ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY

 Position:                          Investment Promotion Expert

Term of Employment:   Fixed-term

Duty Station(s):              Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC), Addis Ababa

Required Number:         Two

Salary & Benefits:           Competitive

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 and Livestock Resources (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 the 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 sectors 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 teamwork 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 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 to attract foreign direct investment and to develop labor-intensive industries and an export-oriented manufacturing sector. Yet, the transformation of the economy is hampered by organizational and operational limitations; particular problems include an overstretched capacity of senior personnel, a limited active outreach system targeting potential investors, limited availability of pre-packaged information needed to attract quality investments, and the limited number of qualified 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 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 Investment Promotion Expert will sit under the Investment Promotion Directorate and is expected to support EIC on a broad range of issues, including but not limited to:

• Guiding and supporting the development of specific investment hubs and clusters with value chains

• Establishing one-stop-shop facility consisting of streamlined procedures for registering and operating a company in Ethiopia

• Identifying target markets and investors, and appropriate investor facilitation and aftercare

• Preparing investment briefs, appropriate technical materials, and electronic promotion campaigns

• Preparing investor guides for Ethiopia for select sectors with appropriate incentives

• Providing support in developing and executing investment promotion strategies.

• Conducting targeted investment approaches including identification, analysis, and prioritization of targeted countries and investors in priority sectors for engagement and conversion.

• Preparing promotional materials.

• Managing engaged investors for conversion.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

Clearly outline value proposition for investors targeting the implementation of the investment promotion strategy.

• Undertake due diligence of companies identified for potential foreign direct investment through internal and external sources.

• Undertake due diligence on potential investment promotion platforms in priority sectors to promote opportunities.

• Develop and maintain content expertise of various sectors and the existing policies, strategies, laws, and regulations.

• Identify unique competitive strengths of various sectors during value proposition.

• Explore benchmarks, assess, and streamline effective and flexible investment promotion and facilitation procedures.

Facilitate investor engagements and consistently follow-up for conversion and investment.

• Keep a record of timely and accurate information and prepare factsheets of various sectors.

• Sort and track information on approached investors into the Investment Tracking Tool for proper follow-up.

• Maintain an up-to-date record of available incentive packages to help investors make informed decisions.

• Identify and resolve outstanding issues for the investors.

• Establish an effective feedback facility for investor troubleshooting.

Develop relevant and tailored promotional materials and organize promotional events.

• Prepare standardized promotional materials such as presentations, brochures, and online content to create awareness of opportunity sectors.

• Organize investment promotion events and outreach activities.

• Organize awareness creation and sector-specific matchmaking events such as seminars, workshops, and/ or symposia for discussions on investment opportunities.

• Engage in promotional activities through local and international forums, seminars, conferences, workshops, organized by partners and other relevant stakeholders.

• Create coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office and other institutions that are forefront in attracting FDI.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Masters degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Law, Management, Economics, International Relations and Political Science, Business Diplomacy, or other related fields.

• At least 6 years of proven, relevant work experience in marketing, promotion, and/or business development with demonstrated knowledge of market assessment, strategy development, and/or promotion techniques.
• Experience in the private sector or consultancy-related work.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Professional command of written and spoken English and Amharic language.

• Strong ability to work with MS Office Suite (PowerPoint, Excel, …)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Basic understanding of Ethiopia’s economic policies and investment system, with a broad perspective on how the entire system operates and how public, private, and informal actors operate within the system.

• Experience in creating and/or managing the production of written publications (articles, press releases, etc), developing strategies and relations, and preparing promotional materials.

• Language proficiency in Arabic and Mandarin is highly valued.

• Excellent computer, analytical, and data gathering skills.

• Highly facilitative and collaborative leadership style.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

• A strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty, and desire to be of service.