Vacancy Announcement
ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY
Position: SPO-Project Manager, National Agricultural Market Information System
Term of Employment: Project based
Duty Station(s): Addis Ababa (with field travel as required)
Required Number: One
Salary & Benefits: Competitive
Application Deadline: August 25, 2017
BACKGROUND:
The Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) has been established by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to identify and address 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 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:
Ethiopia has set ambitious goals to reduce poverty and hunger of rural populations. The Second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTPII) provides a comprehensive strategy to achieve the transformation needed across various parts of the agriculture sector in a sustainable and equitable manner. An important component of GTPII is to increase smallholder farmers’ and other value chain actors’ access to and uptake of market information services so that:
· Farmers are able to have stronger bargaining power in negotiating prices with buyers and to understand which market centers may offer them the best prices
· Volume and quality of marketable surplus increases as earning opportunities are made more transparent
· Other value chain actors are also able to make better-informed decisions via better market information
· Government is able to better understand and facilitate market activities and make informed policy decisions on market regulation and agricultural sector promotion, as well as better evaluate policy impact
· Export volumes increase as domestic market prices and quality become more competitive and transparent
While there are currently a number of agricultural Market Information Systems (MIS) in Ethiopia meant to provide such market information services, these MIS are owned and managed by different institutions at federal and regional levels, are not well coordinated or integrated, lack data completeness, accuracy and timeliness, as well as accessibility and transparency, and make limited use of ICTs in data collection, transmission and dissemination. Key stakeholders have therefore agreed to design, develop and roll out a National Agricultural Market Information System during GTPII, with the design now completed. The National Agricultural Market Information System Project will focus on development, rollout and ongoing operational management of the system over the next three years.
ATA is therefore seeking to hire a SPO-Project Manager (Project Manager) to drive day-to-day leadership and execution of this project, including managing a team of dedicated project staff and data collection officers in various regions. The Project Manager will report directly to the Director for Market Infrastructure, and work very closely with a number of teams at the ATA including the Market Development Team, the ICT in Agriculture Team, the Analytics Team, and ATA Regional Offices. He/she will also oversee the work of IT service providers engaged to design, develop, roll out and support the National Agricultural Market Information System, and ensure effective engagement with coordination with a wide range of stakeholders at federal and regional levels.
The ideal candidate will therefore have significant experience in project and team management, coordination and working with public and private sector stakeholders in the agriculture sector. He/she will preferably have experience in agricultural marketing and market information, and ICT technologies, and possess a passion for improving the lives of smallholder farmers.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
· Assume overall responsibility for the effective project planning, day-to-day management, and effective reporting, including oversight of IT service providers
· Define key milestones, targets and activities for project delivery, ensure effective project reporting and escalation of issues, and effectively manage project performance including identifying creative solutions to challenges encountered
· Identify financial, human and organizational resources required for effective project execution and drive mobilization of these resources
· Manage day to day activities including coordination across regions, and oversee a dedicated team of project officers and data collectors at federal and regional levels including training, coaching and development support as required
· Lead regular internal and external meetings with senior decision-makers and stakeholders to provide visibility on project progress, escalate decisions and issues requiring senior-level input, and ensure stakeholder alignment
· Engage stakeholders across the agricultural sector and in the area of agricultural marketing to foster effective linkages to the Project and promote broader awareness and adoption of the market information system
· Work closely with the IT Services Providers to resolve technical issues and enhance system functionality, develop effective outreach to value chain actors to access and utilize the system
· Critically assess capacity gaps in the sector and partner institutions that hinder the effective implementation of the Project during GTP II or effective handover at the end of GTP II and develop approaches for improving capabilities as required
· Ensure the Project is well-integrated with other ATA programs and projects to achieve synergies and outcomes that impact the broader agricultural system
· Identify and document lessons and experiences from the project to refine the project design and implementation, and contribute to the development of an institutionalized knowledge base for the sector
· Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Amharic; fluency in additional regional language is a plusREQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
· Bachelors or Masters degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Information Technology, or another relevant field
· At least 6 years (if Masters Degree) or 8 years (if Bachelors Degree) of relevant experience in project management, preferably in the agricultural / agribusiness sector, and of which at least 3 years experience is in a senior program, leadership or managerial role in government, non-government, or private sector role
· Understanding of Ethiopia’s agricultural system, with a broad perspective on how the entire system operates and how public, private and informal actors operate and interact within the system
· Background and experience in agricultural marketing in particular is strongly preferred (but not required)
· Proven and practical on the ground experience in piloting and scaling up projects, including planning, prioritizing and managing execution of complex operational activities, and effectively managing teams
· Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, start-up environment, with an emphasis on high-performance, teamwork, adaptive problem-solving, accountability and results
· Highly facilitative and collaborative leadership style and ability to develop relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds
· Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service