Pcu Head / Portfolio Director Position Available

About the Organization

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), formerly known as the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), is a strategic and delivery-oriented government institute created to accelerate the growth and transformation of Ethiopia's agriculture sector, a key contributor to the country's GDP, exports, and workforce. The ATI's work focuses on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers (SHFs) for enhanced income, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability.

The ATI collaborates with various stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, farmers, and development partners, to implement agricultural development programs and initiatives. The institute plays a crucial role in generating and disseminating information to support evidence-based decision-making in Ethiopia's agricultural sector.

Our Culture

At ATI, we have a team of highly competent employees with a proven track record of managing complex activities and achieving transformational results. Our culture encourages talented, dedicated, and adaptable individuals to exhibit teamwork and strive for excellence. We offer rewarding work in a fast-paced environment with exceptional career development and training opportunities, committed to providing the necessary tools, training, and mentorships for employees to achieve their career goals.

Position Summary

The PCU Head/Portfolio Director is the senior executive responsible for providing strategic direction, leadership, and oversight across the PCU portfolio. This role ensures that all programs, projects, and reforms are coherent, impactful, and aligned with national agricultural transformation agendas, leading resource management, technical supervision, donor engagement, and institutional learning.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Outcome 1: Strategic Leadership & Portfolio Management (20%)

• Provide overarching leadership and strategic direction for all projects in the PCU portfolio.
• Develop and operationalize long-term portfolio strategies aligned with agricultural transformation and sectoral reform priorities.
• Lead annual planning, budgeting, and multi-year program design in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Ensure projects are coherent, identify cross-project synergies, and propose strategic adjustments.

Outcome 2: Policy Coordination & Integration (15%)

• Ensure PCU projects incorporate policy priorities and sector reforms.
• Facilitate policy dialogue with ministries, agencies, development partners, and sector platforms.
• Provide evidence-based advice; guide the development of policy briefs and knowledge products.

Outcome 3: Project Oversight, Performance Management & Quality Assurance (20%)

• Oversee project implementation performance, ensuring efficiency, compliance, and results delivery.
• Evaluate feasibility, relevance, and readiness of project concepts; ensure robust M&E use.
• Lead quarterly, biannual, and annual performance reviews and corrective action planning.

Outcome 4: New Project Development & Commissioning (15%)

• Identify emerging needs, sector gaps, and opportunities for new projects.
• Lead concept development, feasibility analysis, and investment case preparation.
• Oversee commissioning and rollout of new programs, pilot interventions, and innovation initiatives.

Outcome 5: Stakeholder Coordination & Partnership Management (15%)

• Serve as primary PCU representative for MOA, donors, NGOs, and private-sector partners.
• Coordinate sector-wide engagement forums, joint reviews, and multi-stakeholder dialogues.
• Manage donor relationships, ensure alignment with national priorities, and oversee reporting.

Outcome 6: Financial Oversight & Resource Management (10%)

• Ensure efficient, transparent use of resources; oversee expenditure tracking and portfolio-level budgeting.
• Approve financial plans, forecasts, and project disbursement schedules; ensure compliance.

Outcome 7: Impact Evaluation & Institutional Learning (5%)

• Oversee portfolio-wide evaluation processes to measure sustainability and impact.
• Ensure lessons learned inform planning, policy, and decision-making; lead knowledge dissemination.

Required Qualification, Competencies, and Experience

• Field of Study: Master's or PhD degree in Agriculture, Economics, Public Administration, Development Studies, Management, or related fields.
• Experience: 12 years for Master's and 6 years for PhD of relevant work experience, with at least 6 years in a leadership and managerial position.

Behavioral Competencies

• Strategic Thinking & Systems Perspective: Ability to see the big picture, anticipate future trends, and design strategies addressing systemic challenges.
• Decision-Making & Problem-Solving: Makes evidence-based, timely, and high-impact decisions, handling complex issues with sound judgment.
• Leadership & People Management: Strong ability to lead, motivate, and mentor across multidisciplinary teams.
• Collaboration & Relationship Management: Demonstrates professionalism and emotional intelligence when working with partners and stakeholders.

Technical Competencies

• Strategic Leadership & Vision: Ability to lead complex, multi-year transformation agendas and align portfolios with national priorities.
• Policy & Institutional Reform Expertise: Deep understanding of agricultural development policy and reform pathways.
• Advanced Portfolio & Program Management: Proven ability to manage large, multi-donor, cross-cutting portfolios effectively.
• Financial Oversight & Resource Optimization: Ability to interpret budgets, financial analyses, and value-for-money assessments.
• Partnership & Stakeholder Coordination: Strong skills in negotiating and managing government, donor, and civil society partnerships.

Skills Required:

• Accounting / Finance
• Agricultural / Studies
• Economics / Statistics
• Hr / Public / Admin