Value Chain Development - Technical Advisor

Job Summary

The project Strengthening Rural Value Chains II (SRVC II) is a bilateral project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia. This three-year project (2025-2027) builds on and expands the preceding project SRVC (2021-2024).

The SRVC II project is a comprehensive agricultural value chain development (VCD) project, working along selected agricultural value chains in the horticulture and oilseeds sub-sectors. The project aims to strengthen private sector development, supply chain management and post-harvest management. It works with various public and private partners, including agricultural input and service providers, agricultural producers and processors as well as business associations to foster public-private collaboration and dialogue (PPD). In addition to and beyond selected value chains, the project aims to support federal partners with agricultural policy development and inter-sectoral coordination for Ethiopia’s agricultural sector to fulfill its potential to provide food security, employment and supply high quality food to local and international markets.

The project is structured into three integrated components focusing on oilseeds, horticulture and coffee value chain development, respectively. The latter will be financed by the European Union. For the horticulture component the project is applying for additional funds from the Gates Foundation to support horticulture value chain development in the Arba Minch-Addis Ababa corridor, was well as in Kenya and Uganda. This will be implemented in close collaboration with the Ethiopian Horticulture Association EHPEA and partly through the promotion of contract farming. It is primarily for this sub-component that this advertisement seeks a highly qualified and experienced technical advisor for horticultural value chain and private sector development

Cluster or office-Economic Transformation

Project name-Strengthening Rural Value Chains in Ethiopia (SRVC) II (100%)

Contract duration-Dec 31, 2027

Duty station-Addis Ababa

Responsibilities

• Support the planning and implementation of the horticulture component, particularly those activities co-funded by the Gates Foundation. This includes communication with the Foundation and coordination with GIZ colleagues in Kenya and Uganda.
• Identify opportunities for and support horticultural VCD along the Arba Minch-Hawassa-Addis corridor, including through contract farming and private sector development.
• Support the collaboration with the Ethiopian Horticulture Association EHPEA
• Support policy development for private sector engagement and investment, as well as for the export of horticultural products.
• Support the development and implementation of capacity development measures for selected partners and actors
• Contribute to project implementation, event organization, knowledge management and M&E, as needed

Qualifications

• Master’s degree from a recognized university in the field of Economics, Business Administration, Agriculture, Development Studies, Social Sciences or another related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in technical advising position in agricultural development.
• Full professional fluency (spoken and written) in Amharic and English; additional knowledge of Oromiffa or Sidama is preferred.

Other Knowledge, additional competencies

• Training and work experience on agricultural value chain development, especially fruit and vegetables.
• Experience working with agricultural processing companies, agri-businesses, commercial and smallholders’ farmers on value chain and supply chain development.
• Experience in implementing and managing contract farming schemes in agricultural value chains
• Work experience with international organizations for technical cooperation in Ethiopia.
• Experience working directly with or on projects funded by the Gates Foundation
• Experience in gender-sensitive and transformative approaches in agricultural and private-sector development
• Experience working on digitalization and digital tools such as digital tracing, online learning platforms, AI, etc.
• Experience in coordination of different stakeholders and development partners, especially in multi-country projects.
• Experience in working on coffee value chain development is considered an additional asset.
• Excellent analytical, communication and interpersonal skills

Skills Required:

• Agricultural / Studies
• Economics / Statistics
• Sales / Marketing / Business / Management
• Social / Science / Project / Management / Development