ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION INSTITUTE

Vacancy Announcement

Position: Senior Project Officer I – Agricultural Mechanization and Business Development

Term of Employment:              One year with possibility of extension

Duty Station:                              Addis Ababa   

Required Number:                    One

Application Deadline:               January 15, 2023

 BACKGROUND: 

 The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) is a strategy and delivery-oriented government Institute created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector. The ATI envisions to be the leading center of innovative solutions for the transformation of Ethiopian Agriculture by 2030.

The Institute focuses on two primary national approaches to catalyze 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 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, Sidama, South-West, 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 teamwork 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.

 Purpose of the Position

The Mechanization Services Centre Pilot project has been established to provide smallholder farmers access to affordable, fee based agricultural mechanization services in key value chain activities such as ploughing, planting, cultivation, harvesting/threshing, through high quality machinery and competent operators at affordable prices. The project is expected to contribute its share in improving the production and productivity of different agricultural commodities through delivering sustainable mechanization services to smallholder farmers in the project intervention areas.

 The Senior Project Officer reports to the Mechanization Services Centre Pilot (“MSC”) Project Team lead. This team is working to establish 10 mechanization service centers in ACC areas. Besides, adoption and promotion of small level mechanization technologies in Farmer Production Cluster (FPC) areas is also her/his task where the medium/ high level mechanization is not applicable. The Senior Project Officer is responsible for providing Technical and Business Development Support to actors in the mechanization subsector, by technology identification, designing and implementation of appropriate capacity building activities on machinery use, management and maintenance, etc.   Moreover, he/she will be responsible for the creation of linkage among mechanization service providers, suppliers, and financiers, to strengthen the efforts of establishing a sustainable business model in the mechanization sector that reaches all segments of smallholder farmers’ technology access and adoption. 

Achieving successful implementation of the project will require practical experience in piloting, implementing, and scaling up solutions from the Senior Mechanization and Business Development Expert. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities for the Business Development Specialist of the MSC project include, but not limited to:

·       Assist the Team Lead in managing the mechanization and business development aspects of the MSC Project in order to ensure on time completion of deliverables. Activities include:

• Prepare operational plan and resource allocation for the project

• Effectively manage and handle all  mechanization and business development related day to day activities, including leading execution of major workstreams

• Support the team lead in the initiation and processing of sub-grants

• Provide technical support and guidance to the regional project officers with regard to agricultural machinery technology and business development

• Prepare appropriate data capturing tools, share to team lead and stakeholders, collect, and keep project data, document, and show the track change of the project in every stage of implementation

 ·       Develop standard business models and provide follow up support in order to ensure the creation of financially sustainable MSCs capable of providing Mechanization Services to SHFs. Activities include:

• Guide and support MSCs in loan application, disbursement and payment schedules when needed

• Participate in ToT conducted by other ATI teams and facilitate and provide business trainings to MSC owners and employees in collaboration with regional project staff

• Identify technical and business-related capacity gaps of MSC operators and service providers that hinder implementation, and design capacity building initiatives to fill the gaps

• Provide technical support in the revision of business skill capacity building packages

• Collaborate with other ATI teams and facilitate the provision of capacity building supports for MSCs

• oUtilize capacity building packages and tools developed by other ATI Teams and provide feedback on possible enhancements need to be made

• Support MoA in areas of mechanization where there is any request from the ministry

 ·       Conduct assessments, develop, and lead the implementation of solutions in order to solve technical and operational challenges. Activities include:

• Identify mechanization related capacity gaps of implementing partners and Service Providers that hinder effective implementation of the project and design capacity building initiatives to fill the gaps

• Provide problem solving support during the design and/or enhancement of Mechanization Service Centre and FPC mechanization Pilot Project

• Contribute to identification and documentation of lessons and experiences from the project to refine the project design

• Work closely with implementing partners and other stakeholders including business models to effectively run the project activities in the selected pilot project areas

 ·       Compile and submit data and reports in order to ensure alignment on project implementation. Activities include:

• Ensure effective execution and regular reporting on own work streams and from regional partners, escalation of issues, and identifying, assessing and implementing creative solutions to challenges encountered

• Prepare regular reports on own workstreams and guide regional POs in the utilization of reporting tools

• Support the Team Lead in the preparation of all biweekly, quarterly, and annual performance reports

Others

• The Senior Agricultural Mechanization and Business Development Expert is responsible for additional tasks assigned by the, SD, Director and MSC pilot Project Team Lead in order to meet the team’s functions

Job Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Agricultural Mechanization/Agricultural Engineering or related field

• Minimum Master’s degree with 6 years relevant experience in the Agricultural Engineering /Agricultural Mechanization sector or similar experience.

• Knowledge of the agriculture sector in general and agricultural mechanization sector in particular

• Deep understanding of Ethiopia’s agricultural system, with a broad perspective on how the entire system operates and how public, private and informal actors operate within the system 

• Proven experience in creating partnerships at the regional and national level

• Practical experience in piloting, implementing, and scaling up solutions at the local level

• Experience in prioritizing and sequencing both programmatic and operational activities

• Experience in working with public and private sector partners

• Demonstrated track record of success with program design, performance management, learning systems, and monitoring & evaluation

• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, start-up environment, with an emphasis on high-performance, teamwork, accountability and results

• Ability to build relationships with all kinds of people

• Highly facilitative and collaborative leadership style

• Excellent adaptive problem-solver in a challenging environment

• Excellent analytical skills

• Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service 

How to Apply

We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to submit (i) a cover letter and (ii) CV (maximum 3 pages) to CLICK HERE

It is mandatory to mention the position title in the subject line of your cover letter.

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.