Vacancy Announcement
ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY
Position: Junior Research Officer
Term of Employment: One year with possibility of extension
Duty Station(s): Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC), Addis Ababa
Required Number: Three
Salary & Benefits: Competitive
Application Deadline: Dec 24, 2018
BACKGROUND
The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) is a strategy and delivery oriented government agency created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector. The ATA envisions that, by 2025, smallholder farmers are commercialized with greater incomes, inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability, contributing to Ethiopia’s achievement of middle-income country status.
The agency focuses on two primary national approaches to catalyse agricultural transformation. First, we support the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources (MoALR), its affiliate institutions, and other partners to identify and address systemic bottlenecks within an Agricultural Transformation Agenda. Second, we support Regional Governments to accelerate development of high-priority commodity value chains in clearly defined geographic clusters, through the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC) Initiative.
Our major activities include conducting strategic and analytical studies, providing technical implementation support, coordinating platforms to better integrate partners and projects, and designing and directly leading a number of implementation projects. Our headquarters are in Addis Ababa, and we have regional offices in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray regional offices, allowing us to work closely with a wide range of public, private and development sector partners across the country.
Our Culture
We have an exceptional team of highly competent employees with a proven track record of success in managing complex activities and achieving transformational results. Our culture is one where talented, dedicated and adaptable individuals are committed to doing their best and exhibit great team work to achieve excellent results.
At ATA, we provide an exceptional platform for people who want to achieve their highest potential and make a meaningful contribution in changing the country’s agricultural sector. We offer rewarding work in a young, fast-paced growing organization with passionate, committed, motivated colleagues and excellent career development and training. We recognize our most valuable assets are our staff and are committed to providing our employees with the tools, training and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals.
POSITION SUMMARY:
This position is a secondment position to the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC).
Over the years, the EIC has pursued a series of policy, legal and institutional measures with the goal of effectively realizing national investment plans and targets proposed under Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plans. Clearer strategies have been put in place and a fairly enabling environment has been instituted, positioning the country to strengthen the competitive edge of its private sector, to attract foreign direct investment and to develop labor intensive industries and an export–oriented manufacturing sector.
Yet, the transformation of the national economy continues to be hampered by organizational and operational limitations availed within the EIC; particular problems include an overstretched capacity of senior personnel, the non-existence of active outreach system targeting potential investors, lack of relevant and pre-packaged information needed to attract quality investments, a nascent One-Stop-Shop service and the absence of an adequate number of qualified and purpose–driven human resources pool.
To address these limitations, the EIC, together with the ATA, has developed the ‘Strengthening Investor Engagement, Advisory Roles and Regulatory Powers of the Ethiopian Investment Commission’ Program. The main objectives of the Program during the GTP II are to carry out strategic development of EIC’s institutional infrastructure and human resources portfolio and thereby augment its capacity to attract quality investment, to better support private sector stakeholders and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of services rendered to investors.
The Research Officer is expected to support the Commission on a broad range of issues, including but not limited to doing data collection and providing a wide range of analyses. The Research Officer will assist EIC staff, scholars, consultants and technical staff on research areas including economic development, agriculture and rural transformation, industrialization, urbanization, and structural transformation
The Research Officer will report to the head of the Project Management Unit.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
- Primary and secondary data collection involving a wide range of stakeholders from government and private sector;
- Preparation of literature reviews and synthesis reports on topics related to economic development, agriculture and rural transformation, industrialization, urbanization, and structural transformation;
- Conduct statistical and econometric analysis using advanced software, including Stata and SPSS;
- Assist authors, editors and the program coordinator in the write up of the research chapters/papers;
- Assist editors and the program coordinator in a wide range of logistical and administrative matters;
- Carry out other related assignments as required.
Job Requirements
- Bachelors degree in Economics, Law, Social Sciences or any other relevant discipline, with strong academic records;
- Experience in conducting research, publication, teaching and/or academia;
- Minimum of one year relevant experience;
- Flexible and ability to work in challenging environment;
- Ability to work independently in an intellectual challenging environment;
- Good knowledge of computers in general and statistical/econometrics in particular.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Strong analytical skills in economic and social dimensions of development and investment;
- Basic understanding of Ethiopia’s economic policies and investment system, with broad perspective on how the entire system operates and how public, private and informal actors operate within the system;
- Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, start-up environment, with an emphasis on high-performance, teamwork, accountability and results;
- Ability to build relationships with all kinds of people;
- Excellent analytical, leadership, and data gathering skills;
- Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service;
- Strong English oral and written communication skills.
How to Apply
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to submit (i) a cover letter, (ii) CV (maximum 5 pages), and (iii) a completed ATA Application Form at http://apply.ata.gov.et.
Women are highly encouraged to apply.
- Only short listed candidates will be contacted.
More Information
- Job City Addis Ababa