Crafts Program Manager

Role summary Reporting to the Turquoise Mountain Afghanistan Head of Programs, the Crafts Program Manager will lead the quality delivery of Turquoise Mountain’s skills development programming across a range of traditional Afghan crafts. These include Calligraphy, Miniature Painting, Jewelry-Making, Gem-Cutting, Woodwork, Embroidery, and Carpets. The Crafts Program Manager will work collaboratively with the organization’s training and production teams to ensure that technical training directly contributes to improved commercial pathways and results for artisans. The successful candidate will have an understanding and appreciation of Afghanistan’s craft heritage and will be able to effectively translate production-related needs, gaps, and demands into high quality technical and vocational skills development training. The ultimate aim of the role is to support Turquoise Mountain to build the next generation of master artisans in Afghanistan and ensure an integrated approach between heritage preservation, formal technical skills development training, and commercial requirements. Duties and responsibilities Team Management · Oversee and drive forward the strategic direction of all training and skills development functions of Turquoise Mountain Afghanistan. · Supervise Turquoise Mountain’s technical and vocational skills development functions including the training faculties of Calligraphy, Miniature Painting, Woodwork, Jewellery-Making, Gem-Cutting, Embroidery, and Carpet Design & Graphing and the training administration department. · Lead recruitment, onboarding, and performance management of skills development team. · Embed and promote continuous professional development practices for all training staff. · Oversee day-to-day team operations including attendance, leave, and travel approvals. · Facilitate strong working relationships and inter-departmental collaborations to ensure an integrated approach to artisan development. · Liaise and build strong working relationships with Turquoise Mountain’s central creative and commercial teams to ensure programming alignment with global objectives. · Serve as a country office champion for promoting and instilling Turquoise Mountain’s workplace environment, behaviour, and values, promoting cross-functional collaboration and accountability. · Actively promote and implement mechanisms that progress equality and inclusion in the workplace, both for Turquoise Mountain staff and its beneficiaries. Skills Development & Training · Oversee the delivery of TM’s technical and vocational training curricula and programming for artisans across all crafts and levels. This includes foundational and advanced training across the crafts of: Calligraphy, Miniature Painting, Woodwork, Jewellery-Making, Gem-Cutting, Embroidery, and Carpet Design & Graphing. · Ensure training programmes are responsive to market needs and demands and strengthen artisans’ technical excellence while maintaining cultural authenticity and integrity. · Ensure training programmes directly contribute to improvements in artisan enterprises with particular focus on addressing technical and design gaps identified by TM’s production, commercial, and creative teams, artisans, and clients. · Ensure training programmes are in line with the ethos of Turquoise Mountain and promote, preserve, and celebrate Afghanistan’s heritage. · Oversee the implementation of TM’s foundational business training curriculum for newly established artisan enterprises. · Ensure equal opportunity of training programmes for artisans. · Coordinate with external experts when specialised training is required. Strategy Development & Fundraising · Contribute to the strategic direction and quality delivery of TM’s craft programming. This includes leading research on traditional techniques, materials, and cultural narratives to inform skills development curricula and product innovation as well as implementing evidence-based initiatives that support post-training professional pathways for graduating artisans. · Identify opportunities for partnerships, innovation, efficiency, and scalability. · Support the Country Director and Head of Programs with the preparation of donor proposals for TM’s technical and vocational skills development programmes. · Support the balance between commercial viability and social impact goals. Representation & Coordination · Participate in external engagements, including with the Afghanistan authorities, specifically the Technical & Vocational Education Training Authority and Ministry of Industry & Commerce. · Represent Turquoise Mountain in relevant networking and coordination meetings and forums. · Support the local sales team in preparing for, and participating in, local exhibitions and events. This list is not exhaustive, and other duties may be required as determined by the needs of the organisation. Key working relationships / cross-working Internal: In-country programs, monitoring & evaluation, operations, and finance departments, central team commercial and creative, departments External: Donors, partners, Afghanistan authorities Job requirements Professional approach: An effective collaborator who supports staff professional development and leverages staff skills and knowledge to drive forward results. Takes a creative approach to programming and can synthesise information from different functions to generate and improve organisational initiatives. Prioritises equal opportunity within teams and programmes. Experience: Experience managing diverse teams and embedding continuous professional development practices Experience leading formal skills development / technical and vocational training programmes Experience in the education sector Practical experience and/or academic experience in Afghanistan’s cultural heritage and/or one or more of the traditional crafts in which Turquoise Mountain Afghanistan works (Calligraphy, Miniature Painting, Jewellery-Making, Gem-Cutting, Woodwork, Embroidery, and Carpets) Demonstrable experience applying creative knowledge into practice Experience working with an international non-governmental organisation is considered an asset Experience liaising with authorities and external stakeholders is considered an asset Experience working in Afghanistan is considered an asset Personal Attributes & Skills: Invested in the preservation and promotion of Afghanistan’s traditional crafts and heritage Ability to see and leverage synergies between craft disciplines Collaborative approach with demonstrable experience of building strong and positive relationships within and between teams Excellent verbal and written communications skills Ability to give and receive feedback Good listener and responsive to needs of wider team Ability to drive forward innovation and effectively integrate artisans’ needs into programme delivery Ability to communicate vision and drive team forward Willingness to live and work in Afghanistan