Senior Crafts and Artisan Development Manager

About this opportunity

Turquoise Mountain exists to support artisans and communities and revitalize their heritage. The Senior Manager – Crafts and Artisan Development will uphold the exceptional crafts heritage of Afghanistan and enable and develop the ecosystem of support provided to artisans and communities across a range of crafts traditions. Reporting to the Head of Programs, this role will lead Turquoise Mountain Afghanistan’s work to strengthen traditional crafts and develop skilled artisans. It will support and improve continuity of artisan skills, production and product quality across Calligraphy, Miniature Painting, Jewellery-Making, Gem-Cutting, Woodwork, Embroidery, and Carpets. The role will provide technical leadership to the training faculties and support master artisans and trainers to pass their knowledge to new generations.

The role will connect craft training – delivered through targeted short and medium-term courses – with professional workshop practice, production improvement, business development and market needs – supporting throughout all areas the preservation and continuity of Afghanistan’s craft heritage. Working with master artisans, trainers, production colleagues, and creative / commercial teams, the postholder will strengthen apprenticeship and skills-transfer systems, support high-quality and culturally authentic production, identify and support existing master artisans, and help develop master artisans for the future. Training will respond to artisan development needs as well as production and market requirements.

The postholder will directly supervise the training faculties and training administration function in accordance with the approved organisational structure. They will support master artisans and trainers through mentoring, curriculum oversight, and practical quality assurance, and promote an inclusive learning environment. Planning, budgeting, grant compliance, monitoring, reporting, and coordination will support the delivery and sustainability of these craft and artisan development outcomes. The role will work across the country programme and with the Institute, monitoring and evaluation, operations, finance, production, business development, and creative and commercial teams; it will not line-manage production, commercial, or central creative teams unless specifically delegated through the approved organisational structure.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Craft & Artisan Development, Training & Quality

• Lead and develop the direction for TM Afghanistan’s crafts, artisan development, and training functions, in coordination with the Head of Programs, to ensure traditional craft skills preservation and continuity, artisan progression, and product quality, and in line with organisational objectives.
• Provide technical and management oversight to the training faculties for Calligraphy, Miniature Painting, Woodwork, Jewellery-Making, Gem-Cutting, Embroidery, and Carpet Design & Graphing courses.
• Ensure craft learning promotes, preserves, and celebrates Afghanistan’s heritage, identifying master artisans and technical specialists, ensuring high-quality knowledge of traditional techniques, materials, design, and cultural context is upheld at all stages.
• Lead regular reviews of training scope and curriculum components, workshop quality and fit-out, production standards, and artisan performance, implementing practical improvement plans with master artisans, technical trainers, and production teams.
• Implement and oversee TM’s foundational business training for new artisan enterprises and connect it with practical production, quality, pricing, and market-readiness needs.
• Work directly with TM global creative team to develop representative ranges in each craft type, that both directly relate to technical components and milestones during training and enable onward production and market opportunities for individual artisans and business.
• Conduct regular review of curriculum content, assessment and attainment, and update based on market opportunities, developing trends and demand, and upholding the authentic crafts heritage of Afghanistan.
• Contribute specialist advice to TM’s craft-sector direction and lead research and documentation of traditional techniques, materials, cultural narratives, workshop practices, product quality, and market opportunities. Use findings to inform curricula, product improvement, heritage preservation, and practical progression routes for artisans.
• Strengthen apprenticeship and skills-transfer systems, including trainer observation and support, learner assessment, practical workshop quality assurance, curriculum review, and certification or accreditation where appropriate, in coordination with relevant authorities and technical experts.
• Follow up with graduates and apprentices to understand their craft progression, work and enterprise opportunities, continued use of traditional skills, and views on the quality and relevance of training.

Promotion & Partnerships

• Participate in regular alignment sessions with TM creative / commercial teams, to ensure a holistic approach that ensures full TM ecosystem supports artisans and local and global promotion for artisan products, commercial opportunities and creative partnerships connection.
• Identify and build partnerships that support master artisans, strengthen local craft production, improve quality and innovation, and create sustainable opportunities for artisans.
• Work with the local and global teams to create an annual schedule of exhibitions and promotional events to present Afghan craft, share artisans’ work, and learn from client and market feedback.
• Support connecting commercial viability with fair opportunities for artisans and the preservation of traditional craft skills.

