ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY

Position:                          Project Officer I – AgriHub

Term of Employment:   Full time

Duty Station(s):              Addis baba

Required Number:        One

Salary & Benefits:          Competitive

Application Deadline:   September 25, 2021

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 to 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:

At the core of ATA’s strategy to achieve agricultural transformation is the transition of smallholder farmers from subsistence orientated to market-focused production systems and activities that better integrate them into domestic and global supply chains. The full development and competitiveness of the entire agricultural value chain are thus critical to ensure that smallholder farmers can make the necessary market linkages that allow such supply chain integrations to happen. With this aim, the Agrihub project works to strengthen MSMEs established under ATA projects and provide them with access to finance through linkages with banks and other financial institutions.

Some of the most critical challenges agribusinesses (MSMEs) face are under-developed business capabilities and limited access to finance. The Project Officer will be responsible for helping manage the business advisory services provided to Capability Booster tier enterprises by assisting with the screening process, working with the business development partner to develop and provide business training content, helping organize and manage group networking and training sessions, working with regional Business Advisors to help develop milestone plans for business advisory services, supporting regional Business Advisors with the provision of business advisory, working with the Senior Project Officer – Agri-Finance and Accounting Mentors to help link enterprises to financial institutions, helping create templates and documents relevant to the project, and helping disburse learnings and best practices to all relevant stakeholders. The project officer will also serve as the link between the Acceleration and Centre of Excellence tier.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

Lead the provision of business development service for the enterprises that are in the Capability Booster Tier

• Work with AgriHub HQ team, Project teams, and Regional AgriHub teams to select enterprises for Capability Booster tier through screening and due diligence.

• Work with regional Business Advisors to provide feedback, guidance, and collaboration on milestone plans developed for Capability Booster enterprises’ business advisory services.

• Work with AgriHub’s business development partner to designed tailored training topics and materials for each type of MSME supported.

• Help organizes and disburse information about business skill training and group networking sessions.

• Collaborate with regional Business Advisors and business development partners on adjusting training topics, collecting session feedback, and improving future sessions.

• Follow-up and provide guidance to regional Business Advisors as needed; track and help enforce progress on milestone plans.

• Help connect Capability Booster enterprises to financial institutions.

Lead the procurement, installation, and utilization of integrated accounting, CRM, and inventory management software

• Conduct research, prepare TOR and evaluation criteria for the procurement of integrated accounting, CRM, and inventory management software.

• Lead the engagement of the software provider company with AgriHub.

• Organize orientation and training workshops for software ‘provider companies, business development experts, and HQ team.

• Oversee the installation and utilization process of software by the enterprises.

Lead the provision of high-level customized business advisory support to high potential MSMEs in order to ensure enterprises meet key business milestones

• Work with AgriHub HQ team, Project teams, and Regional AgriHub teams to select enterprises for Capability Booster tier through screening and due diligence.

• Conduct detailed analysis to select enterprises that graduate to the next tier at the end of every year.

• Work with regional Business Advisors to provide feedback, guidance, and collaboration on milestone plans developed for Capability Booster enterprises’ business advisory services.

Create a ‘Business Development Support Delivery’ monitoring and evaluation mechanism in order to track and improve upon the support provided to MSMEs by Agrihub and Business Development Officers in other ATA projects

• Oversee the delivery of training, business advisory service, and networking events.

• Work closely with project teams to collect and enact feedback from MSMEs on support provided.

• Develop a ‘Key Learnings’ playbook to serve as a reference to ATA project-based MSMEs.

Own and manage workstream in order to ensure timely delivery of support to MSMEs and ATA project teams

• Provide guidance to Business Development Officers in Agrihub and other ATA projects, service providers and implementation partners.

• Compile and prepare biweekly, quarterly, and annual reports to be submitted to the Agrihub Team Leader for review and approval.

• Provide progress updates to enterprises and the Agrihub project team regularly.

Other

• The Project Officer is responsible for additional interventions assigned by the Agrihub Team Lead in order to meet the Agrihub team’s functions.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Project Management, Business Administration, Agricultural Economics, Development Economics, Agribusiness, Finance, Commerce, Management, Marketing, or other relevant fields.

• At least 5 years for BA/BSc or 3 years for MA/MSc work experience in either one or more of the following: consulting, analytics, strategy, business development/management/administration, program/project coordination, investment facilitation, agribusiness, corporate finance, stakeholder management.

• Demonstrated ability to prepare a project plan, performance management, monitoring and evaluation.

• Ability to develop training materials and accounting templates customized to the needs of MSMEs.

• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively and collaboratively with a broad range of public and private sector counterparts and other key stakeholders.

• Past experience working with international donors.

• Fluency in English and Amharic both writing and speaking are required.