Vacancy Announcement

ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION INSTITUTE

Position:                                         Senior Sub-grant Officer

Term of Employment:                    One year with a possibility of extension

Duty Station(s):                              Addis Ababa, Ethiopia                    

Required Number:                         One

Application Deadline:                    November 30,2024

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, which is a key contributor to the country’s GDP, exports, and workforce. The ATI’s work is centered on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers (SHFs) across the country for improved income, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability.

The ATI works to transform the agriculture sector in Ethiopia by conducting policy and analytical studies, providing technical implementation support and capacity building, coordinating.

platforms to better integrate partners and projects and designing and directly leading several innovative/pilot interventions.

The Institute joins forces with various stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, farmers, and development partners, to support the implementation of agricultural development programs and initiatives. In addition, the ATI collaborates with national and international partners to facilitate knowledge exchange and learning opportunities. The Institute 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 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 team work to achieve excellent results.

At ATI, 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.

Program and Position Summary

In response to high youth unemployment and the limited economic participation of young people and women in Ethiopia, ATI has developed the Agriculture-focused Dignified Employment for Youth in Ethiopia (ADEY) program. This program seeks to harness the agricultural sector’s potential as a driver of dignified employment, with a focus on empowering young people and promoting gender inclusivity. ADEY is designed to provide sustainable economic opportunities through youth-led initiatives in agriculture, with an emphasis on environmental sustainability, nutrition-sensitive practices, and resilience-building across all ATI programs. ATI, among others, currently works with more than 3 million smallholder farmers (540,300 are women and youth) engaged in the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC) and digital agriculture programs designed to improve production and productivity while supporting other actors along the value chain.

The ADEY program aims to create over 600,000 dignified jobs for young people by tapping into key value chains and agricultural sectors, such as livestock, crops and horticulture that hold high potential for employment generation. Leveraging ATI’s successful track record in transforming smallholder agriculture, ADEY prioritizes skills and mind set development, agricultural technology adoption, access to finance, and market expansion tailored to the needs of young people. By establishing youth-led micro, small, and medium enterprises in areas like agro-processing, value addition, and sustainable farming practices, the program provides a holistic approach to economic empowerment. ADEY integrates climate-smart practices, enhances access to inclusive financial products, and works to expand market access for young entrepreneurs, fostering a robust and inclusive agricultural economy in Ethiopia.

In general, the major intervention areas of the ADEY program are: enhance skills and mindsets of young women and men through technical and business skill development; increase access to agricultural inputs for production and marketing enterprises; introduce youth-friendly and cost-effective agricultural production practices and technologies; establish young people owned micro, small and medium agro-processing and value addition enterprises; increased access to inclusive financial products tailored to the needs of young people; enhance access to market tailored to the needs and capacities of young people and create a dignified employment opportunity for young men and women.

The Senior Sub-Grant Officer is responsible to manage ADEY sub-grants, ensuring compliance with the donor guidelines, organizational policies, and financial requirements. He/she will also assume responsibilities to manage other sub-grants at the ATI as assigned by the sub-grant director. He/she will oversee the full grant management cycle, from initial setup and budget monitoring to compliance checks, capacity building, and grant close-out. The position holder will work closely with sub-grantees, providing guidance, technical support, and training to strengthen their financial and project management capacities. Additionally, he/she will be conducting regular monitoring, risk assessment and reporting to ensure that all sub-grant activities align with organizational goals and donor expectations. He/she will work to build strong relationships with the sub-grantees and other stakeholders, and ensure transparent communication and timely resolution of any issues to support successful delivery on the project targets. He/she will directly report to the Director for the Sub-Grant and to the ADEY Program Director in a matrix. She/he will closely work with the ADEY and other program teams at the head office and the regions.

Major Duties and Responsibilities 

A senior Sub-grant officer is responsible to provide a comprehensive approach to sub-grant management, due diligence, ensuring compliance, effectiveness, and accountability in the allocation and use of grant funds, collaborate closely with project teams, especially with the ADEY and other program teams, to align sub grant activities with program timelines and objectives.

