Vacancy Announcement
ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY
Position: Business Development Expert, Senior Project Officer I, Agrihub
Employment Type: One year with possibility of extension
Duty Station(s): ATA Regional Offices (Tigray, Amhara, SNNP & Oromia)
Required Number: Four
Salary & Benefits: Competitive
Application Deadline: May 26, 2019
BACKGROUND:
The Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) has been established by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) with the objective of identifying and addressing systemic bottlenecks to Ethiopia’s agricultural development. The Agency does this through problem-solving, implementation support, and capacity building of stakeholders involved in implementation of interventions that address the systemic bottlenecks. The Agency reports to the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources Development and is Secretary to the Transformation Council chaired by the Prime Minister.
The programmatic focus of the Agency responds to a core set of needs identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources Development and the Transformation Council. Within the Agency, issues are divided into four different pillars: Crops & Natural Resources which includes Inputs and Plant Protection, Livestock, Soil Health & Fertility, Irrigation and Drainage, and Mechanization; Cross Cutting Initiatives, which includes Inclusive Growth, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, and Planning and MLE; Livestock, which includes Animal Health and Genetic Improvement and Feed & Feeding; and Agribusiness and Markets including Market Development, Rural Finance, ICT, Private Sector, and Organizational and Human Capacity. In addition, the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters Initiative is another critical focus area for the Agency. Across the programs, the ATA engages public, private and non-governmental stakeholders to support strategic planning, manage and strengthen implementation capacity and test innovative models.
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 teamwork 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 mentor-ships necessary to achieve their career goals.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Government of Ethiopia (GoE) has made the transformation and commercialization of the agriculture sector a key tenet of its second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II). At the very core of the strategy to achieve this transformation is the transition of smallholder farmers from subsistence orientation to market focused production systems and activities that better integrate them into domestic and global supply chains. The full development and competitiveness of the entire agricultural value chain is thus critical to ensure that smallholder farmers can make the necessary market linkages that allow such supply chain integrations to happen.
Some of the most critical challenges MSEs face are under-developed business capabilities and limited access to finance. Agrihub is looking to hire regional Business Development Experts to help address these challenges. Each Business Development Expert will support the MSEs served by Agrihub in his/her region with the following responsibilities: 1) deliver regular 1:1 business advisory mentor-ship to MSE owners, with support including: developing and operationalizing a business plan, making strategic and numbers-based decisions, identifying and executing operational efficiencies; 2) represent Agrihub to develop relationships and create linkages to lending institutions (i.e. commercial banks and MFIs) and facilitate their willingness to lend to Agrihub MSEs; and 3) facilitate and coordinate the delivery of Agrihub services in his/her region.
Business Development Experts will officially report to the Senior Manager of the Ethiopian Agribusiness Acceleration Platform (EAAP) and will be based in their respective regional capitals in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP and Tigray regions in Ethiopia. This role will require frequent travel within the regions.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
- Coaching to form ambitious but attainable business plans.
- Hands-on support to operationalize those plans.