This position will support the UNOPS Afghanistan Office in the development and implementation of a new project focused on supporting the private sector in the country. The project aims to support value chains, business support services, and private sector advisory services to foster a robust private sector ecosystem in Afghanistan.
UNOPS Afghanistan is seeking to recruit one or more Private Sector Development Senior Advisors with specific expertise in value chain resilience, incubation services, private sector advisory, and/or related fields. This recruitment is open to both national and international applicants.
In-person missions to Afghanistan, possibly including outside of Kabul, may be required.
The Private Sector Development Senior Advisor will provide expert advice and support to the UNOPS Afghanistan Office in the development of a project supporting the private sector in the country. The consultant will work remotely to support project design, concept development, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring alignment with project objectives and donor priorities. The consultant will work under the supervision of the Head of Programmes with day-to-day coordination with focal points from the Partnerships Development Unit.
Project Development Support
Provide advice to the UNOPS Afghanistan team in the development of comprehensive project documents, aligned with the donor’s requirements and objectives.
Participate in and, where delegated, represent UNOPS in meetings with the donor and other stakeholders as applicable during the project development process.
Contribute to the refinement of project components, ensuring they are technically sound, financially viable, and aligned with the needs of the Afghan private sector.
2. Value Chain Resilience
Provide advice for and support the identification and establishment of value chain linkages, especially in the manufacturing and agribusiness sectors.
Provide technical guidance on the selection of businesses of varying sizes to link in key value chains.
Identify and develop support mechanisms for select value chains, such as standards implementation, equipment upgrades, and processing capacity enhancements.
Identify and develop support mechanisms for select value chains, such as standards implementation, equipment upgrades, and processing capacity enhancements.
3. Incubation Services
Assess relevant business support initiatives and develop recommendations for possible development of accelerator programs.
Participate in and lead discussions with business support initiatives and similar stakeholders, and support the development of project implementation arrangements and relevant agreements with such initiatives and stakeholders.
Advise on measures to de-risk investments.
4. Private Sector Advisory
Engage with relevant stakeholders to gather insights on the private sector ecosystem in Afghanistan.
Provide guidance on the strategy for private sector advisory, including advocacy, to inform project activities and ensure alignment with private sector needs.
5. Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination
Facilitate communication and coordination between UNOPS Afghanistan, the donor/s, and other relevant stakeholders as requested.
Organize and participate in stakeholder consultations to gather feedback on project design and implementation strategies.
