Livelihood economic participation officer

The Livelihoods / Economic Participation Officer will be responsible for planning, coordinating and implementing inclusive, market-oriented livelihood activities that promote economic participation, self-reliance and social cohesion among returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host community members. The officer will conduct market and skills assessments, identify appropriate livelihood opportunities, facilitate skills training and market linkages, and support small-scale enterprise development. The position will ensure that livelihood activities promote inclusive participation, strengthen community relationships and respond to local market needs while avoiding market saturation and duplication of existing assistance.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct light market and skills assessments to identify local economic opportunities, beneficiary skills, market demands and potential livelihood activities.
• Design and implement inclusive livelihood interventions, including skills training, market linkages and small-scale enterprise support, based on assessment findings.
• Facilitate the participation of returnees, IDPs and host community members in mixed livelihood training groups and other shared economic activities to promote social cohesion and mutual understanding.
• Identify suitable livelihood opportunities that respond to local market conditions, beneficiary capacities and the economic needs of vulnerable groups.
• Coordinate with local businesses, employers, training providers, market actors and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate access to skills development, employment opportunities and markets.
• Support beneficiaries in developing practical livelihood plans and improving their capacity to engage in sustainable income-generating activities.
• Promote equitable access to livelihood opportunities, with due attention to gender, displacement status, disability and other vulnerability factors.
• Ensure that livelihood activities are conflict-sensitive, inclusive and designed to minimize competition, exclusion and unintended harm within target communities.
• Coordinate with the Project Manager, Social Protection/Community Support Officer, MHPSS Officer and social mobilizers to ensure integrated support and effective beneficiary participation.
• Maintain accurate records of livelihood activities, training sessions, beneficiary participation, market assessments and support provided.
• Track and disaggregate participation data by displacement status, gender and disability status, as required by the project.
• Monitor the implementation and progress of livelihood activities, identify challenges and recommend corrective actions to improve effectiveness and sustainability.
• Prepare regular progress updates, activity reports, beneficiary statistics and supporting documentation in accordance with project requirements and UNDP reporting standards.
• Contribute to project work plans, monitoring tools, lessons learned and final reporting, ensuring that livelihood interventions support the project's economic inclusion and social cohesion objectives.
• Participate in project coordination meetings, capacity-building sessions and other relevant activities to ensure timely and quality implementation.
• To carry out the responsibilities of the role in a way which reflects WHLO’s commitment to protecting children in accordance with the Child Safeguarding Policy.

Required Qualifications and Experiences

• Bachelor's degree in Economics, Business Administration, Development Studies or a related discipline.
• Two to three years of relevant experience in livelihoods programming, market linkages, economic inclusion or related development activities.
• Practical experience in market and skills assessments, livelihood activity implementation and coordination with local economic stakeholders.
• Experience working with vulnerable communities, including returnees, IDPs and host community members, is an asset.
• Knowledge of inclusive programming, community engagement, conflict sensitivity and social cohesion principles.
• Ability to collect, analyze and report beneficiary participation and livelihood activity data

Core competencies

• Strong planning, coordination and organizational skills.
• Good analytical skills, particularly in market assessment and livelihood opportunity identification.
• Effective communication, facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with communities, local businesses and project teams.
• Commitment to inclusion, gender equality, accountability and conflict-sensitive programming.
• Strong documentation, monitoring and reporting skills.
• Fluency in Pashto and Dari is required.
• Working knowledge of English is required.

Application Procedures

• Interested qualified candidates should submit a full CV with a cover letter explaining their motivation in applying for the job and highlighting their relevant skills and experience;
• Please quote the Vacancy Number as the Subject of the e-mail when applying
• To apply online please send your application / CV and cover letter through EMAILJobs@whl.org.af

no later than 7th Nov 2026.

• Academic certificates or references need not to be submitted at this time. These will be requested at the time of interview.
• Only short-listed candidates will be invited for written test and interview.

Females are highly encouraged to apply.

WHLO is committed to the highest ethical standards and to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful working environment. Our work is guided by the core values of Responsiveness, Equality, Impartiality, Social Justice, and Integrity.

WHLO is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse, exploitation, and neglect. We maintain a zero-tolerance approach to sexual exploitation, abuse, sexual harassment, discrimination, and all forms of misconduct.

Background, reference, and other appropriate pre-employment checks will be conducted as part of the recruitment process for the successful candidate.

Jobs@whl.org.af