Vacancy Announcement

ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY

Position:                          Cluster Coordinator

Term of Employment:   One year with possibility of extension

Duty Station(s):              Tigray - Humera

Required Number:         One

Salary & Benefits:           Competitive

Application Deadline:    June 29, 2020

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 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 sector 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 team work 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:

The ACC Cluster Coordinator will drive day-to-day coordination of implementation activities in the ACC by public, private, and development sector stakeholders, as agreed in the ACC target-setting and operational-planning process. Specific responsibilities include:

• Coordinate planning within the ACC, including strategic as well as joint operational planning with other ongoing activities,
• Ensure strong program management within the ACC through driving day to day coordination of interventions and reporting, verifying status and progress of interventions, proactively identifying issues and solution options, working with stakeholders to ensure effectively joint problem-solving,
• Escalate issues and needs to Regional levels where appropriate, including support around coordination, resources, capacity-building, policy and other systemic interventions
• Ensure upward reporting meets needs for Regional and National stakeholders
• Coordinate planning (including preparation and circulation of meeting agendas, presentation decks, and cluster reports) and facilitating of cluster commodity value chain alliance meetings and other activities within the cluster, follow ups.
• Record and document cluster level basic databases including cropping system and all agricultural data and information.

The ideal candidate will therefore possess strong senior public and private stakeholder relationships in the ACC, with a strong understanding of identifying and problem-solving challenges to agricultural value chain development, as well as best practice program and project management approaches and monitoring and evaluation activities. He / she will also have in-depth experience and knowledge of previous agricultural commercialization, agri-business / agro-industry, or industrial cluster or corridor initiatives in Ethiopia and Africa. Market based programing experience with a focus with smallholder farmers will be an added value as well. Finally, the candidate will demonstrate a passion for improving the lives of smallholder farmers.              

 ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Mainstream use of planning, program management and reporting processes and tools developed by the National and Regional ACC Teams within the ACC Support Team and by other local stakeholders, to ensure effective decision-making.
• Coordinate effective planning and management of interventions within the ACC, including joint planning and ongoing alignment with other ongoing programs and initiatives (local, Regional and Federal).
• Drive day-to-day stakeholder coordination and problem-solving of issues at the ACC level.
• Ensure regular communication, and performance and financial reporting, with the Regional ACC program manager, key local public, private and development partner stakeholders.

• Effectively escalate issues which cannot be addressed at the ACC level to the Regional ACC Senior Director for resolution.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Economics, or other relevant fields.
• At least 6 years of professional experience for BA holders and 4 years for master’s degree in supporting planning and implementation of value chain development and upgrading activities, preferably including project management of large-scale agro-processing and agribusiness focused initiatives.
• In-depth knowledge of agriculture and rural development, in particular:

-    Ethiopian policies and strategies.

-    Agricultural cluster and corridor implementation initiatives in Ethiopia or abroad.

-    Market-led value chain development and upgrading.

• Excellent stakeholder management skills including thorough knowledge and understanding of various regional level and federal level institutions; extensive experience in facilitating dialogue with relevant senior public and private stakeholders.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with highly collaborative working style.
• Experience in working within multi-cultural teams preferred.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Fluency in English and Amharic languages and Working Languages of the respective regions is required.
• Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty, and desire to be of service.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving environment, with an emphasis on high performance, teamwork, accountability, and results.