Head of Programme Afghanistan

Norwegian Refugee Council · Kabul

What we are looking for

NRC is looking for a Head of Programme to join the Afghanistan mission. The role holder will lead the programme unit in Afghanistan and oversee the implementation of, and the funding for, high-quality programmes. He/she will manage the program technical development, including core competency strategies, and conduct quality assurance in relation to project cycle management.

If you are an influential and adaptive leader with a background in developing and integrating distinctive strategies; a track record of fostering a collaborative environment and building effective teams; and the ability to collaborate with others while building sound, constructive relationships, then this is the role for you!

What you will do

People leadership.
NRC policies, guidelines, and procedures compliance and adherence.
Country strategy and plan of action programmatic input.
Core competency strategies development.
Programme development (holistic, integrated, and needs-based).
Funding opportunities identification and forecasts. Development of funding strategies.
Grants’ management, BPO allocations, and donor reporting.
Quality control, monitoring and evaluation, and organisational learning.
Capacity building of all technical staff.
Represent NRC in forums/cluster/working groups, etc.
We highly encourage you to learn more about the role: please review the full Job Description here.

What you will bring

Senior management experience in a humanitarian/recovery context.
Core competency expertise.
Afghanistan context, or the Middle East, exposure and knowledge.
Programme and advocacy connection track record.
Change processes (scale up and scale down of operations) exposure.
Complex and volatile context exposure.
English fluency, both written and verbal.

What makes this position attractive?

Decades of war; chronic poverty; mass returns from Iran and Pakistan; rising regional tensions; recurrent natural disasters such as droughts, massive earthquake, and flash floods; as well as an economic crisis have devastated Afghanistan and driven a trajectory of sustained decline.
The UN estimates that 21.9 million people (45% of Afghanistan’s population) require humanitarian assistance in 2026. With humanitarian funding decreasing and operational space becoming more constrained, needs remain acute while opportunities for durable solutions remain limited. Addressing these issues needs comprehensive international support, sustained humanitarian aid, and collaboration with regional and global stakeholders.
NRC provides lifesaving, multisectoral assistance and works towards self-reliance and durable solutions, reaching over 340,000 project participants in 2025.
This is an opportunity to contribute to the protection and assistance of vulnerable and crisis-affected women, girls, boys, and men. NRC is one of the leading humanitarian response agencies (particularly for Afghans who have felt forced to flee their homes due to conflict).
NRC Afghanistan operates a diverse grants portfolio providing services within Education; Protection; Information Counselling and Legal Assistance; Shelter and Settlements; Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene; and Emergency core competencies.
Meaningful work that responds to the diverse needs, priorities, and concerns raised by beneficiary communities. NRC Afghanistan meets immediate humanitarian needs, prevents further displacement, and contributes to durable solutions.
Female candidates are strongly encouraged to join our work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
Learn more about NRC’s operation in Afghanistan here.

What we offer

Kabul, Afghanistan duty station.
24-month contract duration.
25% travel, approximately.
Grade 11 in NRC’s International Salary Scale, with accompanying terms and conditions. NRC offers a competitive compensation and benefits package.
NRC is an equal opportunities employer and aims to have staffing diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.
We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.
Find out more about the benefits of working for NRC.

Important information about the application process

Internal candidates:- To apply, log in with your official NRC email address or click on Opportunity Marketplace.
When creating your profile, include your full name as per your passport.
Apply by completing all the system-required fields of your experience, employment history, and education in your application.
Ensure to attach your latest CV.
Submit your application and CV in English.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. NRC is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role and you meet most, but not all the requirements, we encourage you to apply anyway.
Applications that do not meet the minimum standards in terms of experience or qualifications will generally not be considered.
Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We receive many applicants for each vacant position. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to give detailed feedback to applicants who have not been shortlisted.
For any application queries, please email us at eurasia.recruitment@nrc.no with “Head of Programme Afghanistan” as the subject line. This email address is for queries only. Applications will not be accepted via email.
Please note that NRC does not request any fees in connection with its recruitment processes.

Why NRC?

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. Our 15,000 staff work in crises across 40 countries, providing life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of people every year.

Watch this short video to see NRC in action.

NRC Afghanistan seeks to protect and assist vulnerable women, girls, boys, and men who are affected by displacement. NRC provides assistance to meet immediate humanitarian needs, prevent further displacement, and contribute to durable solutions. We implement programming across all of NRC’s core competencies, integrating protection, advocacy, and an emergency response team to support preparedness and response.

We are looking for people who are passionate about helping refugees and people forced to flee. Are you one of those people? If you are, NRC offers you the opportunity to:

Do demanding and professional work, often in challenging contexts.
Join a work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
Be part of a welcoming and supportive community committed to human dignity.

Learn more about NRC here.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a global humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee.

Join us in assisting millions of people in areas where others cannot, tackling some of the world's most dangerous and difficult crises. Bring your skills and dedication to an organisation recognised for providing high quality aid and for defending the rights of refugees and internally displaced people.

At NRC, we give responsibility to employees at all levels and foster professional growth and innovative teams. You can expect a supportive culture and an open dialogue with management. We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Together, we save lives and rebuild futures.

Safeguarding is central to NRC’s work. We expect all employees to:

• treat everyone with respect and dignity

• contribute to building a safe environment for all

• never engage in any form of exploitation, harassment and specifically sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH)

• always report. NRC has a zero-tolerance approach to inaction against exploitation, abuse and SEAH

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