The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), formerly known as the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), is a strategy and delivery-oriented government institute created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of Ethiopia’s agriculture sector, which is a key contributor to the country’s GDP, exports, and workforce. The ATI’s work is cantered on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers (SHFs) across the country for improved income, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability. 

The ATI works to transform the agriculture sector in Ethiopia by conducting policy and analytical studies, providing technical implementation support and capacity building, coordinating. 

platforms to better integrate partners and projects and designing and directly leading several innovative/pilot interventions. The Institute joins forces with various stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, farmers, and development partners, to support the implementation of agricultural development programs and initiatives. In addition, the ATI collaborates with national and international partners to facilitate knowledge exchange and learning opportunities. The Institute plays a crucial role in generating and disseminating information to support evidence-based decision-making in Ethiopia’s agricultural sector.

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 

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) has launched the Energizing Women and Youth in Agri-Food System (EWAS) project to tackle unemployment and promote green energy in the agricultural value chain, focusing on young women. ATI integrates youth employment, gender equality, climate-smart practices, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture across its programs to create sustainable job opportunities and build resilience. ATI currently works with over 3 million smallholder farmers, including 540,300 women and youths, through its Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC) and digital agriculture programs. Additionally, the ADEY program also creates jobs for women and youths in ACC regions and Somali by improving access to markets and strengthening MSMEs. Leveraging ATI's experience, EWAS project aims to create over 4,100 jobs for young women by establishing grain milling, horticulture collection centers, and honey processing enterprises, supported by capacity-building, skills development, and essential equipment.

The Senior Technical Expert II (STE-II) should have strong expertise in Apiculture, value addition, agribusiness, and stakeholder management, with a commitment to enhancing the lives of young women. The expert will provide technical guidance and oversee the implementation of EWAS project interventions at the federal level, ensuring timely and high-quality results. Responsibilities include planning, executing, monitoring, and advising the project manager and regional teams, while also facilitating the establishment of young women-owned honey processing. Reporting directly to the Project Coordinator at the head office, the expert will collaborate with all ACC project leaders and ADEY’s senior project officers and primarily work with regional senior project officers under the direction of the Project Team Leader, ACC's director, and the regional senior director.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist the project manager with project management, annual planning, budgeting, and ensuring that the project's implementation and budget utilization align with planned activities.

• Actively engage in supervision, monitoring and technical backstopping, review, and frequent reporting to ensure proper implementation as per the projects annual plan.

• Support the development of selection criteria for beneficiaries in In Apiculture value chain for the regions. 

• Critically support the establishment and monitoring of young women-led enterprises, ensuring progress follows key principles and proper implementation of value chain activities.

• Assist the regional livestock team in identifying and prioritizing the knowledge and skill gaps of targeted youth (especially women) throughout the value chain.

• Map infrastructures established for apiculture agribusiness by federal and regional partners across project regions and facilitate youth engagement in the business in collaboration with other partners.

• Assist implementation and provide support in resolving strategic and operational problems that arise over the course of the project lifetime.

• Provide technical advisory services and capacity-building support on matters related to the Apiculture value chain to the project execution team and stakeholders.

• Provide technical support during the procurement, installation and calibration of honey collection related machineries and equipment.

• Integrate and ensure implementation of young women centric design approaches in the program.

• Closely work with ADEY, CCP, Livestock Commercialization (LC) and other related project teams. 

• Implement other activities as required by subprogram, ACC program or the ATI.

• Demonstrate depth of expertise in Apiculture, and use knowledge to enrich and guide problem-solving with teams and external stakeholders.

• Identify the need and prepare all necessary Terms of Reference (ToRs) for procuring goods and services.

• Prepare specifications for all machinery and equipment needed for honey processing, in consultation with the electromechanical engineer and project team members, according to the project's scope outlined in the document.

• Support and supervise hired consultants in the development of training manuals and the execution of beneficiary training sessions.

• Produce, update, and assist in disseminating capacity development materials to enhance project partners' skills and promote technical expertise and business entrepreneurship within livestock value chains.

• Organize and facilitate workshops and ToT trainings on prioritized activities to stakeholders.

• Coach and mentor ToT trainers and project beneficiaries on effectively cascading training and implementation.

• Assess technical gaps of the regional program staff, implementing partners and beneficiaries, and design and implement capacity building trainings.

• Develop appropriate database and data collection tools in consultation with M&E and livestock team lead and ensure regular data collection with high quality and undertake analysis.

• Identify potential risks that could affect the overall performance of the project.

• Proactively engage with other team members of the ATI and external partners to develop solutions and recommendations to address identified technical issues.

• Liaise with project manager and provide advisory service and capacity building to partners based on the identified gap.

• Provide effective timely and regular upward reporting to the project manager on programmatic and operational issues

• Conduct compiling, validating, and analyzing project data to ensure monthly and quarterly update, and analyses to draw lessons and write quarter, bi-annual and annual reports

• Ensure effective regular communication and reporting with the various stakeholders (government and non-government institutions and the private sector).

• Ensure effective communication (oral, written, digital etc.) among project and institutional team

• Undertake any other duties as assigned by the Federal Project Coordinator.

Job Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, COMPETENCIES, SKILLS, TRAININGS, AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of master’s degree in apiculture or beekeeping, honeybee product processing technology, livestock production or other related fields. 

• Minimum of 8 years of professional experiences in the areas of apiculture agribusiness, donor supported apiculture interventions, apiculture value chain related project management, , providing technical support, and implementing youth and women-focused initiatives in agricultural value chains and others directly relevant to the position. 

• Good track record of working relationship with beekeepers, honey and wax processors, bee research and training institutions, public and non-governmental organizations, and other actors engaged in apiculture agribusiness

• Experience in providing management guidance and technical oversight

• Extensive experience in implementing and managing donor-funded projects focused on the establishment of youth and women-based enterprises

• Excellent understanding in micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), common interest groups, and entrepreneurship and the mechanisms how it functions

• Experience in leading the development of program learning - identify opportunities for learning, research, and publication.

• Experience in dissemination and institutionalization of best practices and lessons with implementing partners. 

• Experience leading multi-dimensional teams and complex work programs.

• Analytical skills, including profitability and business analysis

• Training or demonstrated experience of the agricultural economy.

• Experience in Apiculture and agribusiness value chains, with strong skills in supporting MSMEs to scale from small to medium and large enterprises.

• Broad understanding of how public, private, and informal actors operate within the agricultural system.

• Monitor project risks, supervise implementation of risk mitigation measures, and update the risk and mitigation measures yearly.

• Self-starter with strong motivation, ownership, and commitment to deliver results.

• Promotes data-driven and evidence-based problem solving and decision-making.

• Strong team player with excellent relationship-building and communication skills

• Ability to work under pressure and in a constantly evolving and challenging environment

• ​Experience in green energy project is a plus  

• Desire of improving the lives of smallholder farmers.

• Strong capacity to facilitate teamwork.

• Willingness to undertake frequent field visits.

• Strong Communication skills (writing, speaking, composing, presenting, etc).

• Proficiency in oral and written English and Amharic

• Proficient in using Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

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

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 in both the subject line of your cover letter and the Outlook email subject line. Please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application.

Women are highly encouraged to apply 

NB. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.