Social Protection Community Support Officer

About the role

Way of Hope to Life Organization (WHLO), a non-profit NGO active in Afghanistan since 2002, is recruiting a Social Protection / Community Support Officer. The officer identifies vulnerable individuals and households, coordinates beneficiary targeting and verification, and implements community-based self-help and social protection initiatives, giving priority to returnees, internally displaced persons, host community members, female-headed households and other vulnerable groups.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct community-level assessments and identify vulnerable individuals and households according to approved eligibility criteria.
• Apply transparent, consistent and verifiable beneficiary targeting and verification procedures, and verify beneficiary information while keeping accurate records.
• Support the planning and implementation of community-based self-help and social protection initiatives, and facilitate inclusive participation modalities.
• Communicate eligibility criteria, participation requirements and conditions clearly to targeted communities.
• Set up and maintain an accessible Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), receive, document, refer and follow up complaints and feedback, and run awareness sessions on selection, accountability, PSEA and complaint channels.
• Coordinate with community representatives, social mobilizers and local stakeholders, and promote conflict-sensitive, gender-responsive and do-no-harm approaches.
• Maintain beneficiary lists, verification records, attendance sheets and distribution records, and protect beneficiary data confidentially.
• Monitor progress, report risks to the Project Manager, and prepare regular activity reports and beneficiary statistics.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, Economics or a related field.
• At least three years of relevant experience in cash-based assistance, beneficiary targeting and verification, social safety net programming or community-based support.
• Practical experience in beneficiary registration, eligibility assessment, household verification and community-level programme implementation.
• Experience with vulnerable populations such as returnees, IDPs, host communities and female-headed households is an asset.
• Fluency in Pashto and Dari is required; working knowledge of English is required.

Required skills

• Community engagement, assessment, verification, documentation and reporting skills.
• Knowledge of accountability mechanisms, protection principles, conflict sensitivity and do-no-harm approaches.
• Ability to work with vulnerable individuals and diverse community groups, and to safeguard children in line with the Child Safeguarding Policy.

Candidates apply by sending a CV and cover letter quoting the vacancy number by email to the organization before 7 November 2026; academic certificates and references are requested only at interview stage.