Vacancy Announcement

ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY

Position: Industrial Park Investment Expert

Term of Employment:  Fixed Term 

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

Required Number:  Two

Salary & Benefits: Competitive

Application Deadline:   August 29, 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 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 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 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. Ethiopia´s economic development needs and the desired impact of FDI and domestic investment strategies have been put in place to attract foreign direct investment and to develop labor-intensive industries and an export-oriented manufacturing sector. Yet, the transformation of the economy is hampered by organizational and operational limitations; particular problems include an overstretched capacity of senior personnel, a limited active outreach system targeting potential investors, limited availability of pre-packaged information needed to attract quality investments, and the limited number of qualified 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 Commissions’ Program. The main objectives of the Program 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 Industrial Park Investment Expert will sit under the Industrial Park Facilitation Directorate and is expected to support EIC on a broad range of issues, including but not limited to:

• Follow up and facilitate investment projects as a key account manager,
• Promote investment for walk-in investors,
• Conduct due diligence to identify foreign direct investment,
• Host investors and provide them with investment-related data and information,
• Actively support projects that are managed by EIC among other responsibilities.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

Organize and supervise all activities and coordination efforts for assigned Industrial Park(s) as a park lead.

• Keep a record of timely and accurate information and prepare a full portfolio for respective parks.
• Monitor and track key account managers on follow-up and conversion of referred investors.
• Generate status updates on all investor's approached and events planned.
• Ensure timely updates on key information from One Stop Shops are being tracked.
• Compile and send monthly reports on respective park(s).

Identify, follow up and facilitate investment projects as a key account manager.

• Undertake due diligence of companies identified for potential foreign direct investment.
• Directly liaise with assigned investors and review submitted proposals for entry into parks.
• Host investors and provide them with timely investment-related data and information.
• Support investors throughout the process of setting up Industrial Parks.
• Keep a record of timely information to provide for investors receiving facilitation support.
• Sort and track information on approached investors and interactions made, into the Investor Tracking Tool (ITT) for proper follow-up and conversion.
• Generate updates on all investors and events.
• Follow up consistently and track any open issues and information requests made by investors.
• Flag issues for management intervention as appropriate.

Work with other divisions of the EIC to facilitate the organizational flow of industrial park-related information and services.

• Assist in developing promotional materials such as brochures, pamphlets, and leaflets.    
• Organize and coordinate events.
• Support the EIC’s activities in investment climate improvement and reform programs.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of master’s degree in areas related to Law, Economics, Management, Business Administration, or any related field.
• At least 6 years of proven work experience in public or private sector development in a customer-focused organization with international clients, marketing, promotion, and/or business development with demonstrated knowledge of market assessment, strategy development, and/or promotion techniques.
• Excellent critical thinking and analytical skills
• Strong interest in investment and economic development in Ethiopia
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Collaborative mindset and a team player
• Professional command of written and spoken English and Amharic language

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Basic understanding of Ethiopia’s economic policies, laws, and investment system, with a broad perspective on how the entire system operates and how public, private, and informal actors operate within the system
• Highly facilitative and collaborative leadership style
• Excellent computer skills, analytical and data gathering skills
• A 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) a CV (maximum 5 pages) at the website

Please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application. Women are highly encouraged to apply. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.