Sericulture Specialist

Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (CHA) is a non-governmental, non-profitable, and non-political Afghan NGO, working since 1987 mainly in agriculture, health, education, and infrastructure sectors in more vulnerable areas of the country. CHA is working through the implementation of Emergency, rehabilitation, and development projects for emergency aid for war, famine, and natural disaster-affected families in the field, to assist with the rehabilitation of rural and urban life, and to work with communities for sustainable development in Afghanistan.

Core Commitments and Expectations from Candidates:

CHA is dedicated to creating an environment where all staff members are committed to our core values and principles. We believe that our employees play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and excellence of our organization. Therefore, we have outlined the following core commitments and expectations that all candidates must adhere to:

1. Adherence to CHA's Policies and Procedures: All candidates must adhere to CHA's policies and procedures, these guidelines are designed to ensure a safe, fair, and efficient working environment. Compliance with these policies is fundamental to maintaining the standards and quality of our operation
2. Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA): CHA has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and abuse. All candidates, employees, associates, and partners must comply with the PSEA policy.
3. Ethical Conduct and Integrity: Candidates are expected to maintain high standards of ethical conduct and integrity in all their professional dealings. This includes avoiding conflicts of interest, maintaining confidentiality, and adhering to anti-fraud and anti-corruption guidelines​​.
4. Commitment to Non-Discrimination and Diversity: CHA is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. Candidates must respect and promote diversity and non-discrimination based on race, gender, age, or any other protected characteristic​​.
5. Child Protection: Candidates must adhere to the Child Protection Policy, ensuring the safety and well-being of children in all CHA activities.
6. Environmental and Social Safeguards: Candidate must follow CHA's Environmental and Social Safeguard Policy to minimize environmental impact and ensure sustainable practices in all projects and operations​​.
7. Confidentiality and Data Protection: Candidates are required to maintain the confidentiality of all CHA data and information.

All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. To ensure compliance, candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks. These checks will include the verification of academic credentials and employment history. Selected candidates may also be required to provide additional information to facilitate these checks.

By joining CHA, candidates commit to these core values and contribute to our mission of providing humanitarian assistance with the highest level of integrity and professionalism. We look forward to welcoming dedicated individuals who share our commitment to making a positive impact.

Lead the technical implementation of all sericulture-related project activities. Conduct technical assessments of beneficiary households and identify suitable conditions for silkworm production. Provide practical training and coaching to beneficiaries on silkworm rearing, feeding, hygiene, disease prevention, cocoon harvesting, and post-harvest handling. Provide technical guidance on mulberry plantation, management, pruning, irrigation, and sustainable leaf production. Develop and implement seasonal sericulture production plans in coordination with project management. Support beneficiaries in establishing and maintaining appropriate silkworm-rearing facilities. Monitor the quality and productivity of silkworm production and identify technical challenges and corrective measures. Promote improved sericulture practices and appropriate technologies to increase productivity and product quality. Provide technical guidance on cocoon sorting, grading, storage, and preparation for marketing or further processing. Coordinate with the Business Development & Market Linkage Officer to identify buyers and market opportunities for cocoons and silk products. Maintain close coordination with relevant government departments, technical institutions, private-sector actors, and other stakeholders. Conduct regular field monitoring visits and provide technical recommendations. Develop training materials, technical guidelines, and practical demonstrations for beneficiaries. Document lessons learned, success stories, production results, and technical achievements. Ensure that sericulture interventions are environmentally appropriate and sustainable. Prepare regular technical progress reports and contribute to overall project reporting. Perform other relevant duties assigned by the supervisor.

Candidates with proven practical experience and strong hands-on technical skills in sericulture and silk production will be given preference. Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Animal Science, Entomology, Sericulture, Agronomy, or Horticulture (Master’s degree strongly preferred). Minimum 3–5 years of practical experience in sericulture/silk production or closely related agricultural livelihood programming. Demonstrated practical knowledge of silkworm rearing, mulberry cultivation, cocoon production, and silk value chains. Experience in providing technical training and hands-on coaching to farmers or community-based producers. Experience with NGO/INGO or donor-funded livelihood projects is highly desirable. Good understanding of local agricultural and livelihood systems in Herat and the Western Region is an advantage. Strong field monitoring, training, communication, and problem-solving skills. Ability to develop practical technical training materials and conduct practical demonstrations. Willingness and ability to travel frequently to rural and project locations. Good computer skills, particularly MS Office. Fluency in Dari, Pashto, and English.

Interested and qualified candidates should send us their information using the link below.

https://manage.cha-net.org/jobs/6a7c1c45cf2f510759fefb02

for more information please contact to this number: 0729128468