Position:  Senior Project Officer I -Business Development    

Employment Type:  Fixed term

Duty Station(s):  Tigray based at Mekelle

Required Number:  One

Application Deadline: 18/10/2024

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), formerly known as the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), is a strategy and delivery-oriented government institute created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of Ethiopia’s agriculture sector, which is a key contributor to the country’s GDP, exports, and workforce. The ATI’s work is centred on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers (SHFs) across the country for improved income, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability. 

The ATI works to transform the agriculture sector in Ethiopia by conducting policy and analytical studies, providing technical implementation support and capacity building, coordinating.

platforms to better integrate partners and projects and designing and directly leading several innovative/pilot interventions. The Institute joins forces with various stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, farmers, and development partners, to support the implementation of agricultural development programs and initiatives. In addition, the ATI collaborates with national and international partners to facilitate knowledge exchange and learning opportunities. The Institute plays a crucial role in generating and disseminating information to support evidence-based decision-making in Ethiopia’s agricultural sector.

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.

The Government of Ethiopia (GoE) has made the transformation and commercialization of the agriculture sector a key tenet of its Transformation Plan. At the very core of the strategy to achieve this transformation is the transition of smallholder farmers from subsistence orientation to market focused production systems and activities that better integrate them into domestic and global supply chains. The full development and competitiveness of the entire agricultural value chain is thus critical to ensure that smallholder farmers can make the necessary market linkages that allow such supply chain integrations to happen. 

Along the agricultural value chain, agriculture-oriented enterprises play critical roles in developing infrastructure, producing and distributing inputs, processing, marketing, retailing and exporting products, among others. However, these businesses are predominantly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that remain largely underdeveloped due to a number of barriers, particularly access to appropriate and timely financial products and services, talent and skill development, and supply chain and market linkages. There is thus a need for targeted support for agricultural SMEs as they are a catalyst to increasing rural incomes, improving food security, and are the building blocks to form larger enterprises spurring Ethiopia’s future economic growth.

In many other countries, Agribusiness Accelerators have successfully scaled and professionalized SMEs through comprehensive business development services and funding. At ATI Several projects already provide some supports to agricultural SMEs, but opportunity remains for an SME-focused program to provide more holistic business development services. Thus, we are building a new SME-focused business unit – Agri-Hub – to expand the Accelerator model at ATI.

Some of the most critical challenges SMEs face are underdeveloped business capabilities and limited access to finance. Agri-Hub is looking to hire a regional Business Development Advisor to help address these challenges. Each  SPO I-Business Development  will support the SMEs served by Agri-Hub in his/her region with the following responsibilities: 1) deliver regular 1:1 business advisory mentorship to SME owners, with support including: developing and operationalizing a business plan, making strategic and numbers-based decisions, identifying and executing operational efficiencies; 2) represent Agri-Hub to develop relationships and create linkages to lending institutions (i.e. commercial banks and MFIs) and facilitate their willingness to lend to Agri-Hub SMEs; and 3) facilitate and coordinate the delivery of Agri-Hub services in his/her region.

The SPO I- Business Development will officially report to the Agri-Hub Team Lead of the Agri-Hub HQ and Regional Business and marketing team lead and will be based in TATC (Tigray). This role will require frequent travel within the regions.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide 1:1 business advisory and mentorship to high potential small enterprises involving:

  • Guidance on strategic decisions

  • Coaching to form ambitious but attainable business plans

  • Hands-on support to operationalize those plans

• Serve as the voice of Agri-Hub to form relationships with regional MFIs and commercial banks on behalf of Agri-Hub’s SMEs; facilitate those SMEs’ linkages to financing institutions

• Coordinate implementation of services to SMEs in the region

• Report performance and brief progress updates about his/her duties to Agri-Hub project team regularly

Job Requirements

Required qualifications, competencies, skills, training, and experience:

• Master’s degree in business administration, Agribusiness, Finance, Commerce, Management and Marketing. 

• At least 6 years work experience in either one or more of the following: consulting, strategy, business development/management/administration, corporate finance, investment facilitation, entrepreneurship

• Thorough academic understanding of business topics (i.e. finance, marketing, strategy) as well as practical work experience

• Outstanding inter-personal skills; ability to effectively engage and influence mentees as well as influence financing institutions like MFIs and Commercial Banks

• Fluency in English and Amharic, written and spoken, is essential; knowledge of other local Ethiopian languages preferred

• Self-driven individual with ability to drive work with minimal supervision; demonstrated track record of organization, multi-tasking, and time management skills

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

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools

How to Apply

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 application email.  

Please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application.  

Women are highly encouraged to apply. 

NB. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted