Position:                         Senior Technical Expert II-Digital Agribusiness

Term of Employment:  One Year with Possibility of Extension 

BACKGROUND

The Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) has been established by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to identify and address systemic bottlenecks to Ethiopia’s agricultural development. The Institute does this through problem-solving, implementation support, and capacity building of stakeholders involved in implementation of interventions that address the systemic bottlenecks. 

ATI provides a unique 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 teams with the tools, training and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals.

The programmatic focus of the Institute responds to a core set of needs identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and other sectors along commodity value chains. Across the programs, the ATI engages public, private, and non-governmental stakeholders to support strategic planning, manage and strengthen implementation capacity and test innovative models. Currently, ATI is tasked to coordinate the revised Agriculture and Rural Development policy agendas of the sector and such sectoral-level delegation requires high-level expertise in the policy areas and skillsets in coordination and networking with multiple stakeholders.

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.

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

The Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) was established by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to identify systemic bottlenecks, conduct studies and provide recommendations, provide implementation support, manage projects, create linkages and coordination among activities and  agricultural development programs. The Institute 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 that, to be the leading centre of innovative solutions to catalyze and contribute to the transformation of Ethiopian Agriculture by 2030 where smallholder farmers are commercialized with greater incomes, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability.

ATI provides a unique platform for people who want to achieve their highest potential and make a meaningful contribution to 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 teams with the tools, training, and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals.

The programmatic focus of the Institute responds to a core set of needs identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and other sectors along commodity value chains. Across the programs, the ATI engages public, private, and non-governmental stakeholders to support strategic planning, manage and strengthen implementation capacity and test innovative models. Currently, ATI is tasked to coordinate the revised Agriculture and Rural Development policy agendas of the sector and such sectoral level delegation requires high level expertise in the policy areas and skillsets in coordination and networking with multiple stakeholders.

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.

Program and Position Summary

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) has designed a program called “Agriculture-focused Dignified Employment for Youth in Ethiopia” (ADEY) to address the unemployment challenges of youths, especially young women, and increase their participation in the labor market, particularly in the agriculture sector. ATI has mainstreamed youth employment, gender equality, climate-smart, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture in all its programs and projects with the primary objectives of increased access to sustainable and inclusive job opportunities for youth, inclusivity, and the sustainable use of natural resources while building resilience capacities to shocks at all levels.

ATI, among others, currently works with more than 3 million smallholder farmers (540,300 are women and youth) engaged in the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC) and digital agriculture programs designed to improve smallholder farmers’ production and productivity while supporting other actors along the value chain. Taking ATI’s reputable experience, ADEY program is designed to create inclusive and dignified work opportunities in ACC regions and Somali for over six hundred thousand youths. The program will focus on several streams such as agriculture and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to strengthen access to agricultural input and output markets and finance; improve the competitiveness of youth-owned MSMEs through capacity-building activities; enhance the skills and mindsets of young women and men through technical and business skill development and create an enabling environment for work opportunities through policy interventions. Similar to ACC, ADEY will operate along the commodity value chains, largely using ACC infrastructures and complement the different ACC outcomes in general and outcome four (engagement of women and youth including those with disabilities) in particular.

The Digital Agriculture Entrepreneurship Expert II is responsible for designing and implementing the digital agriculture related interventions planned in the ADEY program at the Federal and regional levels. He/she will work to ensure achievement of planned activities and targets under the digital agriculture interventions to a high level of quality and in a timely manner. The Digital Agriculture Entrepreneurship Expert will play a leading role in designing and implementing innovative digital agriculture entrepreneurship activities that focus on creating jobs for youths in the agriculture sector. To achieve this, he/she will be responsible to guide, manage and monitor ADEY’s digital agriculture component which is implemented by the ATI and other partner organizations across the regions. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of the digital agriculture landscape, as well as experience of working with agri-entrepreneurs and startups.

He/she will report to ADEY Program Deputy Director at the ATI head office, technically and administratively, with matrix reporting to the Digital Agriculture Director. He/she will closely work with all project leaders and operation directors at both head office and regional levels. Besides, He/she will closely work primarily with key partners including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Labor and Skills, the Ministry of Science and Innovation, and partners implementing ADEY program across regions based on the directions under the guidance of the Deputy Program Director.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Plan and manage the digital agriculture component of ADEY program based on the approved proposal and initiate innovative activities focusing on employment creation for youths.

• Ensure the delivery of program outcomes, targets, and KPIs related with the digital agriculture program effectively and efficiently.

• Manage and lead problem solving sessions, provide high caliber support to project team members and ensure team alignment, coordination, and build high performance culture and deliver on priority objectives.

• Lead the development of digital platforms and applications that address the needs of beneficiaries, i.e., youth employment and entrepreneurship development.

• Leverage digital technologies to train youths in new skills which can help them find jobs through wage or self-employment in the agriculture sector or agro-industries.

• Closely follow up with implementing partners (subgrantees), agritech startups and MSMEs for the proper implementation of technical and financial matters.

• Work with entrepreneurs and startups to develop, launch and promote digital agriculture businesses that create jobs for youths.

•  Provide technical assistance and advice to entrepreneurs and startups.

• Closely work with and support the project teams in preparation of annual work plans and budgets, planning and execution of M&E activities, workshops and other events.

• Provide technical and strategic advice to all members of the program staff on innovative digital agriculture activities and facilitate technical capacity building when needed.

• Monitor project risks, supervise implementation of risk mitigation measures, and update the risk and mitigation measures yearly.

• Identify needs for external technical support in designating and implementing state-of-the-art digital agriculture activities.

• Facilitate procurement of goods and services manage contracts with vendors and service providers.

• Liaise and coordinate with partners on digital agriculture interventions.

• Produce and submit reports (annual, semi-annual, quarterly, and operational reports) with required quality and in a timely manner.

• Manage knowledge, particularly in terms of lessons learned and best practices which may feed into continuous programming and dialogue with government authorities and DPs.

• Identify needs and oversee the design and elaboration of project-related communication materials.

• Develop a strategy or plan for outreach and advocacy to promote and expand digital agriculture innovations and impacts of the program. 

• Align and closely work with women and social affairs and all other program teams at the head office, crop commercialization program, digital agriculture and rural financing, livestock directorate, natural resource and climate directorate, agri-business and marketing directorate, and other verticals in ATI to ensure effective collaboration in planning and execution of the program activities.

Job Requirements

• Minimum Master’s degree in Information Technology, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Digital Technology, Computer Software Engineering and Programming and other related fields with 8 years of relevant experience in leading, designing, and implementing of digital technologies for agri-entrepreneurship, agri-business or market system development.

• Experience in supporting and guiding users of digital platforms in the agriculture sector.

• Experience in providing technical assistance and guidance to youths on the operation and use of digital platforms, agribusiness and agritech startups, MSME development.

• Experience in leading the development of program learning - identify opportunities for learning, research, and publication.

• Experience in dissemination and institutionalization of best practices and lessons with implementing partners.

• Analytical skills, including digital system requirement assessment, and design and validation techniques.

• Experience in participatory approaches in project cycle management, capacity building and learning exchanges. .

• Negotiation and conflict resolution ability.

• Strong communication skills (written, verbal, composing, presentation, etc).

• Proficiency in English and Amharic languages.

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) online by using THIS LINK

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

Please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application.

Women are highly encouraged to apply.

NB. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.