Vacancy Announcement

ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY

Position:                          Project Officer II- Crop Specialist

Term of Employment:    Full time

Required Number:         Two

Duty Station(s):             ATA Amhara Regional Offices (Bahir Dar)

Salary & Benefits:           Competitive         

Application Deadline:   August 20,2021

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 and Livestock Resources (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 several 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:

The Regional Crop Specialist functionally reporting to the Regional Senior Business Development Officer. The Regional Crop Specialist will be responsible for providing technical guidance and conducting capacity building activities in delivery of crop related extension services to Agricultural One-Stop Shop staff, and support Centres crop related extension services to smallholder clients. The Crop Specialist will also be responsible for ensuring that AOSS grantees conduct thorough demand assessments in seeds (cereals, horticulture), agro-chemicals, farm tools and facilitating training/demonstration activities of these products for AOSS customers/smallholder farmers. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

•  Organize and conduct training programs and seminars for AOSS staff and clients, in cooperation with program technical staff.
•  Provide training, mentoring and coaching services on crop production related inputs to OSSs staff.
•  Support AOSSs in inputs demand assessment so that AOSCs inventory will be stocked in demand-based inputs.
• Support AOSSs in demand creation and promotion of new products and services; by conducting series of demonstration, organizing field days, and experience sharing events.
• Organize and conduct training of smallholder farmers and extension agents on the value and use of improved inputs.
• Develop linkages between input suppliers, output markets and the AOSSs.
• In conjunction with the business development officer, support AOSSs to have access to improved agricultural technologies and facilitate technology demonstrations on AOSS own land or on the land of AOSS customer farmers.
• Assist AOSCs to have a good working relationship with the local Office of Agriculture, Cooperative Promotion Office, Livestock Agency, and any other relevant development partner operating in the area; and
•  Other duties assigned to him/her by the project Team Leader. 

Job Requirements

• MSc degree in Agriculture with specialization in crop production, irrigation, horticulture, crop protection, agronomy, plant science, or another relevant field
• At least 4 years’ experience in agriculture or crop production and/or protection capacity building, seed marketing, extension and outreach services in agronomy, horticulture, irrigation, and input supply value chains.
• Understanding Ethiopia’s agricultural system, with a broad perspective on agrochemical and seeds and their supply system.
• Experience in donor-funded programs a plus.
• Strong interpersonal, communications, and leadership skills.
• Excellent adaptive problem-solver in challenging environment.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Fluency in English and Amharic is required;
• Proficient Microsoft Office user

How to Apply

We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to submit (i) a cover letter and (ii) CV (maximum 5 pages) to https://apply.ata.gov.et by mentioning the position title on the subject line ‘Project officer II- Crop Specialist’.

Please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application.

Women are highly encouraged to apply.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.