Reference No: REC/ /23

Job title: Production & Marketing Team Leader

Location: Addis Ababa

Reports to:Country Director

Number of Posts 01 /One/

Closing date: November 18, 2024

 Description of the GOAL Ethiopia country programme

In Ethiopia, GOAL has been operational since 1984, with an annual operating budget of ~€15 million and a team of more than 700 people. GOAL is one of the largest humanitarian actors in Ethiopia, annually reaching between one and two million people. GOAL is operational in approximately forty districts including in Somali and Afar Regions, and Borena, Guji, and Bale Zones of Oromiya, and currently operates a multi-sector integrated humanitarian and development program, which focuses on building resilience to shocks and stresses, alleviating poverty, and responding to sudden-onset and protracted humanitarian crises. 

Background to the Programme - Pathways to Resilience (RIPA S)

Ethiopia is confronted by a wide range of natural and human-induced hazards. Hazards have turned into disasters where vulnerability is high and the system to manage and mitigate the hazard is weak. The recurring droughts that affected different parts of the country in 2015-2018 have left over 10 million people in need of $1.4 billion humanitarian assistance, of which approximately 35% are in lowlands. The death of an estimated 2-3 million livestock (IFPRI) in each year during this time represents a market failure that has cost a tremendous loss in livelihoods for pastoralists leading to widespread destitution and continued vulnerability. In addition to this recurring natural crisis, over a million people have been displaced along the border of Oromia and Somali regions due to a cross-border conflict and/or drought since 2016.   

Limited capacity of the local governments and community institutions to manage and respond to these shocks has allowed them to escalate into full scale disasters that require large interventions by the GOE and the international community.  Population growth, compounded with land fragmentation, has created a situation where more pastoralists are forced to use less rangeland leading to large scale natural resource degradation. The pastoral and agro pastoral production systems have not modernized or changed to meet these challenges, with few successful efforts to improve rangeland management or to produce feed and fodder commercially at the scale needed. Water resources also remain critically under-developed. 

Livestock markets have not been fully developed to capitalize on the wealth of the region’s livestock. A traditional system that stores wealth in livestock still dominates, leaving communities and households susceptible to a substantial loss in assets from drought induced livestock deaths. Alternative livelihoods are not widely available outside of the livestock sector in the numbers needed to meet the needs of those dropping out of pastoralism. 

Government policy and investments have not supported pastoralism, with policy that focuses on settlement and investments in large scale irrigated sugar and cotton production has diminished the dry season grazing grounds and water access pastoralists traditionally rely on to survive droughts. 

Climate change causes more frequent and intense weather events such as extreme heat, drought and flood, and changes in precipitation patterns. These changes impact pasture and water availability, crop production, livestock health, biodiversity and the livelihoods of pastoralists and agro pastoralists. 

Recent political unrest and conflict on the border of Somali and Oromia and between populations in Guji and Gedeo zones have also negatively impacted the Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral (PAP) populations still reeling from drought. An estimated 2.9 million people are internally displaced from conflict and/or droughts and are currently living in camps with their future uncertain. While conflict is not uncommon in the two regions between different clans and regions, this ongoing spate of violence is more complex. IDP’s have lost their livelihoods due to the conflict and some are resettled in places where there are no systems and basic services available. In addition to this border conflict, natural resource-based conflict does frequently occur in the region, especially in times of drought.  In some places cattle raiding also practiced for young men to gain the livestock needed for marriage.  Traditional clan-based institutions and leadership has in the past resolved these conflicts, but these structures have been eroded over time, and in many cases now lack the recognition to prevent and mitigate these conflicts.   

Description of the Programme - Pathways to Resilience (RIPA S)

Pathways to Resilience is a five-year initiative (2019 – 2024), currently under design by a consortium led by PCI, consortium partners are iDE and GOAL and targeting the Oromia Region and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region. The purpose of RIPA S is to improve resilience through improved food security and inclusive economic growth, it is supported by USAID in Ethiopia with an estimated budget of $25 million. 

The programme has five component areas, each led by a consortium member, PCI as the consortium lead have overall programme and grant management and are responsible for monitoring, evaluation and learning using USAID’s Collaboration, Adaptation & Learning (CLA) approach. The programme components are:

1. Disaster risk management including access to informal financial services, PCI will lead.

2. Diversified sustainable economic opportunities for people transitioning out of pastoralism, iDE will lead.

3. Intensified and sustained pastoral and agro-pastoral production and marketing, water and natural resource management and access to formal financial services, GOAL will lead.

4. Improved nutritional status of women and children, GOAL will lead.

5. A crisis modifier to respond to sudden on set shocks while preserving development gains, PCI will mange with all partners participating. 

Description of the Position 

The Production and Marketing Team Leader is a member of the senior management team, collaborating and reporting to GOAL Ethiopia Assistant Country Director for Programme and Matrix management of the RIPA S Chief of Party (COP).The incumbent will coordinator and collaborate with Nutrition team leader of GOAL and consortium agencies components lead  ). S/he will have overall responsibility for all aspects of component 3 (Intensified and sustained pastoral and agro-pastoral production and marketing, water and natural resource management and access to formal financial services), which will use a market systems approach. The successful candidate will have experience at a senior management level as well as substantial experience and confidence in market systems programming. S/he will be able to lead teams, using an agile management approach, to research identified market systems, identify opportunities and constraints and co-design and cost share initiatives with the permanent players i.e. government, community/ civil society and the private sector. Most initiatives under component 3 are expected to be driven by private sector players, so experience in facilitation and negotiation with the private sector is a key competence sought. Initiatives are managed adaptively with short learning loops and the post holder will need to be experienced in doing this and in working with the CLA team to design, measure and evaluate systems that capture change at all levels of the identified market systems. 

The Production & Marketing Team Leader will have direct responsibility for the planning and management and reporting of component 3’s budget, which will include grant management of private sector partners. The post holder will have overall responsibility for the recruitment, induction, on-going skill development and performance management of a highly creative team for component 3, designed to stimulate sustainable and scalable production and marketing in agro-pastoral livelihoods.   

Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Strategy and Vision

• Attain component 3 programme goal and objectives through the development, implementation, reviews, presentation and management of strategic plans, programmes and projects by personal application and agile management.

• Recommend and lead implementation of programme priorities and explore, evaluate and present new country opportunities that leverage impact and/ or complement core activities.

2. Consortium relationship management

• Develop professional and productive working relationships and communication channels across the RIPA S consortium’s senior management team.

• Create efficient and productive communication channels between the RIPA S consortium and the GOAL country programme.

• Overall responsibility for the planning and reporting of component 3 to the GOAL ACDP and RIPA S Chief of Party

3. Programme Management

• Manage all operations related to component 3 according to the programme work plan, programme budget and implementation strategy.

• Ensure that there are fluent horizonal communication channels with RIPA S component leads and vertical with component 3 teams.

• Work with the grants management and finance teams to manage programmatic partners granting and reporting.

• Monitor programme implementation, measure impact and calibrate component 3 strategy and implementation accordingly.

• Ensure efficient logistics, administration, human resources and transport needs of component 3 are conducted within GOAL policy and with the maximum benefit to the programme.

• Ensure all component 3 programme funds are spent in accordance with donor rules and regulations and are reasonable and that work with the private sector conforms to donor guidelines.

• Work with the ACDP to forecast expenditure surpluses and deficits to enable adjustments to be made to the programme in a timely fashion.

• Collaborate with GOAL E livelihoods and other units for learning and mainstreaming of market system development program

• Ensure that all work follows international quality standards and best practices and that initiatives are technically and environmentally sound.

4. Team Management

• Build a vibrant and creative team for a market facilitative approach to agro / pastoral livelihoods.

• Manage the recruitment, induction and ongoing skill development of the component 3 team to ensure staff are of the quality and capacity to ensure the successful implementation of activities. 

• Embrace and support an adaptive management approach to programme management.

• Ensure performance management and any necessary disciplinary measures are made according to GOAL policy. 

5. Market Systems Research & Design

• The Production & Marketing Team Leader is responsible for leading (with programme teams and external technical support), the primary market systems research into livestock and crop production and marketing systems and the identification of potential partners, in all programme locations. From the research the context specific design portfolios of intervention where there are opportunities to create sustainable change, with a view to (over time), taking successful initiatives to scale. 

• The Production & Marketing Team Leader is responsible for the appropriate documentation and updating of market systems research.

6. Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA)

• CLA is central to all programming and critical to adaptive management. The production & Marketing Team Lead will work closely with the national CLA Team Lead to ensure that the overall RIPA S programme MEL strategy incorporates:

1. An appropriate monitoring system for component 3, essential for adaptive management 

2. An appropriate system to evaluate change at all levels of the identified market systems, 

3. A system to provide learning (both what is working and what is not) and the mechanisms to communicate learning, both internally and externally. 

• The Production & Marketing Team Lead will ensure that learning loop are short and monitoring data is derived (as much as possible), from partners existing data systems, and reviewed regularly and used to adjust and drive programme direction.

7. Representation

• Support all efforts towards accountability to project participants and to international standards guiding development work. This includes understanding and following established international guidelines and actively engaging participating communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of programmes.

• Work closely in partnership with the ACD P and COP to represent the programme to the USAID, the Ethiopian Government at all levels. Engage appropriately and creatively with the programme Steering Committee and other PARA awardees

• Ensure establishment and maintenance of relationships with target communities, and local government structures.

• Represent RIPA S and GOAL at external and relevant thought leadership events as needed

Important: GOAL has a range of policies which reflect our commitment to transparency, accountability and protection. They include:

• Child protection policy

• Code of conduct

• Whistle blowing policy

• Conflict of interest

• Anti-fraud policy

As a condition of employment, you would be required to both accept and make a commitment to these policies.

Job Requirements

Essential knowledge and experience required for the position 

• Relevant academic qualification. 

• At least five years’ experience in implementing market systems programming

• Technical expertise in livestock and crop production and marketing 

• Previous experience in working programmatically with the private sector

• Previous experience in working with agro-pastoralists

• Complex program management and demonstrated success building, managing and leading a team of professionals.

• Strong writing, communication, organization, prioritization and negotiating skills. 

• Excellent (English) verbal and written communication skills with proven financial management skills.

• Experience in building and maintaining effective partnerships with implementing and strategic partner agencies, and government authorities and counterparts.

• Strong computer literacy with a full knowledge of office applications. 

  Desirable Quality, Skill and Competence:- 

1. At least five years’ experience in implementing market systems programming

2. Technical expertise in livestock and crop production and marketing 

3. Previous experience in working programmatically with the private sector

4. Previous experience in working with agro-pastoralists

5. Complex program management and demonstrated success building, managing and leading a team of professionals.

6. Strong writing, communication, organization, prioritization and negotiating skills. 

7. Excellent (English) verbal and written communication skills with proven financial management skills.

8. Experience in building and maintaining effective partnerships with implementing and strategic partner agencies, and government authorities and counterparts.

9. Strong computer literacy with a full knowledge of office applications

   REMUNERATION and BENEFITS:

   GOAL will pay a competitive basic salary based on the salary grading with addition benefits.

   A chance to develop tangible experience.

   ·Being part of a team who continue to make a real difference to the lives of the most vulnerable people. 

   Commitments:

   GOAL’s recruitment procedure is fair and transparent which is also in line with the organization’s commitment to its integrity, honesty and culture. GOAL is committed to ensure that, its performance complies with the terms and conditions of relevant agreements, applicable laws & regulations. 

   GOAL highly promotes Equality, diversity and inclusion and works with women and men, People with disabilities, and employees of various ages including youth, supports their empowerment and appreciates their achievements constantly. GOAL also encourages applications from diverse candidates including women, people with disabilities, people with diverse backgrounds, and youth to apply.

   GOAL has zero tolerance to discrimination on the basis of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, religion, race, economic status etc . we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

   Hence, pre-employment background checks will be conducted, and employees are required to read, understand, sign and implement different polices including safeguarding and child protection policy, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and abuse policy, sexual harassment policy, code of conducts and any other rules and regulation of the organization. GOAL is strongly committed not to harm the people under its care. 

   GOAL Ethiopia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety of people who involves in its work and demands all staff exhibit the highest commitment. GOAL Ethiopia will verify skills and commitment of the candidate in the assessment process and perform Background reference check.

   You are welcome to include your sex (Male or female) and any disability issues in your CV (please note that this information will only be used to comply with affirmative action policy of the organization).

How to Apply

Interested and qualified applicants need to submit ONLY once their non - returnable application with CV for one vacancy. The vacancy reference number along with the title & Location need to be written in the application letter, CV and/or subject of the email.

Applicants can directly apply online using THIS LINK

GOAL strongly encourages female candidates to apply!