What we are looking for

NRC is looking for a Humanitarian Access Coordination (HAC) Manager to join the Afghanistan mission. The HAC Manager is responsible for co-leading both the Humanitarian Access Group and its Access Working Group. The role holder is expected to ensure strong collaboration and collective outcomes, provide guidance to the NRC Access Focal Point, and advise NRC Afghanistan on broader access issues

If you are an experienced and seasoned leader with a background in developing and integrating distinctive strategies; with strong analytical expertise and high integrity; and strong interpersonal, networking, and stakeholder management skills and able collaborate with others while building sound, constructive relationships, then this is the role for you!

What you will do

• Primary focal point for NGOs to the HAG. Co-lead the Humanitarian Access Group and its Access Working Group.
• Foster collaboration among humanitarian actors.
• Humanitarian advocacy and negotiation support.
• Humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law compliance promotion.
• Strategy and principles development and revision, and implementation.
• Guidance and advisory development and implementation.
• Represent the Humanitarian Access Group and its Access Working Group before donors, authorities, and stakeholders.
• Monitor access trends and developments to identify constraints and implications.
• Access analysis, access reports, and policy dissemination contribution.
• We highly encourage you to learn more about the role: please review the full Job Description here.

What you will bring

• Conflict/post-conflict humanitarian experience.
• Humanitarian access technical knowledge. Experience managing and advising on the same.
• High risk, insecure, complex, and volatile context exposure.
• Forum leadership or coordination contribution experience.
• Humanitarian principles understanding.
• Policy and strategic guidance experience.
• Industry access tools, resources, and methodologies familiarity.
• Protection principles knowledge in high-risk settings.
• Analysis, coordination, and stakeholder management experience.
• Afghanistan context and the Afghan humanitarian community response experience and knowledge.
• English fluency, both written and verbal. Knowledge of the local language (Dari or Pushto).

What makes this position attractive?

• Access to people in need by humanitarian actors, and people’s access to humanitarian services remains one of the greatest challenges that the humanitarian community is facing. The current context is set against a backdrop of various challenges: dangerous and complex insecurity, corruption, bureaucratic restrictions, limited physical access, global conditions of political tensions and conflict situations, and the overall humanitarian response in the country is comprised of organisations whose primary interest is development rather than humanitarian.
• The Humanitarian Access Group (HAG) is co-led between the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and NRC. Since its formation in 2015, it is one of the primary platforms dedicated to the strategic and operational coordination and improvement of humanitarian access in Afghanistan.
• With the fall of the regime in August 2021, new impediments evolved and created new challenges towards access. The HAG has created two additional structures: in August 2022, the Access Working Group was formed to provide guidance to the Humanitarian Country Team and ensure compliance with the Joint Operational Principles, as well as deliver timely analysis and ad-hoc support to those responding to humanitarian needs; and in October 2022, another platform was developed to coordinate access with authorities, and ensure mutual understanding of challenges.
• This is an opportunity to contribute to the protection and assistance of vulnerable women, girls, boys, and men displaced by conflict and/or in hard-to-reach areas. NRC Afghanistan maintains a presence in 14 provinces across the country with mobile teams accessing neighbouring areas. NRC Afghanistan is the largest INGO in the country, at a programmatic, field coverage, and staff count level.
• 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.
• 10% travel, approximately.
• Grade 9 in NRC’s 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

• To apply as an internal candidate, log in with your official NRC email address.
• 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 queries, please email us at [email protected] with “Humanitarian Access Coordination Manager Afghanistan” as the subject line.

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.