Project Officer - Agribusiness Partnerships

About the role

CRS Afghanistan is looking for a Project Officer (Agribusiness Partnerships) to lead the design, implementation and management of private sector agribusiness and market systems interventions. The role engages private sector partners to drive sustainable, scalable impact, identifies agricultural market opportunities, structures co-investment partnerships and ensures delivery aligned with results chains and program objectives. It works closely with technical, MEAL and program teams. The position is contingent on donor funding.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct and/or support rapid agricultural market and sector assessments and mapping exercises to inform intervention design.
• Identify, assess and engage private sector actors able and willing to participate in program interventions.
• Co-create business cases and partnership agreements with agribusinesses, covering roles, cost-sharing and expected results in areas such as market linkages, certification and quality standards, traceability, digitalization and commercial finance.
• Manage and strengthen agribusiness partnerships to ensure effective implementation and accountability.
• Develop and run pilots with agribusinesses and service providers on certification, quality standards, traceability and digitalization.
• Facilitate technical and business development support to partners.
• Monitor progress against results chains and milestones, report challenges and gaps, and adjust plans and schedules.
• Work with MEAL teams on data collection, analysis and adaptive management.
• Implement project activities according to the implementation plan, donor requirements and CRS quality standards, and adapt interventions to market feedback.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics or a related field.
• At least 3 years of experience in agricultural value chains, private sector engagement or market systems development projects.
• Experience working with private sector or market actors such as input suppliers, aggregators, processors, service providers and industry associations.
• Familiarity with fruit and nut, spice, potato, dairy and poultry value chains is an advantage; familiarity with natural resource management or climate-smart agriculture is also an advantage.

Required skills

• Knowledge of agricultural value chains, private sector business models and partnership frameworks (co-investment, cost-sharing, risk-sharing).
• Understanding of market systems development principles and export-oriented value chains, including quality standards and certification.
• Partner identification and due diligence, business case development and negotiation skills.
• Partnership management, performance tracking and MEAL knowledge.