Project Manager – Inclusive Agricultural Market Systems and Digitization

Note: This position is contingent donor funding.

About CRS:

CRS is an international humanitarian and development agency working to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

CRS has been operating in Afghanistan since 2002 and CRS is currently maintaining staff presence in Kabul, Herat, Ghor and Bamiyan, alongside an expanding scope of partnership implemented programs in Kunar, Samangan, Balkh, with strategic expansion planned further in 2026. CRS Afghanistan focuses on poverty and risk reduction and promoting resilience, human development through implementing livelihoods, education and emergency response.

Provides strategic and technical leadership for the design and implementation of inclusive, market-led agricultural livelihood pathways under CRS Afghanistan’s Resilient Rural Livelihoods portfolio. The role strengthens agricultural market systems and value chains by identifying systemic constraints, aligning market incentives, and facilitating partnerships among farmers, producer groups, agribusinesses, input suppliers, processors, traders, financial institutions, digital service providers, and government stakeholders. Applying Market Systems Development (MSD) principles, the Project Manager promotes sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural growth by linking market opportunities with improved production practices, land and water management, sustainable intensification, agribusiness development, and inclusive business models. The role places a strong emphasis on agricultural digitalization, leveraging digital tools, platforms, data systems, traceability solutions, market intelligence, and digital financial services to improve farm productivity, value chain efficiency, market access, financial inclusion, and competitiveness. The position also drives innovation, learning, and adaptive management to scale commercially viable agribusiness models, inform policy and investment decisions, strengthen private-sector partnerships, and support the replication of resilient, technology-enabled agricultural solutions within Afghanistan’s fragile and evolving context.

Ø Master’s degree in agriculture, agricultural economics, business, development economics, or related fields.

Ø 7+ years of experience in agricultural value chain development and MSD.

Ø Proven track record in evidence of generation, learning, and policy engagement.

Ø Experience with a wide range of donors and major donor-funded MSD/VC projects.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Strong expertise in inclusive agricultural market systems development, agricultural value chain competitiveness, agribusiness growth, and private-sector-led agricultural development. Demonstrated ability to build and manage strategic partnerships with farmers’ organizations, agribusinesses, lead firms, buyers, exporters, processors, input suppliers, financial institutions, technology providers, industry associations, and government stakeholders to expand market opportunities and mobilize investment across agricultural sectors. Extensive knowledge of Market Systems Development (MSD), agricultural commercialization, investment readiness, agricultural market intelligence, digital agriculture, traceability, quality assurance, certification systems, SPS compliance, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable intensification. Proven ability to identify commercially viable agricultural opportunities, develop and negotiate strategic partnerships, facilitate public-private collaboration, and leverage private-sector investment to strengthen agricultural productivity, competitiveness, and market access. Strong analytical and strategic planning skills, including experience conducting agricultural market, value chain, and enterprise diagnostics, developing business cases, assessing commercial viability and scalability, and designing innovation and digitalization initiatives. Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, negotiation, and relationship-management skills, with the ability to influence diverse partners, lead multidisciplinary teams, and deliver inclusive agricultural market solutions that create opportunities for women, youth, and marginalized groups while strengthening the resilience, sustainability, and long-term performance of agricultural market systems.

Knowledge

Ø Strong knowledge of market systems development, value chain development, and inclusive economic growth.

Ø Experience building private-sector partnerships with agribusinesses, buyers, financial institutions, and market actors.

Ø Expertise in agribusiness commercialization, investment readiness, market intelligence, and buyer engagement.

Ø Knowledge of digital agriculture, market information systems, traceability, certification, and SPS compliance.

Ø Understanding of climate resilience and sustainable production practices within agricultural value chains.

Skills

Ø Agricultural value chain, Market systems development (MSD) analysis, and market facilitation skills.

Ø Commercial analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and impact assessment skills for evaluating business models and interventions.

Ø Private-sector partnership development, stakeholder engagement, and negotiation skills.

Ø Business diagnostics, commercialization planning, and investment-readiness assessment skills.

Ø Facilitation, training, coaching, and capacity-building skills for partners and market actors.

Ø Communication, report writing, and policy engagement skills, including preparation of technical reports, business cases, and policy briefs.

Abilities

Ø Ability to identify and address systemic constraints rather than deliver services.

Ø Ability to support innovation while maintaining commercial and institutional realism.

Ø Ability to synthesize evidence into actionable recommendations for scale.

Ø Ability to collaborate across multiple actors, teams and sectors

Ø Ability to synthesize learning and adapt approaches for greater impact.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Will supervise Project Officer Agribusiness Interventions or other field-based staff

Key Working Relationships

Ø Internal: Program Director, Project Manager – Access to Finance, NRM & DRM Advisor, MEAL Officer, field teams

Ø External: Private sector actors, financial institutions, government agencies, local technical authorities, research institutions, academia, donors

Required Languages – English (required); Dari and/or Pashto (preferred).

Travel

Ø Must be willing and able to travel up to 50% to rural areas.

Ø Ability to travel extensively to rural markets and communities.

