Position:                              Senior Technical Expert II -Market Linkage and Promotion 

Term of Employment:        One year with a possibility of extension

Duty Station(s):                  Addis Abeba

Required Number:             one

Application Deadline:        July  3, 2024 

 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 center of innovative solutions to catalyze and contribute to the transformation of the 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 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 play a 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 challenges of youth, especially young women, unemployment 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 chain, largely using ACC infrastructures and complement the different ACC outcomes in general and outcome four (engagement of women and youth) in particular. 

The senior technical expert will be responsible for design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of market linkage and promotion activities for crop and livestock producers, value-added products and agri-inputs. He/she will provide technical advice and guidance to youth enterprises and implementing partners. The jobholder will closely work with ADEY and ACC team members across projects. He/she will report to the ADEY Deputy Director with matrix reporting to the Agribusiness and Marketing Director at the head office. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Design and manage innovative market linkage and promotion activities that can enhance youth engagement in agribusiness development.

• Support and promote agri-entrepreneurs in development of marketing plans,      business startups, value additions, value propositions, customer management, branding and promotion of new products and services.. 

• Work to establish and strengthen agricultural value chain alliance/platforms, market systems, linkages, access to information, and business to business services for prioritized crop and livestock commodities.

• Contribute to design and execution of assessment surveys on agribusiness and market performances, best practices and lessons for outscaling.

• Work with regional teams in mapping of opportunities for youth and women start-up creation and to facilitate supports for the groups to develop market.

• Facilitate and build linkages with various agribusiness actors including crop and livestock producers, aggregators, agro-processors, integrated agro-industrial parks and export abattoirs.

• Collaborate with agro-processors and commercial farms to implement and enhance contract farming and/or out-grower schemes.

• Ensure that youth enterprises are supported and strengthened through business advisory services and facilitation of market linkages.

• Organize industry targeted workshops and other activities to foster innovation and technology transfer of ADEY’s entrepreneurship and marketing activities.

• Identify gaps and lead the design and delivery of business development services to strengthen youth enterprises to deliver products or services through innovative methods.

• Assess technical gaps of the regional program staff, implementing partners and beneficiaries, and design and implement capacity building trainings.

• Lead development and review of practical-oriented entrepreneurship and market linkage training materials.

• Develop and maintain effective work relationships with public and private sector stakeholders working on agri-entrepreneurship and marketing system development.

• Prepare and submit workplans and reports with required quality and in timely manner.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATION, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCE 

• Minimum of master’s degree in agribusiness, agricultural economics, economics, marketing, development economics, or other relevant fields. 

• At least 8 years of experience directly related to agribusiness development or marketing of MSMEs and/private companies.

• Excellent conceptual and practical understanding of agri-entrepreneurship and market system development. 

• Strong experience of value chain and market analysis, participatory development approach and organizational capacity building is needed. 

• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving environment, with high performance, teamwork and accountability. 

• Self-starter and independent person with capability to manage multiple tasks and work with multi-cultural team.

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

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools

• Excellent analytical and communication skills (both oral and written) in English and Amharic with the ability to create and deliver compelling presentations to diverse groups of stakeholders. 

 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) to  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.