Job Description

Vacancy Announcement

ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY

Position:                          Independent Contractor- Legal Advisor 

Term of Employment:  One year with possibility of extension

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

Required Number:        One

Salary & Benefits:          Competitive

Application Deadline:   September 27, 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:

This position is a secondment position 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 and a fairly enabling environment has been instituted, positioning the country to strengthen the competitive edge of its private sector, to attract foreign direct investment and to develop labor intensive industries and an export–oriented manufacturing sector.

Yet, the transformation of the national economy continues to be hampered by organizational and operational limitations availed within the EIC; particular problems include an overstretched capacity of senior personnel, the non-existence of active outreach system targeting potential investors, lack of relevant and pre-packaged information needed to attract quality investments, a nascent One-Stop-Shop service and the absence of an adequate number of qualified and purpose–driven 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 during the GTP II 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 Legal Advisor is expected to support the Commission on a broad range of issues, including but not limited to; providing leadership in the delivery of reliable, accurate, timely and well-informed legal advice, supervising the day to day legal functions of the Commission and undertaking legal research that includes all aspects of analysis, investigation and drafting process. He/she is also responsible for providing support in various other legal and policy issues by representing the Commission, drafting undertakings, and structuring remedies for the relevant issues.

The Legal Advisor will also be part of the senior policy research services team and carries a collective responsibility to ensure the provision of quality policy advise services to the Commission and is responsible for the management and development of other legal and policy services staff and for project leadership.

The Legal Advisor will directly report to the Policy Reform and Investment Promotion Division Deputy Commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission.

 ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Undertake and/or oversee diagnostics studies on policies, laws and working procedures that affect the investment landscape and forward recommendations for intervention.
• Preparation of draft legal opinions, advice, and briefs on a wide range of legal issues, including international public and private law issues.
• Ensure appropriate legal policies and practices are in place to manage the legal obligations and legal risks of the Commission effectively.
• Assist in developing flexible and efficient procedures regulating the issuance, renewal, replacement, and cancellation of investment licenses.
• Support the development of directives that would be employed in the administration of investment incentives; and including legal audit and follow up the implementation of the above.
• Lead on research and analysis of investment laws and regulations to support increase of foreign direct investment flows to Ethiopia.
• Drafts and/or reviews procurement, and other contracts and agreements to be signed by the Commission and provides advice and recommendations.
• Co-leads the negotiation of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) along with other team leads to facilitate better investment opportunities in the country.
• Ensure that adequate procedures governing the dispensation of investment incentives are put in place.
• Support the Commission in undertaking regulatory functions within IPs, ensure that appropriate procedures and manuals are adopted to effectively discharge EIC’s regulatory mandates within Ips.
• Support the Commission’s activities in investment climate improvement and reform programs
• Work with other divisions of the EIC to facilitate the organization and flow of investment related legal information and services.
• Building understanding of legal issues, risks and obligations through advice, communications and training needs, for other legal services staff and managers.
• Oversee the Commissions Systematic Investor Response Mechanism (SIRM) facility, which enables the Commission to identify patterns in government-generated grievances affecting investment.
• Together with other relevant government agencies, provide guidance and helps to provide appropriate assistance in investment disputes with foreign companies.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least 10 years (for Master’s or LLM,) and 12 years (for Bachelor or LLB) of combined professional work experience in either one or more of the following:
• Teaching, academia,
• Consulting, practicing lawyer, advisory services,
• providing policy advice on economic development, industrial policy and/or investment related subjects,
• team leadership, program/project coordination/support type roles,
• investment promotion and facilitation,
• institutional capacity building roles, business and/or public administration roles,
• Fluency in English language.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Strong analytical skills in legal, economic, and social dimensions of development and investment.
• Proven analytical and opinion writing ability.
• Basic understanding of Ethiopia’s economic policies and investment system, with broad perspective on how the entire system operates and how public, private, and informal actors operate within the system.
• Experience in prioritizing and sequencing programmatic and operational activities.
• Experience in creating partnerships at the national level and (preferably) at international level.
• Highly facilitative and collaborative leadership style.
• Excellent computer (ICT) skills, analytical and data gathering skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service.

How to Apply

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to submit (i) a cover letter and (ii) CV (maximum 3 pages) to https://apply.ata.gov.et

It is mandatory to mention the position title in the subject line of your application email.

Please DO NOT submit scans of educational and experience certificates with your application.

Women are highly encouraged to apply.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.