• Oversee the full cycle of sub-grant management, including grant setup, budget monitoring, and grant close-out.
• Administer and review pre-award assessments and evaluate organizational capacity of potential partners for sub-grant funding and project implementation.
• Draft subgrant agreements, ensuring alignment with original grant terms and the appropriate flow-down of conditions.
• Implement ATI’s sub-grant policies and donor regulations uniformly across all activities, ensuring compliance in proposal development, information management, and monitoring
• Advise on ATI’s sub-grant management and program team, ensuring sub-grants are represented, discussions documented, and project tracking supported.
• Coordinate external reporting to donors, ensuring high-quality reports are delivered on time.
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements and internal policies, maintaining up-to-date knowledge of relevant guidelines.
• Conduct regular financial reviews, audits, and reconciliations to ensure accurate grant spending and compliance with approved budgets.
• Conduct regular reviews of sub-recipient budgets, cost justifications, indirect cost rates, and compliance considerations, including conflicts of interest and data use policies.
• Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track the progress and impact of sub-grant projects.
• Conduct regular site visits and assessments of sub-grantees to ensure compliance, progress, and quality of grant-funded activities.
• Prepare detailed monitoring reports and recommendations based on findings.
• Review and approve sub-grantees’ financial reports, expenditures, and budget modifications.
• Provide financial oversight to ensure sub-grantees’ adherence to approved budgets and address discrepancies.
• Assist sub-grantees with financial planning and budgeting, ensuring they have the capacity to manage funds effectively.
• Provide training, technical support, and capacity-building initiatives to sub-grantees to enhance their grant management and financial skills.
• Facilitate workshops or training sessions on compliance, reporting, and financial management as needed.
• Identify areas for capacity improvement and provide guidance to support organizational strengthening.
• Prepare and submit accurate and timely reports to donors and organizational leadership, summarizing grant activities, financial status, and outcomes.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation of grant agreements, financial transactions, reports, and correspondence.
• Ensure that all necessary grant records are stored securely and are easily accessible for audits or reviews.
• Identify and assess risks associated with sub-grants and develop mitigation strategies.
• Report and address any irregularities, potential fraud, or misuse of grant funds promptly.
• Implement corrective action plans when issues arise, working closely with the legal and compliance teams to resolve.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with sub-grantees, donors, and partners to foster trust and collaboration.
• Serve as a key point of contact for sub-grantees on grant-related issues, providing clear communication and guidance.
• Represent the organization in meetings with sub-grantees, donors, and other stakeholders to discuss grant status, challenges, and solutions.
• Manage the grant close-out process, ensuring all final reports and documentation are completed.
• Oversee the reconciliation of final expenditures and ensure all grant conditions are met.
• Conduct close-out assessments and provide feedback to improve future sub-grant management processes.

About You

Required Qualification, Competencies, and Experience

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in economics, business administration, project management, finance, international development, or a related field from a recognized institution.
• For bachelor’s degree minimum of 6 years of experience in grant administration, donor compliance, and sub-recipient management.
• For master’s degree minimum of 4 years, with at least 2 years in a senior role.
• Experience with multi-donor programs, especially in the agriculture sector, is preferred.
• Strong sub-grant management skills with an ability to build relationships with government, NGOs, and private sector counterparts.
• Proficient in prioritizing high workloads in dynamic settings and resolving emerging project needs creatively.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and interpersonal skills, with attention to detail and proactive initiative.
• Knowledgeable in accounting, budget management, database management, and project management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
• Fluency in English and Amharic, with strong verbal and written communication skills; additional local languages are a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with internal and external stakeholders, meet deadlines, and respect ATI’s values and policies
• Experience working in donor financed project(s) is a plus.
• Good knowledge of ERP is a plus.
• Experience in collecting and analyzing procurement data.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationship.
• Self-starter with strong motivation, ownership, and commitment to deliver results.
• Promotes data-driven and evidence-based problem solving and decision making.
• Strong team player with excellent relationship building and communication skills.
• Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty, and desire to be of service
• Highly developed interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to relate to and gain the confidence of the senior leadership.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
• Proven leadership ability, with the skills to manage a team and stakeholders and influence others through informal guidance, coaching and feedback.
• Ability to work effectively with regional team and partners and ensure timely data exchange and problem solving between the Federal and Regional levels.
• Ability to work under pressure and in a constantly evolving and challenging environment.
• Excellent analytical skill and computer literate
• Willingness to travel to regions to provide technical support