Background:
Sesame is an important agribusiness sector in Ethiopia. It is a priority crop in the Agricultural Growth Program (AGP). It has a significant turnover and more importantly, the sector has significant potential for further growth and development, both in terms of production and yield improvement, reduction of post-harvest losses, domestic value addition and in terms of market access and turnover.
The largest part of the Ethiopia sesame production and export originates from the Humera and Metema production zones in the North-Western part of the country in Tigray and Amhara region. Benefit-SBN provides its support in 12 sesame producing woredas.
The Sesame Business Network (SBN) is a largely informal innovation network that is driven by local entrepreneurs and other stakeholders, who work together with the aim to move forward in their respective sesame related business ventures.
The Netherlands Government, through its Embassy in Ethiopia, funds a support project called Benefit-SBN which allows for accompanying the sesame sector stakeholders to achieve their objectives. The objectives of the support project follow the (economic) objectives of the members of the SBN. Research, extension training and facilitation services are supportive to SBN member initiatives, which in turn are linked to clear economic objectives of the participating stakeholders. Capacity and innovation development, in combination with knowledge sharing and learning, support the effective development and uptake of innovations to address identified challenges. (for more information visit: www.sbnethiopia.org)
BENEFIT-SBN is looking for a competent Senior Economist, who can support stakeholders of the sesame sector in Northwest Ethiopia. The candidate is expected to work with the various actors in the sesame value chain such as farmers, primary cooperatives and farmers’ cooperative unions, traders, processors and exporters, private sector organizations, regions and woredas and cooperative promotion offices on several marketing related subjects. Among others: adaptation of sesame and rotational crops production to national and international market demand, market prospection, opportunity and risk analysis, quality improvement, branding, input and output marketing, value addition and export marketing, analytical capacities, among other for marginal rate of return and cost-benefit analyses.
Duties and responsibilities:
The candidate is expected to take responsibility for planning, developing and implementing the clusters overall marketing strategy and for the development of the marketing and business development team. The Senior Economist will oversee the capacity building of primary and farmers’ cooperative unions (FCUs), and the private sector especially on agribusiness development and marketing. To this effect he/she should:
Other responsibilities are:
Employment Type: Full time-one year- up to December, 2018 (with possible extension)
Place of work: Gondar. The position will involve frequent field travel to 12 woredas in the North West
Qualification and Experience:
Skills and knowledge required:
Behavioural requirements: