The Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) was established by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to identify systemic bottlenecks, conduct studies, and provide recommendations, provide implementation support, manage projects, create linkages and coordination among activities and  agricultural development programs. The Institute 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 that, to be the leading centre of innovative solutions to catalyse and contribute to the transformation of the Ethiopian Agriculture by 2030 where smallholder farmers are commercialized with greater incomes, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability.

ATI provides a unique 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 teams with the tools, training, and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals.

The programmatic focus of the Institute responds to a core set of needs identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and other sectors along commodity value chains. Across the programs, the ATI engages public, private, and non-governmental stakeholders to support strategic planning, manage and strengthen implementation capacity and test innovative models. Currently, ATI is tasked to coordinate the revised Agriculture and Rural Development policy agendas of the sector and such sectoral level delegation requires high level expertise in the policy areas and skillsets in coordination and networking with multiple stakeholders.

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.

Program and Position Summary 

ATI is implementing Agriculture-focused Dignified Employment for Youth (ADEY) program in Ethiopia which is working to address the challenges of youth unemployment and increase their participation in the agricultural labour market. ATI integrates youth employment, gender equality, climate-smart practices, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture into all its programs to create sustainable and inclusive job opportunities while promoting resource sustainability and resilience.

Currently, ATI supports smallholder farmers through the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC) and digital agriculture programs to enhance productivity and value chain efficiency. Leveraging ATI’s experiences, ADEY is designed to create over 600,000 dignified work opportunities across eight regional states, including Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, Sidama, Central Ethiopia, South Ethiopia, Southwest Ethiopia and Somali. The program focuses on agriculture and MSMEs, strengthening market access, improving youth-owned enterprise competitiveness, building technical and business skills, and creating an enabling policy environment. ADEY operates along commodity value chains, utilizing ACC infrastructure and complementing its outcomes.

The Senior Technical Expert II will implement and coordinate the overall agricultural input interventions planned in the ADEY program. S/he will work in close collaboration with the head office and regional teams, ensuring quality and timely delivery on planned targets and achievement of the program objectives. To achieve this, s/he will be responsible for planning, implementation, monitoring and backstopping of regional and partner teams and agri-enterprises in agricultural input business activities, including production, processing and marketing. S/he will be responsible for data management, reporting, documentation and sharing of lessons, as per the ATI and donor standards. 

S/he will report to the crop agribusiness team lead and closely work with all ADEY and ACC staff. The jobholder involves in designing and implementing sustainable agriculture input business model for youth-led MSMEs. He/she will engage in developing strategies, guidelines, and manuals for effective input delivery, assessing demand, and building capacity for input businesses. The jobholder will also support the regional and partner teams in facilitating input market linkages for youth-led MSMEs, fostering long-term relationships with the end users. Additionally, he/she will involve in monitoring and evaluation of input supply systems, ensuring alignment with business needs, tracking progress, and sharing knowledge to enhance scalability and sustainability.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Proactively assess, identify and promote potential and viable business ideas in agricultural input production, processing and marketing by for youth-owned MSMEs. 

• Support and provide guidance to the regional and partner teams in establishing youth Agri-MSMEs to engage in input production, processing and value addition, and marketing businesses. 

• Establish strong linkages and collaboration with key partners and stakeholders to effectively implement program.

• Lead the capacity building of regional and partner teams on input business through providing training and technical backstopping and facilitating learning exchanges. 

• Propose and implement models for inclusive and sustainable input business.

• Design and implement systematic coaching and mentoring approach to strengthen youth and young women-owned agri-input enterprises.

• Facilitate business development services for youth MSMEs engaged in input business to help them improve their business and organizational management skills. 

• In collaboration with other staff, develop and ensure proper use of technical guidelines and training materials for capacity development of local partners and youth participants.

• Plan, implement and monitor cost driver activities, and produce and submit quality reports to the regional program directors.

• Provide policy and technical supports to service providers, including private sectors and government agencies, to play roles in promoting and strengthening agricultural input business development by youths. 

• Facilitate engagement of youth advisory groups in collaboration with key national and regional partners. 

• Facilitate linkages of youth enterprises to markets, different service providers, input suppliers and aggregation centers.

• Provide guidance to the regional and partner teams on standard requirements and procedures of business registration, agri-investment, revenue and tax administration, and access to finance.

• Ensure gender and safeguarding are mainstreamed in the input production, processing and marketing business activities.

• Collaborate and work with the ministry of agriculture, labor and skills, women and social affairs, youth associations and cooperatives to ensure participation and benefits of youths, especially young women. 

• Promote innovation and digital marketing platforms in agri-input businesses.

• Prepare work plan, activity budgets and reports, and submit to the program directors.

• Ensure collaboration and integration with other ACC projects, and compile and share best practices and lessons.

Job Requirements

Required Qualification, Competency and Experience

• Minimum of MSc degree in agribusiness, agronomy, crop science, seed science, agricultural economics, cooperative management, rural development, agricultural extension or other related fields.

• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in designing and implementing agricultural input business activities or agricultural value chain development.

• Strong technical skills and knowhow in agricultural input production, processing, value addition and marketing.

• Good experience in facilitating stakeholder forums and business linkages, and working with private sectors, financial institutions, input suppliers and regulatory authorities.

• Experiences in advisory and capacity building of agri-MSMEs and private input suppliers such as agro-dealers.

• Extensive experiences in identifying, forming, and supporting different models of agri-input businesses. 

• Good experiences in implementation and management of donor-funded projects.

• Good experiences on multistakeholder collaboration and partnership.

• Good skills in business plan development and business advisory services for agri-entrepreneurship development.

• Experiences in gender, safeguarding and youth inclusiveness in agricultural projects.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving and reporting skills.

• Ability and willingness to work under pressure and deliver quality results.

• Proficiency in computer and internet-based communication tools. 

• Proficiency in English, and strong verbal and written communication skills.

  Safeguarding risk level

•  The role holder will have frequent or intensive contact with program participants as he/she will be responsible for implementing and monitoring program activities.                                        

How To Apply

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to submit (i) a cover letter and (ii) a CV (maximum 5 pages) to THIS LINK

It is mandatory to mention the position title under the subject line of your cover letter. 

Please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application. 

NB. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.