Vacancy Announcement
ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY
Position: Senior Technical Expert I – Agribusiness and Markets, RDU
Term of Employment: One year with possibility of extension
Duty Station(s): Regional Bureau of Agriculture (Amhara, Oromia, SNNP and Tigray)
Required Number: Four
Salary & Benefits: Competitive
Application Deadline: February 21, 2020
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 catalyze agricultural transformation. First, we support the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), 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.
ATA is currently in the process of launching a Delivery Unit in the Regional Bureaus of Agriculture to directly support them on their work on the Agriculture Commercialization Cluster (ACC) and the Transformation Agenda Deliverables (TAD). Delivery Units have played a critical role in accelerating execution of development initiatives in many countries, particularly in Africa, East and Southeast Asia, including Ethiopia. ATA has helped the set-up a Delivery Unit at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. The Delivery Unit will be jointly overseen by the Regional BoA and ATA senior management.
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:
The Senior Technical Expert (STE) will work closely with the Deputy Heads, the core team, and other colleagues at the Regional BoA and Affiliate institutions to provide technical support to the owners / implementers for interventions under Component 3 and 4 – ‘Agribusiness and Markets’. (detailed below)
Component 3: Build Capacity of Agribusinesses and Cooperatives
This component addresses bottlenecks related to the lack of infrastructure and working capital amongst agribusinesses with a specific focus on private sector storage, cooperative and unions. Throughout priority clusters, agribusinesses and cooperatives suffer from lack of access to finance for working capital and lack of management skills (business, financial, customer relationship management, etc.). Therefore, the core objectives of this component are to support agribusinesses and cooperatives to boost hard capacity (equipment, storage facilities, etc.) and increase the level of value addition within the cluster.
Component 4: Strengthen marketing systems, information, and linkages
This component addresses major bottlenecks related to the lack of effective market information at the farmer level and limited market linkages between potential buyers and producers such as cooperative unions. Limited processing capability is also affecting the market. The core objectives of this component are to develop a farmer-focused market information system, expand the processing and value addition capability, as well as sell, and promote Ethiopian products in the international market.
The STE must have strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, technical expertise and problem-solving experience, as well as initiative design, planning, implementation management and reporting experience. The STE will report directly to the Delivery Unit Head, and have a second, functional reporting line to the responsible Deputy Head(s) of the Regional BoA. This position provides an opportunity to be on the front lines of Ethiopia’s growth and transformation into a middle-income country. The Delivery Unit is part of the respective Regional ATA Office vertical and will be embedded in the Regional Bureau of Agriculture.
The successful candidate for this role will have the technical expertise to effectively drive the interventions within the components, strong analytical and critical thinking skills, experience influencing others in large organizations to simplify, focus and have urgency, and a passion for both results and capacity building. We are applying private sector style rigor to major social issues that can transform Ethiopian society.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
- Coordinate effective annual planning, budgeting and target setting activities for interventions under ACC Program – Component 3 (Build Capacity of Agribusinesses and Cooperatives) and Component 4 (Strengthen marketing systems, information and linkages)
- Identify and analyze critical technical issues directly related to design and implementation of prioritized interventions
- Proactively engage with other DU team members, the ATA and external partners to develop solutions and recommendations to address identified technical issues
- Engage with senior staff within the Bureau, the ATA and external partners to align on and implement program adjustments
- Contribute to ToRs, concept notes, studies, workshops, and training materials, directly related to prioritized targets, deliverables or tasks within the program
- Monitor progress reporting through key reporting systems and tools, engaging with relevant activity owners to ensure reporting is timely and accurate
- Identify and escalate challenges around implementation and reporting, as well as solutions and recommendations, to project leaders and the Delivery Unit Head
- Provide capacity building on technical project execution to BoA staff
- Provide other technical advisory and input needed for effective program implementation
Job Requirements
- Minimum MSc (PhD degree preferred) Agricultural Marketing, Cooperatives Business Management, Agricultural Economics, Economics, Agribusiness, and related areas.
- Minimum of 6 years’ experience in a senior role in government, non-government, international or private sector organizations.
- Deep understanding of Ethiopia’s agricultural sector, with a broad perspective on how the entire system operates and how public, private and non-government organization operate in the system
- In-depth knowledge of agriculture and rural development, experience in developing and implementing strategies and initiatives in ICT and agriculture.
- Good understanding of Ethiopian trade and agricultural policies and strategies.
- Deep understanding of Ethiopia`s Cooperatives and International Cooperatives Context as well.
- Specific experience in planning, prioritizing, sequencing, managing, problem-solving and reporting on implementation of program deliverables including projects.
- Self-starter with strong motivation, ownership and commitment to deliver results.
- Promotes data-driven and evidence-based problem-solving and decision-making.
- Strong team player with excellent relationship building and communication skills.
- Desire to innovate and drive rapid change for Ethiopia’s farmers.
- Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service.
- Fluency in English and Regional working languages required.
More Information
- Job City Amhara, Oromia, SNNP and Tigray, Addis Ababa