Representation & Stakeholder Coordination

• Engage with Afghanistan authorities, including the Technical & Vocational Education and Training Authority and the Ministry of Industry & Commerce, on craft skills, apprenticeships, training quality, and sector development.
• Engage and work with international accreditation authority of City & Guilds to further develop certification options for trainees.
• Represent TM in relevant craft, training, and artisan development networks and coordination forums.
• Provide craft and artisan development inputs to donor proposals, budgets, engagement, and reporting, in coordination with the Country Director, Head of Programs, and relevant in-country and global teams, including global Creative and Commercial teams.

Team Management

• Manage and develop a team of course trainers, technical experts, consultants and education administrators, to deliver the programmes as described.
• Oversee day-to-day team operations, including attendance, leave, and travel approvals, so teams can deliver consistent training and technical support.
• Maintain clear working relationships and feedback processes with in-country and global creative, commercial, production, and business development teams, connecting craft development priorities with organisational objectives.
• Recruit, induct, supervise, and develop trainers and training staff, in coordination with Human Resources and relevant line managers; encourage strong craft practice, effective teaching, and knowledge-sharing.
• Promote fair and transparent access to training and apprenticeships, and support participation, attendance, completion, and progression for women and other underrepresented artisans.
• Promote equal opportunity and inclusion for staff, artisans, trainers, and learners, including practical steps that enable women and underrepresented groups to participate and progress.
• Promote Turquoise Mountain’s values and a respectful, collaborative working environment, with shared accountability for craft quality and artisan development.

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: Turquoise Mountain Institute of Afghan Arts and Architecture; in-country craft, training, monitoring and evaluation, operations, finance, production, business development, and sales teams; and central creative and commercial teams.

External: Master artisans, craft producers, training partners, clients, donors, partners, and Afghanistan authorities.

Professional approach:

A committed and practical crafts professional who respects artisans’ knowledge and helps teams strengthen their technical practice. Able to guide trainers and master artisans, work across training and production, and ensure craft development reflects heritage, learner needs, quality standards, and market realities. Brings sound organisation and accountability to support these outcomes.

Experience:

• Substantial practical experience in one or more traditional crafts, craft production, or artisan development, including direct work with master artisans or craft enterprises.
• Experience developing artisans’ technical skills, supporting apprenticeship or skills-transfer systems, and mentoring trainers or master artisans.
• Experience improving product quality and workshop practice, including quality assurance, production processes, or translating design and market requirements into production.
• Experience overseeing technical curricula or training programmes for traditional crafts; relevant vocational training or education experience is an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to apply creative or technical knowledge in practical workshop settings and contribute to the preservation of craft heritage.
• Experience managing or contributing to programmes, workplans, budgets, or donor requirements is an asset; strong crafts and artisan-development expertise is the priority.
• Experience liaising with authorities, training partners, or external craft-sector stakeholders is an asset.
• Experience working in Afghanistan is an asset.

Personal Attributes & Skills:

• Committed to preserving and promoting Afghanistan’s traditional crafts and heritage.
• Able to understand the links between craft disciplines, artisan needs, training, workshop production, and product quality.
• Collaborative and respectful, with the ability to build trust and accountability with artisans, master artisans, trainers, and colleagues.
• Clear verbal and written communication, facilitation, mentoring, and technical reporting skills.
• Able to support team development, give and receive constructive feedback, and address problems or conflict appropriately.
• Strong practical planning, prioritisation, problem-solving, and analytical skills, with sound budget-management ability to support craft activities.
• Able to turn artisan, learner, production, and market needs into relevant training and craft-development plans.
• Able to provide technical leadership, make timely decisions, and help teams meet agreed craft-quality and artisan-development outcomes.
• Willingness to live and work in Afghanistan

Digital skills and experience:

Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint), with experience using digital tools for training records, craft quality, production planning, and programme tracking.

Language skills:

Fluency in international-standard spoken and written English is essential. Professional working proficiency in Dari and Pashto is strongly desirable. The ability to work effectively in multilingual environments and through interpretation is required.

How to apply

Submission guideline

Candidates are requested to apply by November 05, 2026, by completing the application form through the link below and uploading their CV and cover letter as a single PDF document. Please do not attach certificates or other large files.

Application Link: Senior Crafts and Artisan Development Manager – Fill out form

This position is for both Afghan nationals and international candidates.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply!

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