SAMSOOR WATAN ORGANISATION FOR ENVIRONMENT
TERMS OF REFERENCE
| Organization | Samsoor Watan Organization for Environment (SWOE) |
| Duty station | Kabul, with frequent field travel to Balkh |
| Reports to | Project Manager |
| Supervises | Technical assistants, facilitators, or volunteers when assigned |
| Contract type | Full-time, long-term |
| Salary | In accordance with SWOE’s approved salary scale |
| Nationality | Afghan |
| Vacancy number | SWOE-HR-003-2026 |
| Number of positions | 2 (Male /Female) |
1. About SWOE
Samsoor Watan Organization for Environment (SWOE) is a youth-led, non-profit organization based in Kabul and registered with the Ministry of Economy of Afghanistan under Registration No. 5987 (2024). SWOE advances environmental sustainability, climate action, natural-resource conservation, sustainable development, and community resilience through education, research, advocacy, capacity building, and community-based initiatives, with particular emphasis on young people and women.
2. Project Background
The Youth-Led Community Climate Action and Environmental Resilience in Kabul and Balkh Provinces of Afghanistan project will be implemented in Kabul and Balkh. Its integrated portfolio includes school and household waste management, plastic reduction, rainwater harvesting, participatory climate-risk mapping, community-led micro-projects, tree planting and protection, bio-briquette training and kits for 50 women, support for four youth innovations, university collaboration, ALCOY, MEAL/accountability, and donor reporting.
3. Job Summary
To provide technical leadership and field support for environmental protection, climate action, natural-resource conservation, environmental education, and the application of environmental and social safeguards.
4. Key Responsibilities
4.1 Project-Specific Responsibilities
- Provide technical leadership for school and household waste management, plastic reduction, rainwater harvesting, participatory climate-risk mapping, community climate micro-projects, tree planting/protection, bio-briquette technology, and youth-led environmental innovation.
- Develop technically sound specifications, screening tools, environmental and social mitigation measures, training curricula, field protocols, maintenance guidance, and quality-verification criteria.
- Conduct baseline/site assessments and regular monitoring in Kabul and Balkh; verify ecological suitability, survival or functionality, safe use, community ownership, and sustainability of interventions.
- Train staff, teachers, students, households, women’s groups, youth, community actors, and partners using participatory and locally appropriate methods.
- Analyse environmental results and risks; provide corrective recommendations; and contribute verified technical data, lessons, case evidence, and recommendations to donor reports and knowledge products.
4.2 Functional Responsibilities
- Provide context-appropriate technical advice on climate adaptation and mitigation, ecosystem restoration, biodiversity, waste management, water and soil conservation, sustainable livelihoods, and environmental awareness, as relevant to the project.
- Conduct or support environmental assessments, baseline studies, site screening, field verification, consultations, and technical feasibility reviews using approved methodologies.
- Prepare technical designs, guidance notes, bills or specifications, training materials, field protocols, and environmental management measures within the officer’s professional competence.
- Screen proposed activities for environmental and social risks; develop proportionate mitigation actions; monitor compliance; and immediately escalate serious or unforeseen impacts.
- Ensure technical activities reflect do-no-harm, climate-risk, conflict-sensitivity, gender and inclusion, occupational safety, and local ecological knowledge.
- Train and coach staff, volunteers, community groups, schools, and partners on relevant environmental practices and support participatory environmental action.
- Establish and monitor technically sound indicators; verify environmental outputs and outcomes; analyse field data; and contribute evidence to reports and learning products.
- Liaise with relevant technical departments, academic institutions, specialists, community leaders, and environmental networks to support quality and coordination.
- Document lessons, case evidence, innovations, maintenance requirements, and sustainability arrangements for environmental interventions.
- Promote resource-efficient operations, including waste reduction, responsible purchasing, energy and water conservation, and low-impact events and field practices.
4.3 Coordination, Reporting and Learning
- Maintain effective working relationships with relevant internal functions and authorize external stakeholders.
