ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY

 Position:                          Regional Sub-grants Officer (Re-advert)

Term of Employment:   Full time

Duty Station(s):              Bahir-Dar

Required Number:         One

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 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:

The Regional Sub-Grants Officer will be responsible to support the regional operations team to ensure ATA, Donors and GoE policies and procedures on grant management are implemented.  S/he will maintain sub-grant systems to ensure the integrity and deliver on timely and coherent grant information and present to all concerned parties in order to support management decisions.

The post will directly report to the Regional Operations Director and Federal office Sub-Grants Director.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

1.       Sub-grant Management

• Support the sub-grant initiation process such as dissemination of the announcement and other relevant information to partners; answer queries when needed.
• Collect proposals and relay them to HQ with the required level of control mechanism.
• Participate in proposal review and evaluation technical committee and play a key role in the evaluation of the proposed project cost of potential sub-grantees; 
• Participate in the due diligence assessment to the possible sub-grantee and play a vital role in identifying the potential risk that might face on the project implementation.
• Collect and conduct an initial review of subgrantees’ technical and financial reports.
• Compile technical reports and send to program and subgrant team.
• Confirm the sub-grantees utilization performance and facilitate the subsequent fund release by closely working with the respective budget holder.
• Prepare an overall subgrantees financial status portfolio and performance report on a regular basis and submit it to management.
• Review financial utilization reports of sub-grantees and submit to the regional finance team to be settled or post reviewed subgrantee financial reports into ERP as per delegation matrix.
• Undertake financial monitoring visits:

i.            Provide briefing on donor compliance issues and ATA sub-grant management procedures.

ii.            Conduct monitoring and evaluation visits.

iii.            Provide on job technical supports and training to sub-grantees on budget monitoring, grant management and financial reporting during project                                                      implementation.

• Review & address sub-grantee complaints at the regional level and escalate to HQ team as needed including communication to program and sub-grant management team.
• Provide input to the sub-grant management team if there is any outstanding balance and any financial concerns related to specific Sub-grantee before close-out is finalized.
• Follow-up on refund of unutilized budget and work with the regional finance team.
• Provide input for the preparation final closure letter.

2.       Sub-Grant Management System

• Regularly update and maintain sub-grant files on ERP grant management module and hardcopy files.
• Assure that closed sub-grantees are inactive on the ERP/Agresso and no payments are recorded.

3.       Other Tasks

• Facilitate sub-grant audits as required from entry audit to exit meeting at the regional level.
• Provide other ad-hoc regional sub-grant management information and analysis.
• Other duties assigned by the Supervisor.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance, Business administration or Economics from a recognized University.
• At least 5 years (for Bachelor’s) or 3 years (for Master’s) of relevant work experience.
• Knowledge of local laws of the country including finance, tax and procurement.
• Flexibility and ability to stay effective and motivated in a fast-changing environment.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability and willingness to work long hours and work with other staff.
• Excellent adaptive problem-solver in a challenging environment.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Fluency in Amharic and English.
• Proficient Microsoft Office user.