Afghanistan WIT - Component 1 Director - Women in the Economy

Background
	Creative Associates International (Creative) is a dynamic and fast-growing professional services firm that specializes in international development in the areas of education, democratic transitions and stabilization in post-conflict environments. Based in Washington, D.C., the firm has field presence in 20 countries worldwide with a strong and diverse portfolio that includes global contracts with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other clients including the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Defense. The firm has earned a solid reputation among its clients and missions worldwide and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.
	Project Description
	The overarching goal of Afghanistan Women in Transition (WIT) program is to enable educated Afghan women to enter into decision making positions in Afghanistan’s public, private and civil society sectors. WIT is a nationwide five-year program that will work to achieve its objectives through four components: 1) women in economy; 2) women’s rights groups and coalitions; 3) women in government; 4) women’s leadership development. Component 1 will offer professional business development services and market-driven technical and vocational training. Component 2 will support activist women’s groups by providing them with capacity building in the areas of strategic communications, multi-media messaging, outreach and public awareness, coalition building, organizational development, managerial and financial management and fundraising. Component 3 will provide women who desire a career in the civil service with six-month internships at government institutions nationwide. Component 4 will provide 3-6 month courses focusing on topics such as: critical thinking, problem solving, strategic planning, strategic communications, briefing and presentation skills, business writing, group facilitation, negotiation and conflict management, team building, decision making, supervision, performance managing, etc.
	Position Summary
	Based in Afghanistan, The Component 1 Director will lead efforts to identify, design, develop and implement Women’s Economic Empowerment, for the USAID Women in Transition Program (WIT). WIT aims to develop a new generation of educated Afghan women to assume leadership roles in mainstream social, political, and economic sectors to improve the status of women and accelerate inclusive, sustainable development in Afghanistan. The Component 1 Director will be focused on the goal of increasing Afghan women’s participation in the formal economy by securing management level employment or establishing viable small and large businesses. The position will focus on securing mid-level employment or higher into decision making roles; assist women in establishing or expanding sustainable small, medium or large businesses; and assist in women having access to credit. A business/employment incubator model will be developed to offer women professional development services and market driven technical and vocational training. Obstacles for Afghan women in obtaining these opportunities will be tackled. Specific areas of business training could include: business plan development, marketing, branding and marketing, financial management, critical thinking, management skills, etc. The Component 1 Director will report directly to the Deputy Chief of Party – Programs.
	Required Skills and Qualifications
	Minimum of a Master’s degree in related field; Minimum of 10 years’ experience in implementing and managing economic development programs in developing countries; Familiarity with USAID policies and procedures; Experience in managing complex projects of similar scale, particularly in transitional, post-conflict and/or Islamic countries; Technical expertise in establishing and managing economic development programs; Experience in building and effectively supervising a substantially diverse team of employees spread across an expansive region; Demonstrated effective interpersonal skills, proactiveness, creative problem solving and ethical management; Prior experience in working with international donors and knowledge of USAID’s policies and procedures. Demonstrated exemplary diplomatic, communication, and interpersonal skills; Organizational acumen and cultural sensitivity; Excellent oral and written English required; proficiency in Dari or Pashto preferred.
	Type of Posting
	Unaccompanied.
	Application Instructions
	To apply for this position, please complete and submit our simple on-line form, where you can upload your résumé and other documents.
	Only if you are unable to submit online, may you send your résumé and cover letter by e-mail to RMS@CreativeDC.com with "Afghanistan WIT - Component 1 Director - Women in the Economy CODE:PRP49330" on the subject line. Please note only finalists will be contacted. No phone calls please. Creative is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE/AA).