Vacancy Announcement

ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY 

Position: SPO I - Cooperative Based Seed Production (CBSP)

Term of Employment:  One year with possibility of extension

Duty Station(s): Bahir Dar

Required Number: One

Salary & Benefits: Competitive

Application Deadline:  June 18, 2021 

BACKGROUND

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) is a strategy and delivery-oriented government agency created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector. The ATA envisions that, by 2025, smallholder farmers are commercialized with greater incomes, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability, contributing to Ethiopia’s achievement of middle-income country status.

The agency 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 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, 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 ATA, 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:

Given the above background, ATA is looking to hire one Project Officer to work with regional BoA, implementing partners, and other stakeholders to implement the CBSP program. 

The Project Officer will have responsibility for overseeing the initiative in Amhara region. The major duties of the Project Officer include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Organize kick-off workshop to develop detailed roadmap and activities for CBSP scale-up in Amhara region, working directly alongside implementing partners.
• Conduct monthly progress updates and problem-solving sessions to ensure planned activities stay on track.
•  Maintain oversight of budget and resource requirements of ongoing activities.
•  Work to disseminate findings from diagnostic study to relevant stakeholders.
•  Help design evaluation study and specific KPIs to measure success of CBSP scale-up, working closely with implementing partners.
• Provide ad hoc support to seed program and senior management team as required on issues relating to planning and implementation of other seed program interventions.

The ideal regional Project Officer possesses a passion for improving the lives of small-holder farmers, and a deep familiarity with Ethiopia’s agricultural system. The candidate is expected to have extensive background knowledge and experience in the production and distribution of improved seeds and cooperative development. In addition, s/he would likewise possess the operational and entrepreneurial ability to mobilize stakeholders across the seed system and drive practical change on the ground.

This position will be part of a dedicated CBSP special project team and officially report to the ACC and projects Director. The Project Officer will be hired by the ATA on a contract basis, initially 6 months with possibility of extension based on performance, availability of funding as well as the success of the CBSP initiative. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Develop region specific seed producer’s (CBSPs) project operational plan.
• Coordinate implementation of specific seed producer’s project
•  Liaison with regional government and other development partners regarding all interventions in CBSPs
•  Compile and submit periodic reports to the project team leader.
• Monitor activity progress on monthly, quarterly, and biannually.
• Document and share best practices of CBSPs.

Job Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• BSc Degree or MSc Degree in fields such as Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Business Management, Development Economics or Cooperatives, Crop production, rural development, other closely related fields
•  A minimum of 8 years relevant experience for BSc and 6 years relevant experience for MSc  in areas related to on-the-ground community seed initiatives, e.g., working alongside farmer’s cooperative unions, in community seed banks, Small and Medium enterprise (SME) development, cooperative development, value-chain development, and other related disciplines.
• Understanding of Ethiopia’s agricultural system with a broad perspective on interactions between public, private, and informal actors in the seed system
• Deep knowledge of different community-based seed production modalities, e.g., farmers’ unions, primary cooperatives, organized out-growers, farmer entrepreneurs, etc. and associated regulatory issues.
• Expertise in SPV in cereal crops like wheat and teff, as well as in other focus crops, i.e., pulses, oil seeds, and tubers
• Experience in prioritizing and sequencing both programmatic and operational activities
• Experience in program design, performance management, stakeholder management, contract management, and Monitoring Learning and Evaluation (MLE) systems
• Knowledge of analytical methods such as different statistical tools
• Practical experience in developing and maintaining linkages between producers and markets.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, start-up environment, with an emphasis on high-performance, teamwork and accountability.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty, and desire to be of service.
• Fluency in Amharic and proficiency in English are essential.

How to Apply

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to submit (i) a cover letter and (ii) CV (maximum 3 pages), at the website and include “Application for SPO I – Cooperative based seed production ” in the subject line.

Also, please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application form.

Women are highly encouraged to apply.

 NB. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.