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Sr. Project Officer I – Crop Agribusiness at ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION INSTITUTE
Position Title: Sr. Project Officer I – Crop Agribusiness
Employer: ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION INSTITUTE
Employment: Full-Time | Contract
Place of Work: Assosa - Ethiopia
Posted date: 5 months ago
Deadline: Submission date is over
BACKGROUND
The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), formerly known as the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), is a strategy and delivery-oriented government institute created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of Ethiopia’s agriculture sector. The ATI’s work focuses on:
- Improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers (SHFs)
- Conducting policy and analytical studies
- Providing technical implementation support and capacity building
- Coordinating platforms to better integrate partners and projects
- Designing and leading innovative interventions
The Institute collaborates with various stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, farmers, and development partners, to support agricultural development programs. It plays a crucial role in generating and disseminating information to support evidence-based decision-making in Ethiopia’s agricultural sector.
Our Culture
We have an exceptional team of highly competent employees committed to achieving transformational results. Our culture emphasizes:
- Talented and dedicated individuals
- Great teamwork
- Career development and training opportunities
At ATI, we provide a platform for individuals to achieve their highest potential and make a meaningful contribution to changing the country’s agricultural sector.
Position Summary
The Crop Agribusiness Senior Project Officer (SPO) I is responsible for:
- Successful implementation of the Crop Commercialization Program
- Coordinating crop-related interventions in the Agricultural Commercialization Cluster (ACC) II program
- Planning, designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating activities
- Providing advice on business skills and marketing management
- Compiling, analyzing, and reporting on project implementation
Major Duties and Responsibilities
Outcome 1: Facilitation and Coordination (25%)
- Provide high-level technical support to crop value chain activities
- Engage in the Development Strategy for crop Farmers Production Cluster
- Identify main actors and service providers for value chain platforms
- Develop agendas with stakeholders
- Ensure effective operational planning and monitoring
- Facilitate periodic VCA and marketing meetings
- Support contract farming and market linkages
- Work closely with partners to build capacity in value chains
- Ensure gender, CSA, and nutrition are mainstreamed in interventions
- Strengthen networks between MSEs and input suppliers
Outcome 2: Stakeholder Engagement (15%)
- Work with regional partners to resolve strategic issues
- Liaise in the preparation of annual ACC program marketing plans
- Provide technical support for FPCs/ACC marketing tools
- Support the establishment of a Value Chain platform
- Foster market linkages between value chain actors
- Provide content direction to project teams
- Support cross-sector coordination and problem-solving
- Facilitate stakeholder forums and market linkages
Outcome 3: Assessments and Solutions (20%)
- Introduce new technologies and marketing activities
- Identify commercial opportunities and conduct market analysis
- Collaborate to develop market linkages
- Evaluate investment needs for production and processing
- Conduct assessments of limiting factors and propose solutions
Outcome 4:
- Conduct capacity building activities and follow-up support to ensure the creation of human capital capable of executing the ACC program activities at the region (15%).
- Guidance: Provide guidance to Woreda experts, DAs, and implementation partners in the implementation of marketing and value chain intervention activities.
- Business Skills: Identify business skill gaps of main actors and service provider stakeholders in each VC of prioritized commodities.
- Awareness Creation: Conduct awareness creation on contract farming and contract marketing for key implementors.
- Training Facilitation: Facilitate and provide ToT training for stakeholders on various agri-business concepts and practices.
- Export Marketing: Facilitate and provide special training on export marketing for export commodities and strengthen business relations capacity of FPCs with potential buyers.
- Market Linkage: Identify systemic and operational issues affecting market linkage and value chain implementation and provide systematic intervention support.
- Technical Support: Provide technical support to model FPC members for the preparation of their business plans and facilitation of linkages with potential buyers.
Outcome 5:
- Documentation of efficient methodologies & tools, and development of a network of partners and service providers (15%).
- Meeting Documentation: Document minutes, meeting agendas, and pictures for each VCA meeting and contract agreements.
- Experience Compilation: Compile experiences of each meeting and agreement events to main stakeholders as lessons learned.
- Public Learnings: Make the learnings publicly available through different communication outlets and develop an interactive website/App for Agribusiness.
- Network Development: Develop a network with partners and service providers for project efficacy and efficiency.
Outcome 6:
- Responsible for compiling and submitting data and reports to ensure alignment on project implementation and identify potential risks (10%).
- Meeting Preparation: Prepare standard VC meetings and market linkage forums minutes and periodic reporting templates.
- Stakeholder Coordination: Ensure alignment on the plan and effective coordination of relevant stakeholders.
- Performance Reporting: Prepare and submit high-standard aggregated biweekly, quarterly, annual, and on-demand performance reports.
- Additional Interventions: The job holder is responsible for additional interventions assigned by their immediate supervisor.
Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience
- Education: Minimum master’s degree in relevant fields such as Agronomy, Agriculture, or Agribusiness.
- Experience: At least 6 years of experience directly related to agricultural sciences or private sector engagement.
- Result Orientation: Focus on VCA development and marketing tasks.
- Teamwork: Believes in teamwork and organizes the regional teams’ needs.
- Passion: Have a great passion for working with farmers.
- Strategic Thinking: Align with stakeholders’ visions.
- Networking: Create a network in their functions with all actors.
- Communication Skills: Conversant with regional working languages; good oral and written communication skills.
- Problem-Solving: Good analytical, problem-solving, and reporting skills.
- Change Management: Good understanding of stakeholders’ vision.
- Market Scanning: Ability to scan domestic and international market systems.
- Decision Making: Ability to identify key problems and take timely decisions.
- Confidentiality: Principle of keeping secure and secret information given by the organization.
- Personal Values: Strong integrity, honesty, and desire to serve.
Technical Competencies
- Agribusiness Skills: Adopt and implement best practices on product aggregation and marketing.
- Planning and Monitoring: Planning, implementation, and monitoring of ACC project tasks.
- Stakeholder Management: Knowledge of regional and federal-level institutions; experience in facilitating dialogue with stakeholders.
- Value Chain Management: Knowledge and experience in market-led value chain development.
- Agricultural Marketing: Experience in contract farming, market linkage, and value addition.
- Professional Skills: Ability to work with minimal supervision and manage time effectively.
- Resource Management: Ability to identify and manage necessary resources efficiently.
Other Requirements (Languages, Licensing, or Certifications)
- Competent in utilizing essential computer applications.
- Proficiency in oral and written English and Amharic languages.
- Having a certificate in project management is an added advantage.