CRS is committed to providing daily allowances for mahrams who accompany female staff on day trips to the field, and per diem and accommodation for mahrams who accompany female staff on work-related trips that require overnight stays.

Agency REDI Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

Agency competencies clarify expected behaviors and attitudes for all staff. When demonstrated, they create an engaging workplace, help staff achieve their best, and help CRS achieve agency goals. These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

Ø Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.

Ø Acts with Integrity - Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission.

Ø Builds and Maintains Trust - Shows consistency between words and actions.

Ø Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.

Ø Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies

Ø Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.

Ø Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.

Ø Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.

We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

Protection Acknowledgment: CRS prohibits all forms of abuse and exploitation towards children and vulnerable adults. As a professional candidate, you commit to adhering to the Agency’s policy on protection, rights and dignity of children and vulnerable adults and to safeguard them from abuse and exploitation as defined in CRS’ Safeguarding Policy

Ø Lead agricultural market systems, value chain, and agribusiness assessments to identify production, productivity, post-harvest, market access, and investment constraints and opportunities across priority agricultural commodities. Ø Design and oversee market-led agricultural development interventions that strengthen input supply, production, aggregation, processing, marketing, and service delivery systems while promoting inclusive participation of smallholder farmers. Ø Develop and manage agribusiness investment pipelines, including producer organizations, agri-SMEs, processors, traders, exporters, and service providers, supporting commercialization and access to finance. Ø Direct agricultural market intelligence, value chain research, and commercial analyses to identify buyer requirements, quality standards, market trends, export opportunities, and growth pathways for agricultural enterprises. Ø Facilitate product development, quality improvement, market testing, buyer engagement, and business-to-business (B2B) linkages that increase market access and competitiveness for agricultural producers and agribusinesses. Ø Lead the design, piloting, and scaling of digital agriculture solutions, including market information systems, e-extension services, digital advisory platforms, digital payments, traceability systems, and agribusiness management tools. Ø Integrate digital financial services, quality assurance mechanisms, certification systems, SPS compliance, and traceability solutions into agricultural value chains to improve productivity, market access, and export readiness. Ø Conduct commercial viability, profitability, scalability, and cost-benefit analyses of agricultural enterprises and innovations, generating evidence and recommendations for replication and scale. Ø Build strategic partnerships with farmers' organizations, agribusinesses, input suppliers, processors, exporters, financial institutions, technology providers, government agencies, and research organizations to strengthen agricultural market ecosystems. Ø Provide technical leadership on inclusive agricultural market systems, value chain development, agribusiness growth, and agricultural digitalization, promoting climate-resilient, commercially viable, and market-driven solutions. Ø Support the development and management of private-sector partnerships that expand agricultural services, investment, innovation, and market opportunities for women, youth, and marginalized farming households in line with MSD principles.

Key Deliverables

Ø Agricultural market systems and value chain diagnostic reports completed for priority commodities, identifying production, productivity, post-harvest handling, market access, financing, and investment constraints, opportunities, leverage points, and upgrading pathways. Ø Agribusiness and agricultural investment pipeline management system established, including producer, SME, processor, trader, and exporter mapping databases, screening tools, opportunity tracking mechanisms, and pipeline operating procedures. Ø Commercialization, growth, digitalization, and investment-readiness plans developed for targeted agribusinesses, farmer organizations, producer groups, processors, traders, and other market actors. Ø Agricultural market intelligence and buyer opportunity reports produced, including buyer requirements, product specifications, demand trends, price intelligence, trade dynamics, and export market opportunities. Ø Business-to-business (B2B) engagement events, buyer-seller forums, trade missions, and commercial partnership agreements facilitated to strengthen agricultural market linkages, contract farming arrangements, and market access. Ø Digital agriculture solutions designed, piloted, and deployed, including market information systems, digital extension and advisory services, digital payments, traceability platforms, and agribusiness management tools. Ø Quality assurance, grading, certification, and SPS compliance systems strengthened and operationalized to improve agricultural product quality, food safety, competitiveness, and export readiness. Ø Catalytic fund business cases, agribusiness investment appraisals, cost-benefit analyses, and innovation pilot assessments completed to support investment decisions and scaling of commercially viable market-based solutions. Ø Learning products developed, including policy briefs, technical guidelines, market insights, evidence summaries, and case studies on agricultural market systems, value chain development, climate-smart agriculture, digitalization, and innovation. Ø Strategic partnerships established and managed with farmer organizations, agribusinesses, input suppliers, processors, exporters, financial institutions, technology providers, government agencies, research institutions, and development partners to mobilize investment and strengthen agricultural market systems.

Submission of Applications

Applications comprise a one-page cover letter to explain your interest and suitability for the post and your CV. Please do not attach your education documents and work certificates unless requested.

Dear Applicants!

The process of submitting a CV/Application has been changed to the online system. Therefore, interested candidates are encouraged to apply using the link provided below. Applications sent to any other email address or location will not be considered. Please ensure to rename your application file according to your name entered on the first page of the application forms.

Interested candidates can submit their applications by clicking on this link.

Please note that applications received after the closing date (i.e., November 10th, 2026), will not be given consideration. Only short-listed candidates whose applications respond to the above criteria will be contacted for tests and interviews.