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 team work 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.

 POSITION SUMMARY:

The Rural Financial Services (RFS) program within ATI has been established to address the critical issue of access to finance in Ethiopia’s agricultural sector. The team is leading several deliverables designed to build a strong and self-sustaining rural financial sector with improved access to credit for smallholder farmers and mobilization of rural savings.

The Input Voucher System (IVS) was designed to address problems faced by smallholder farmers in accessing input credit by focusing on financial institutions as the key new intermediaries for all financial transactions on input purchases. In this new model, the FI issues vouchers to SHFs for cash or credit to be redeemed for fertilizer and improved seed at a primary cooperative store. The system uses paper-based, triplicate vouchers which have to be aggregated and reconciled by FIs and Cooperatives. Reconciliation of the accounts maintained by each user and preparation of reports is done manually which is open to both human error and fraud. Automation is required to address issues and facilitate the scale-up of the system, leading to the piloting of the e-voucher system in select woredas using low cost smartphones and NFC tags.

The Project Officer will work closely with Governmental stakeholders, financial institutions and development partners to pilot and expand access to input credit through IVS in the region. The Project Officer will also work with the Project Team to lobby regional authorities and facilitate agreements to introduce and scale up e-Voucher 2.0 system in the region.

The RuSACCO Capacity Building Project was designed to transform RuSACCOs into vibrant & viable financial institutions led by professionals that use core banking systems mobile phones for enhanced financial services to achieve increases in membership size, savings and credit disbursed.

The Project Officer will undertake the regional activities of the project and ensure its successful implementation. This entails liaising with RuSACCOs across the region: improving their governance structures and financial knowledge of the leadership and implementing the capacity building diagnostic tools developed to aid the development of RuSACCOs.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

The RFS Regional Project Officer is accountable for the effective delivery of the RFS and RuSACCO projects’ objectives and deliverables in their respective regions.

RFS

• Full implementation of manual IVS system in the region

• Pilot and scale up e-Voucher 2.0 system in the region system

• Pilot and expand access to input credit through IVS in the region

• Integrate additional input into IVS in the region

• Integrate AOSS into IVS in the region

RuSACCO

• RuSACCOs capacity building diagnostic tools framework implemented

• RuSACCOs engaged in centralization of services

• Operational policies/manuals developed

• Develop operational policies & manuals

• RuSACCO leadership with improved governance & financial knowledge

As projects get added under RFS, the Project Officer may be held accountable for other KPIs as well.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Responsibilities of Project Officer for the project include, but are not limited to:

Manage the regional RFS workload to ensure on time completion of deliverables

• Coordinate and follow up on the regional activities such as the work plan, procurement, trainings, payment, and others related to the IVS project and RuSACCO Capacity Building project implementation.

• Support the expansion of IVS and RuSACCO Capacity Building project in the region, zones and woredas

• Reprioritize outputs/deliverables and adjust implementation plans when required

Assist the RuSACCO and RFS Team Leads in results-focused stakeholder management to build collaborative relationships with key internal, Federal, and Regional stakeholders

• Regularly engage regional stakeholders: RBoA, RBoT, Development Partners and Development Agents

• Create ownership of long-term project owners via joint implementation, capacity building, and supporting enhancement activities post-transition

Assist the Team Leads for RuSACCO and RFS in the implementation of the projects’ deliverables to ensure the intended impact collecting the relevant datasets

• Provide problem solving support during the design or enhancement of the projects and provide inputs from the regional perspective

The Project Officer is responsible for compiling and submitting data and reports to ensure alignment on project implementation

• Prepare regular reports on own workstreams

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

Other

The Project Officer is responsible for additional interventions assigned by the Regional ACC Program director to meet RFS program functions.

Job Requirements

• Master’s degree in business, economics, agriculture, public policy, international development, and other relevant subject areas

• Minimum of 4 years of experience in rural financial services projects and initiatives

• Interest in and familiarity with Ethiopia’s agricultural sector, agricultural and rural development

• Genuine intellectual curiosity and desire to innovate and bring large-scale change

• Excellent oral and written communication and stakeholder management skills

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and data-gathering skills

• Strong willingness to learn, and ability to be a real team player

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

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

• Fluency in English and Afaan Oromo is required. knowledge of other Ethiopian languages is advantageous

How to Apply

Register using the following LINK

Note: It is mandatory to mention the position title under the subject line of your cover letter. Women are highly encouraged to apply.