Duty Station: Ministry of Agriculture, Addis Ababa, with frequent travel to project areas
Introduction CNFA is an international development firm based in Washington, D.C. dedicated to stimulating sustainable growth in the agricultural sector. CNFA specializes in fostering private sector investment as a means to increase the overall competitiveness of agricultural value chains, expand exports and develop skills in the rural workforce. By generating higher incomes for farmers, processors, entrepreneurs and distributors, CNFA helps improve livelihoods and reduce poverty. CNFA, with a consortium of international and national partners, is currently implementing a five year United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Agricultural Growth Program-Livestock Market Development Project (AGP-LMD). Started on September 17, 2012, the project will run through September 30, 2017. The Project will foster growth and reduce poverty through improving the productivity and competitiveness of selected livestock value chains: meat/live animals, hides/skins/leather, and dairy. The program will operate in AGP targeted Woredas of Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, and SNNPR, to the benefit of thousands of smallholder livestock producers. The Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) in conjunction with USAID and Agricultural Growth Program-Livestock Marketing Development (AGP-LMD) is soliciting for the position of Project manager to lead the Livestock Identification and Traceability System (LITS) pilot project to be based Ministry of Agriculture Office, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The pilot will run for two years and is designed to improve Ethiopia’s competitiveness in the sector through enhancing the current animal health certification process by introducing a system of identification, traceability and database entry/registration of cattle and premises in the value chain. The intent of the pilot is to test LITS in a limited scale and assess its feasibility, cost effectiveness and viability for possible up scaling to a national level.
Duties and Responsibilities: he/she will:
Manage (plan, organize, direct and control) the overall implementation of the LITS Project;
Prepare the detailed work plan for approval by the Project Steering Committee (PSC);
Manage the implementation of the detailed work plan and budget and ensure implementation of all the Project components;
Manage staff recruited for implementation of the LITS pilot project;
Prepare and submit all technical and financial reports to the PSC and through the PSC to LMD;
Coordinate the procurement of all goods and services required for the Project in cooperation with the financial and accounting services of LMD;
Ensure, in cooperation with the finance and admin unit at LMD, that adequate administrative procedures and related documentation for the recruitment of consultants are in place, e.g. ToRs and contracts;
Develop and maintain positive working relationships with stakeholders and other important groups involved in the project’s success;
Ensure effective and proactive exchange of knowledge, experiences and practices drawn from the implementation of the Project to ensure synergy and a flow of information between partners;
Represent and promote the project in national and regional fora, as and when necessary.
Job Requirement
Essential requirement
Relevant Postgraduate University degree in veterinary science;
At least 10 years of professional experience, preferably with at least three years in animal health project management and implementation;
knowledge of monitoring, evaluation and reporting tools for project management a plus;
Proven experience on livestock development issues in Ethiopia;
Good understanding of the design and implementation of Livestock Identification and Traceability System.
Desirable requirement
Excellent strategic planning and organizational skills, to analyse, set priorities, take initiatives and complete work according to deadlines;
knowledge in USAID and/or other donor funded livestock projects management ;
Computer - literate with proven skills in the use of standard software for word processing, spreadsheet and presentation; knowledge of database management software a plus;
Strong interpersonal skills and integrity;
Excellent ability to communicate and negotiate with an understanding of regional and national livestock policy environments;
An excellent command of English (written and spoken) is required;