Vacancy Announcement
ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY
Position: Senior Project Officer I, Private Sector Development in Agriculture
Term of Employment: One year with possible extension
Duty Station(s): Addis Ababa
Required Number: 1
Salary & Benefits: Competitive
Application Deadline: August 13,2018
BACKGROUND
The Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) was established by federal regulation in 2010 to catalyze the transformation of Ethiopia’s agriculture sector. It does so by helping to identify and address systemic bottlenecks to agricultural development and proposing appropriate interventions.
The ATA is governed by the Transformation Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, and works closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources as well as a host of other governmental and non-governmental actors. Its supports the execution of a prioritized set of interventions known collectively as the Transformation Agenda, and implements the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters Initiative targeting high-potential geographies and crops.
Its mission is to catalyze the transformation of the agriculture sector by addressing systemic constraints and developing sustainable value chains. The ATA envisions that, by 2025, smallholder farmers are commercialized with greater incomes, inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability, contributing to Ethiopia’s achievement of middle-income country status.
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 ATA, 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:
Private sector partners are expected to play an increasing role in the Agricultural Transformation Agenda. This private sector participation will become even more critical in the years to come, as Ethiopian agriculture strives to move from subsistence based, low-input/low-output farming, to one that is more market-oriented and integrated into the global food system. To effectively engage private investors and corporations in the Ethiopian agriculture sector, the ATA has a newly established Private Sector Development in Agriculture Program area (PSA), whose main aim is to connect smallholder farmers with commercial, market-focused supply chains to increase incomes and improve livelihoods.
The Senior Project Officer of PSA will be primarily responsible for identifying and addressing systemic and structural challenges to increased private sector engagement 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 overcome key systemic bottlenecks preventing investment in Ethiopia.
This position will officially report to the Director of Private Sector Development in Agriculture.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
o Conducting targeted research and analyses around promising agribusiness investment opportunities and provide technical assistance to serious investors on their market orientation and business planning
o Proactively identifying and prospecting local and international agribusiness investors and link them with greenfield investment opportunities or domestic partners for brownfield investments, where relevant
o Establishing an investment monitoring/tracking system for converted investments
o Actively attracting quality investors and promoting Ethiopia as investment destination for agriculture related investment opportunities
o Preparing and utilizing investment promotion tactics and tool kits that inform and convince quality investors in agribusiness.
o Disseminating key information on investment opportunities and proactively engage in promotional events and targeting of desirable agricultural investors
o Navigating and supporting investors in their investment journey and ensure they comply with investment requirements and adhere to Responsible Business Conducts
o Identifying, designing and following-up interventions that mitigate the key systemic and structural challenges to increased private agribusiness investment
o Advocating within government to seek necessary approvals or urging the removal of policy obstacles for responsible agricultural investments and support the implementation of priority interventions
o Identifying specific financing gaps and assisting in the development of innovative financing tools and structures to facilitate increased and more targeted investment in Ethiopian agriculture
o Building capacity of investment facilitation agencies/desks using international and regional initiatives aimed at building investment promotion expertise
o Supporting the Director in providing regular reports to the Senior Director of Agribusiness and Markets, and to the CEO on progress, challenges and constraints of the program activities
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.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: