Background

About PETCO Ethiopia:

PETCO Ethiopia Recycling Community Organization (PETCO Ethiopia) is a non-for-profit Industry led producer responsibility organization incorporated in 2019. PETCO Ethiopia promotes a circular economy system to assure products and materials kept in circulation through 

Circular designating, maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and 

Composting. PETCO Ethiopia seeks to minimize the environmental impact of post-consumer waste through accelerating the manufacturing sector shift from Linier   to a Circular Economy production system; supporting existing and creating green jobs for women, youth, and marginalized people; as well as promoting exercise of self-regulation for sustainable business in industries and institutions. PETCO Ethiopia operates throughout Ethiopia and has its head office in Addis Ababa. Moreover, PETCO Ethiopia is fostering access to finance, and capacity building, to foster enterprise development in Ethiopia across agro-processing, food, handcraft, textile and garment, solid waste, and leather sectors.

 Program Background

PETCO Ethiopia is implementing 5-year consortium project joint with Center of Accelerated Women Economic Empowerment (CAWEE) and Ethiopia Enterprise Development. The program funded by the MasterCard Foundation contract to Enable Young Women and Men to Find Dignified and Fulfilling Work in Manufacturing in Ethiopia by capacitating existing SMEs. The program aims to: 

Build SME capacity to sustainably create new jobs and improve existing ones through offering tailored business capacity building and mentorship; enhancing access to markets and raw materials flow; and improving SMEs’ human resources capacity to create safe and inclusive working conditions for young women and men. 

Improve Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) offerings to better prepare women and youth to enter the workforce (facilitate school-to-work transition).

Facilitate a robust financial ecosystem to help SMEs access tailored financial services that allow them to grow and increase employment opportunities for young women in particular, and to invest in infrastructure that can improve young women and men's working conditions.

Strengthen the enablers (ecosystem) to foster private sector engagement, stakeholder coordination synergy, and policy development for sustainable and scalable job growth.

Duties and Responsibilities 

The Agro-Processing will work closely with  the senior program director, consortium partners, program staff and partners the program deliverables, outputs and outcomes specific to the sector.The Agro-Processing and food sector Lead will oversee program activities, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, compiling, and sharing learning across the consortium; and support the consortium team. The agro processing& food sector Lead will be assign to work on the establishment/strengthening of enterprises for agro-processing and food and provide strategic and technical support development services to SMEs operators and manufacturers to ensure they are functional, sustainable. 

Specific responsibilities, but are not limited to

• Develop strategy on how to increase investment in agro-processing and food in the targeted SMEs based on knowledge of industry and market needs, present and future to support agro-processing and food production in Ethiopia.

• Promote agro-processing and food investment by the private sector in the targeted value chains and implementation areas, including post-harvest handling, aggregation, storage and certification.

• Empower SMEs in Development of guidelines / templates and competitiveness in the value chain on packaging and presentation of products based on industry knowledge.

• Work with industry to understand how backward and forward market linkages are beneficial for SMEs.

• Ensure a strong market link between agro-processors and input providers (SMEs, farmers)

• Ensure a supportive business development eco-system for SMEs  to perform market-oriented processing for value addition of target commodities

• Assist SMEs, including farmers’ organizations, in identifying and applying appropriate value addition and processing technologies.

• Ensure a supportive eco-system of support for strengthening of SMEs to connect with community-based groups, associations, cooperatives, and private sectors for processing

• Plan the program  from start to completion involving deadlines, milestones and processes ;

Location: Addis Ababa 

Category :Program management

Report to: Senior Program Director 

Salary: Competitive salary and a range of additional benefits

Employment Term: Annual contract, renewable based on available fund

Closing Date: June 28, 2024

Required skills and qualifications

• Master’s Degree in  a relevant discipline (Agronomy, Agribusiness, Development Studies, Project Management , Leadership, Environment ,Economics) and related;

• At least 8 years’ professional experience in agribusiness market systems, agro processing and supply chain management, food safety, preservation and storage, agriculture, and/or fortification including deep private sector experience, including in a manufacturing setting, preferred

• Deep understanding of the agro-processing  and food sector, with knowledge of relevant topics, such as: food production and processing, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), worker safety, finance for growing businesses, and food systems value chain development

• Firm knowledge and experience of Quality management systems certification such as ISO

• Experience setting up agro processing and food businesses

• Proven track record in providing technical and/or business solutions to agro-processors, with experience implementing or advising on smallholder sourcing models

• Excellent understanding of value chain analysis, development and Good Agricultural Practices

• Strong project management, construction coordination and analytical skills preferred

• Strong administrative and organization skills, commitment, attention to detail and strong forward planning skills

• Hands on approach to work, with the ability to deliver on deadlines in a fast-paced and fast-changing environment, with minimal or no supervision

• Experience  of  enterprise development 

• Recognized experience in consortium based project  management; 

• Good knowledge in the area of enterprise development, job creation, youth development and  agro processing value chain ; 

• Excellent command of monitoring, evaluation, and learning methodologies

• Critical-thinking and decision-making skills

• Excellent organizational, verbal, and written communication skills to manage program communications and disseminate program  information are required 

• A collaborator, self-starter, critical thinker, adaptive and flexible, as well as team-player 

• Strong sense of purpose and self-driven

• Excellent skills in MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint; Etc

• English language fluency required and additional local language is an advantage. 

How To Apply

As part of your online application, please send your up-to-date CV (summarized in less than 3 pages) and one pager cover Letter in PDF file explaining your position, reference and your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile to idemeke@petcoethiopia.org  before June 28, 2024 COB.

Instruction: Your PDF file name should indicate your name and position you are applying for and only short listed candidates will be contacted for next assessment steps.

PETCO Ethiopia will not cover any cost related to recruitment process charged by the applicant.

Qualified female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.