- Provide accurate and timely inputs to monthly, quarterly, annual, donor, management, and ad hoc reports as relevant to the position.
- Document implementation challenges, corrective actions, good practices, lessons learned, and recommendations for adaptive management and future programming.
- Participate in planning, review, coordination, and learning meetings and follow through on assigned actions.
4.4 Safety, Security, Gender, Inclusion and Safeguarding
- Comply with SWOE safety and security procedures and contribute actively to individual and team duty of care.
- Integrate gender equality, youth participation, disability inclusion, cultural sensitivity, conflict sensitivity, and do-no-harm principles into assigned work.
- Uphold the code of conduct and zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, child abuse, discrimination, retaliation, fraud, corruption, and conflicts of interest.
- Protect confidential and personal information; obtain informed consent; and immediately report safeguarding, security, fraud, or serious environmental and social concerns through authorized channels.
5. Key Working Relationships
Internal: Project Manager; project team; MEAL/accountability; finance and administration; human resources; safeguarding/security focal points; and senior management. External: relevant line ministries and local authorities, communities, schools, universities, youth and women’s groups, civil society, suppliers/service providers, media, donors, and partners, as appropriate to the role and delegated authority.
6. Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, climate change, forestry, natural-resource management, ecology, agriculture, water resources, environmental engineering, or a related field; a master’s degree is an advantage.
- At least three years of relevant technical and field experience in Afghanistan or a comparable fragile and climate-vulnerable context.
- Experience with environmental assessment/screening, community-based natural-resource management, environmental education, or climate-resilience programming.
- Ability to analyse environmental data and produce clear technical reports and practical recommendations.
- Proficiency in Dari and/or Pashto and working English.
7. Required Competencies
- Environmental analysis and technical accuracy
- Field assessment and problem solving
- Participatory facilitation
- Safeguards and risk awareness
- Evidence-based reporting
- Respect for local knowledge and ecological integrity
- Proven ability to analyse problems, identify practical solutions, and work effectively under changing field conditions.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and relevant project, financial, HR, communication, or data-management systems.
8. Languages
Professional proficiency in written and spoken Dari and/or Pashto is required. Working proficiency in English is required for positions involving donor reporting, technical documentation, external communication, finance, HR, or project management. Fluency in all three languages is a strong advantage.
9. Performance Expectations
| No. | Key result / indicator | Illustrative means of verification |
| 1 | Environmental screening and mitigation actions are completed before and during relevant activities. | Screening forms, management plans, monitoring logs |
| 2 | Technical outputs meet approved specifications and demonstrate documented quality. | Technical reviews, verification records |
| 3 | Environmental indicators are measured consistently and supported by credible evidence. | Indicator database and field evidence |
| 4 | Training and community engagement produce documented knowledge or practice improvements. | Pre/post results, follow-up observations |
| 5 | Environmental risks and non-compliance are reported and corrected promptly. | Issue and corrective-action logs |
10. Authority and Accountability
The postholder may act only within approved plans, budgets, policies, delegated authority, and signature limits. The postholder may not enter contracts, authorize expenditure, recruit personnel, make sensitive public commitments, or disclose confidential information without formal authorization. Performance will be assessed on results and conduct, including quality, timeliness, teamwork, compliance, safeguarding, accountability, and responsible use of resources.
11. Working Conditions
The position may require field travel, participation in community activities, and occasional work outside standard hours during critical implementation periods. Travel is subject to security assessment, duty-of-care arrangements, reasonable accommodation, and SWOE procedures.
12. Submission Guidelines
- Submit a current CV (normally no more than three pages) and a concise cover letter explaining suitability for the position.
- State the exact vacancy number and position title in the email subject line.
- Submit applications to info@samsoorwatan.org and sulimankhil@samsoorwatan.org no later than August 31, 2026
- Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. SWOE does not charge a fee at any stage of recruitment.
- Any offer is subject to funding, satisfactory identity/qualification/reference checks, and acceptance of SWOE’s code of conduct, safeguarding/PSEA, anti-fraud, security, and other applicable policies.