Position:                           Project Officer II- Agricultural Trade & Investment Promotion (ATIP)

Term of Employment:   One year with a possibility of extension

Duty Station(s):             Addis Ababa

Required Number:         One

Application Deadline:    November 9, 2023

BACKGROUND:

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute  (ATI) 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 to be the leading center of innovative solutions for the transformation of the Ethiopian Agriculture by 2030.

The Institute focuses on two primary national approaches to catalyze agricultural transformation. First, we support the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), and its federal and regional affiliate institutions, and other partners to identify and address systemic bottlenecks within sector’s development plan. 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) Program.

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, with regional office representations in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, Sidama, South West, 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 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. 

POSITION SUMMARY: 

 The Agricultural Trade and Investment Promotion project (AT&IP) was initiated to convert investment opportunities by targeting and engaging investors and addressing systemic bottlenecks restricting the growth of the private sector in agriculture. Furthermore, the project is expected to create an enabling environment in which smallholder farmers can have diversified opportunities to market their outputs and be effectively linked to local and global supply chains.

 The Project Officer of ATIP will be primarily responsible for identifying and addressing systemic and structural challenges to market like small holder farmers and investment flows to the agriculture sector. The Program will take a highly consultative approach, working with key stakeholders in the government, private, and development sectors. The approach will be to engage early and in a meaningful way with serious investors to understand their interests and concerns and work alongside key government partners to facilitate investment and create a market option for SMF.

This position will officially report to the Senior Project Officer of Agricultural Trade and Investment Promotion. 

ACCOUNTABILITY:

The ATIP Project Officer is accountable for the effective delivery of the project across all ATI regions. They are accountable for ensuring that ATIP project contributes to strengthening Marketing Systems, Information, and Linkages through effective delivery of the following KPIs:

• Manage the conversion of key investment opportunities by supporting the Senior Project Officer and Director in the direction and management of the program

• Enhance market linkages to create sustainable off-take from ACC farmers

• Enhance market infrastructure, promotion, and linkage of stakeholders

• Conduct studies and assessments on challenges around access to Market

• Timely completion of integrated-VC targets

• Assist the Team Leader in compiling and assessing dATI and reports in order to ensure internal alignment on ATIP project implementation.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

 Responsibilities of Project Officer for ATIP include, but are not limited to:

· Implement the Market Linkage strategy in order to ensure the intended impact of the VC Segment interventions and projects. 

o   Ensure realistic aggregated project plans, in line with ATI's priorities, are developed for Market Linkages segment

o   Work with regional ATI offices to identify Surplus supply and facilitate engagement of SMF with Agro-procesors and/or institutional tradres

 . Develop and maintain collaboration mechanisms with government and non- government actors at international, Federal and regional levels. 

o   Promoting alignment and facilitating investment processes for increased private-sector participation in agribusiness

o   Establishing and building ongoing relationships and tracking interested investors via the Investor Relationship Management (IRM) tool

o   Working with agribusiness investors and partners to problem-solve in real-time to overcome key challenges in operationalizing investments

o   Identifying issues and risks related to investment conversion in a timely manner and suggesting appropriate mitigation measures/ recourse

o   exchanging and analyzing relevant agribusiness information that helps to enhance investment flows and/or address issues timely.

. Assist the Senior Project Officer in results-focused stakeholder management in order to build collaborative relationships with key internal, Federal, and Regional stakeholders

o   Create opportunities for and/or participate in trade fairs, create domestic and international market linkage opportunities for ATI’s priority crops and other commodities

o   Source investors, identify potential international markets and build relationships through inward and outward trade missions in collaboration with relevant governmental, private, and international partners

o   Conduct joint business/investment attraction platforms with a multitude of governmental and private sector actors

· Assist the Senior Project Officer in compiling and assessing dATI and reports in order to ensure internal alignment on ATIP project implementation

o   Assist in the preparation of all performance reports as required by the Market Linkages Director to problem solve for implementation issues, to make strategic decisions, to develop solutions, etc.

o   Ensure the utilization of standard dATI collection processes, tools and requirements; work with the Performance Management Unit to ensure project progress is captured robustly

· Other

o   The Project Officer is responsible for additional interventions assigned by the Senior Project Officer of ATIP and the Director of Market Linkages to implement ATIP team functions

Job Requirements

• The Project Officer is expected to have a strong understanding of Ethiopia’s agricultural system, and specifically:

• Master’s degree in marketing management, Management, Agricultural Economics, Business Administration, or another relevant subject;

• At least 4 years of hands-on experience in the field of marketing, International Trade, Investment Promotion preferably in the agriculture sector. 

• Deep understanding of the private sector and investor perspectives, as well as the ability to ‘speak the language’ of commercial and private sector investors

• Excellent stakeholder management skills including thorough knowledge and understanding of various regional, federal, and private sector actors

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, leadership, and ATI-gathering skills

• Extensive experience in facilitating dialogue with relevant public and private stakeholders

• Previous experience working with the private sector in areas of sales, promotion, brand management, advertising and communication

How to Apply

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

The position is open for internal and external candidates

We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to send (i) a cover letter and (ii) CV (maximum 3 pages) at THIS LINK

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.