performance appraisals, professional development plans, and capacity-building initiatives.

• Promote teamwork, effective communication, staff wellbeing, and constructive conflict resolution.

• Ensure that all staff understand and comply with the code of conduct, safeguarding requirements, and organizational policies.

• Maintain appropriate disciplinary, grievance, and staff complaint mechanisms.

• Promote equal opportunity, professional respect, and a safe working environment.

• Ensure appropriate staffing structures and clear lines of supervision and accountability.

• Governance, Compliance, and Risk Management

• Work closely with the Board of Directors to implement board decisions and strengthen organizational governance.

• Ensure compliance with applicable Afghan laws and regulations, organizational registration requirements, donor agreements, and relevant reporting obligations.

• Maintain effective risk management systems covering financial, operational, security, reputational, legal, and programmatic risks.

• Ensure that organizational policies on anti-fraud, anti-corruption, conflicts of interest, procurement, and whistleblowing are implemented.

• Establish and maintain appropriate internal controls and documentation systems.

• Ensure that serious incidents, suspected misconduct, safeguarding concerns, and material risks are reported through appropriate channels.

• Prepare periodic organizational performance and compliance reports for the Board of Directors.

• Ensure continuity of operations and appropriate contingency planning.

• Safeguarding, Accountability, and Protection

• Ensure that WOSDA maintains and implements appropriate safeguarding policies, including protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), child safeguarding, and prevention of sexual harassment.

• Promote a zero-tolerance approach to sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, retaliation, and abuse of authority.

• Ensure that safe, confidential, accessible, and appropriate complaint and feedback mechanisms are available to beneficiaries, staff, and communities.

• Ensure that beneficiary selection and assistance delivery are fair, transparent, inclusive, and free from discrimination, exploitation, and undue influence.

• Promote the dignity, safety, and participation of women, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.

• Ensure that safeguarding allegations are handled confidentially, promptly, and in accordance with organizational policies and applicable requirements.

• Promote informed consent, confidentiality, and responsible handling of personal and beneficiary data.

• Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)

• Oversee the development and implementation of organizational monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning systems.

• Ensure that projects have clear indicators, baselines where appropriate, targets, data collection methods, and reporting schedules.

• Review progress against project outputs, outcomes, budgets, and implementation timelines.

• Ensure regular field monitoring, beneficiary feedback, data verification, and quality assurance.

• Use monitoring findings and evaluations to improve program effectiveness and organizational performance.

• Ensure that lessons learned and good practices are documented and shared with staff, partners, and donors as appropriate.

• Promote evidence-based decision-making and accountability to affected populations.

• External Representation and Coordination

• Represent WOSDA in meetings with government authorities, UN agencies, donors, NGOs, civil society organizations, community leaders, and other relevant stakeholders.

• Maintain professional relationships with relevant government institutions and coordination bodies in accordance with applicable laws and organizational policies.

• Participate in relevant humanitarian and development coordination forums, working groups, and partnership meetings.

• Promote WOSDA’s visibility, credibility, and reputation through professional communication and responsible representation.

• Ensure that public statements, organizational communications, and external commitments are consistent with approved policies and delegated authority.

• Build partnerships that support improved program delivery, access to resources, and long-term organizational development.

• Operations, Procurement, Logistics, and Security

• Oversee administrative, procurement, logistics, asset management, transportation, and information management functions.

• Ensure transparent, competitive, and documented procurement processes in line with organizational policies and donor requirements.

• Ensure appropriate management and safeguarding of organizational assets, supplies, equipment, and inventory.

• Oversee operational planning, field support arrangements, and efficient use of organizational resources.

• Ensure that staff understand relevant security procedures and that operational risks are assessed and managed appropriately.

• Ensure that business continuity, emergency preparedness, and incident reporting arrangements are in place.

• Monitor operational efficiency and introduce improvements where required.

Education

• Master’s degree in Development Studies, Public Administration, Business Administration, Management, Economics, Social Sciences, International Relations, or another relevant discipline.

• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field combined with substantial, directly relevant senior management experience may be considered.

Professional Experience

• At least seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in humanitarian assistance, development programming, NGO management, or a related sector.

• At least three years of senior-level management experience, preferably as an Executive Director, Country Director, Deputy Director, Program Director, or in a comparable leadership position.

• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, organizational management, and multi-sector program implementation.

• Proven experience in proposal development, resource mobilization, donor relations, and grant management.

• Strong knowledge of budgeting, financial oversight, procurement, internal controls, and audit follow-up.

• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and building staff capacity.

• Demonstrated experience in stakeholder coordination, partnership development, and external representation.

• Familiarity with Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development context and the operational challenges faced by national NGOs.

• Experience in safeguarding, accountability to affected populations, and risk management is highly desirable.

Interested and qualified candidates are invited to submit their CV and cover letter to

[email protected] and [email protected]

Note: Please mention the position title “ ” in the subject line of your email.