Vacancy Announcement

ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY

Position:                Senior Project Officer I – AOSS

Term of Employment:  One Year with possibility of extension

Duty Station(s):              Bahir Dar

Required Number:         One

Salary & Benefits:     Competitive

Application Deadline:   June 24,2021

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 catalyse agricultural transformation. First, we support the Ministry of Agriculture (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:

Working under the supervision of the regional Acc Director, the Regional Senior Business Development Project Officer (SPO) will work on all aspects of promoting the One Stop Shops (OSS) opportunity, identification of potential OSSs, and assessment of inputs demand and supply in selected potential areas, business management counselling, clear guidance on development and implementation of presentable accounting systems, business development initiatives at the OSSs. In collaboration with the Senior Project Officer (SPO) at the Head Office, the SPO will provide guidance on Business Plans preparation by candidate OSSs in the course of grant application processes. The SPO will be a key player in providing all aspects of business management capabilities to candidate OSSs through business profitability assessment and analysis. In collaboration with SPO at the Head Office, s/he will provide periodic and need based business management skill enhancing training's; grant utilization and reporting in compliance with donors’ policies to OSS staff. The SPO will seek, guide & recommend on alternative access to credit financing to the OSS. As a multi-faceted position, the SPO will review & monitor clients accounting reports, business performance progress & provide timely technical support wherever necessary. She /he will oversight regional crop and livestock project officers, organize regional plan and compile weekly, monthly quarterly and annual regional project reports.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinates and manage regional project staffs, responsible for reporting of the project activities in the region and overall communication to the Project Team Leader as well as to stakeholders in the region.
• In consultation with the regional ATA Director and program manager coordinate project activities with the ACC
• Promote the OSSs opportunity to potential private sector actors in potential areas
• Gather, compile and provide information for evaluation of OSSs grant applicants, including performance of documentary and in-person due diligence of the applicant’s historical financial records;
• Support potential applicants for the sub-grant to produce competitive business plan
• Assist OSSs grantees to access trade credit and commercial finance, to help meet their matching investment requirements and project implementation costs;
• Provide capacity building on financial management and business planning to OSSs staff and program beneficiaries over the life of the project;
• Facilitate training of OSSs staff in business management skills and technical trainings in collaboration with technical experts
• Provide all rounded technical support in relation to business management to OSSs as well as coaching and mentoring services to OSSs in the respective regions
• Ensure that OSSs keep recording of tractions, keeping records of sales and stock management and periodically check profitability OSSs by doing cost benefit analysis
• Ensure that OSSs have properly used the sub-grant as per the agreement entered with ATA
• Produce timely and quality periodic reports;
• Other duties assigned to him/her by the Project Team Leader.

Job Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATION

• Minimum of Bachelors’ degree in Finance, Business Management, Economics, Agro-economics, Agri-Business Development, or relevant field required. Master’s degree is preferred;
• Minimum of 8 years for BA or 6 years for MSc experience in Business Management, preferably in the Agriculture sector;
• Experience with credit facilitation activities for donor-funded programs a plus;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office including advanced proficiency in Excel;
• Proficiency in Peachtree Accounting system required;
• Strong interpersonal, communications, and leadership skills;
• Fluency in English and local languages required;
• Strong communication skills and ability to work with people having different background.

How to Apply

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to submit (i) a cover letter and (ii) CV (maximum 3pages), at http://apply.ata.gov.et and include “Application for ‘’ Senior Project Officer I –AOSS” in the subject line.

Also, please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application form.

Women are highly encouraged to apply.

NB. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.