Director - Digital Agriculture Program

Job Description

                          ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION INSTITUTE

Vacancy Announcement

Position:                           Director - Digital Agriculture Program

Term of Employment:    One year with possibility of extension

Duty Station(s):              Addis Ababa

Required Number:         One

Application Deadline:    June 09, 2023

BACKGROUND:

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) is a strategy and delivery-oriented government Institute created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector. The ATI envisions to be the leading center of innovative solutions for the transformation of the Ethiopian Agriculture by 2030.

The Institute focuses on two primary national approaches to catalyze agricultural transformation. First, we support the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), and its federal and regional affiliate institutions, and other partners to identify and address systemic bottlenecks within sector’s development plan. Second, we support Regional Governments to accelerate development of high-priority commodity value chains in clearly defined geographic clusters, through the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC) Program.

Our major activities include conducting strategic and analytical studies, providing technical implementation support, coordinating platforms to better integrate partners and projects, and designing and directly leading a number of implementation projects. Our headquarters are in Addis Ababa, with regional office representations in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, Sidama, Southwest, and Tigray regional offices, allowing us to work closely with a wide range of public, private and development sector partners across the country.

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 ATI, 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:

The Director of Digital Agriculture program is responsible to lead and supports the implementation of different digital agriculture initiatives designed to transform the Ethiopia’s agriculture sector within the Ethiopian Agriculture Transformation Institutes. S/he plays a major role in directing and supporting ATI’s digital agriculture program/project teams being implemented at Federal and Regional Sates of Ethiopia to address systemic problems of the agriculture sector such as the newly developed road map of the Ethiopia’s Digital Agriculture and Extension Advisory Services (DAEAS).  S/he will also focus on providing technical backstopping support and will be used as resources person for the ATI teams to successfully run the existing digital and ICT related projects.

 In general, the Digital Agriculture Program Director will manage a team of several ICT project officers and project leads, and S/he would possess the entrepreneurial ability to visualize transformation, and the ability to support the ATI in harnessing digital platforms/solutions that helps to transform Ethiopia’s. Hence, the ideal candidate should possess a passion for hard working and improving the lives of smallholder farmers and a strong interest in developing innovative information communication technologies to transform existing agricultural practices in Ethiopia. S/he would likewise possess the entrepreneurial ability to visualize transformation, and the ability to support the ATI to mobilize partners, stakeholders, and raise funding to drive practical change at strategic policy levels and localized project levels. The candidate should have also a clear vision for driving strategic change and building new, lasting relationships with key government partners.

The Director will directly report to the Deputy Director General.

  ESSENTIAL DUTIES: 

• Serve as the leader of the Digital Agriculture Program, assuming overall responsibility for the direction and management of the program; mobilize needed financial, human or organizational resources for program execution
• As a Director of the Program, lead stakeholders across both public and non-public sectors, the development and implementation of diagnostic activities, strategies, and policies for digital and ICT based ag solutions 
• Lead the implementation of Ethiopia’s Digital Agriculture and Extension Advisory Services (DAEAS) road map.
• Facilitate to undertake an assessment of digital agriculture to identify gaps, opportunities, and potentialities in consultation with concerned stakeholders in alignment with ATI and national digital ag strategy with a focus on digital services needs for specific value chains (crops, livestock).
• Facilitate building a multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder approach into mainstreaming digital solutions for agriculture both nationally as well as in the project sites.
• Support federal and regional government to identify sustainable interventions (tools, technologies, platforms)and processes (strengthening policy, regulatory frameworks) to introduce and strengthen digital technology to provide support agriculture extension, facilitate market access for farmers, small and medium-scale rural entrepreneurs including youth and women and other rural residents and, also share and exchange data and information with buyers, customers, suppliers, and government agents.
• Document and disseminate the best practices and success cases.
• At the end of every project, develop strategic guidelines for upscaling the project outputs.
• Prepare and manage the Digital and ICT in agriculture and rural finance program plan and budget; obtain approvals from senior level ATI management and monitor budget utilization against allocation
• Provide high caliber support for Project Teams under the management of the program (such as 8028 Farmers Hotline (IVR/SMS), National Market Information system and electronic voucher for input-output marketing and ensure team alignment, coordination, provide high performance and delivery on priority objectives
• Manage and lead problem solving sessions and diagnostic studies to identify and design innovative digital and ICT solutions that can be utilized by Ethiopia’s agriculture sector
• Provide project management support to current/future ATI ICT-related projects following industry best practices
• Engage in the hiring of new members of the ICT in Agriculture program, and provide high caliber management, coaching and support to ensure a high-performance team
• Provide high-quality, results-focused stakeholder management, and build a genuinely collaborative engagement with key Federal, Regional, Private Sector, Non-Profit and Bilateral partners in the delivery of priority sector objectives
• Regularly engage with other ATI teams to ensure that efforts by the Program team are aligned and supportive of other activities undertaken in the agricultural sector, especially in Ethiopia’s Agricultural Commercialization Clusters
• Develop criteria for selecting, evaluating, and implementing commercial off-the-shelf (cots), modifiable off-the-shelf (mots), and government off-shelf (gots) tools and applications.
• Support projects design and implement intuitive user interfaces that would enable a wide range of end users to get valuable and actionable information.
• Serve as a thought leader to help the creation and delivery of digital strategies and programs to achieve ATI’s overall goal and mission
• Contribute to the development of an institutionalized knowledge base for the ATI 
• Regularly report to the DDG on progress as appropriate on challenges and constraints of the program team activities.
• Perform other related responsibilities assigned by the supervisor.

Job Requirement

• Master's degree in software engineering, computer engineering, information Communications Technology (ICT), Computer Science, ICT for Development, business administration, agriculture, rural development, or other relevant subject providing a deep understanding of the utility of information communication technologies
• Minimum 12 years for Master’s and 6 years for Ph.D. of relevant experience in either one or more of the following: software engineering, computer engineering, information Communications Technology (ICT), Computer Science, ICT and strategy and/or management consulting, IT/ICT consulting, Digital business management/administration, digital /technology solutions for agriculture business/firms, of which at least 6 years in a leadership or managerial role.
• At least 5 years of experience designing and/or developing solutions to agriculture or other business problems.
• In-depth knowledge and proficiency with product and service management (vision and strategy), product backlog management (analyse and prioritize product backlog items based on the business roadmap), Agile & Scrum methodologies, business process analysis, and knowledge of Human-Centred Design and Service Design is required.
• Understanding of Ethiopia’s agricultural system, with a broad perspective on how the entire system operates and how public, private, and informal actors operate within the system
• Passion and deep understanding of technology innovations (e.g. mobile apps, IVR, SMS, USSD, blockchain, artificial intelligence) and business model innovations (e.g. access to markets, e-learning, innovative finance, crowdsourcing, etc.)
• Proven record of excellence in managing teams consisting of diverse individuals and ICT-related projects using facilitative and collaborative leadership styles
• Data-driven decision-making skills, strong in data management and data interpretation
• Experience leading IT or ICT Operations support functions for public and/or private organizations
• Demonstrable track record of success with program design, performance management, learning systems and monitoring & evaluation
• Experience in creating and implementing integrated technology strategies to support multiple units and processes, which includes analysing emerging technologies and translating impact on current and future business processes.
• Experience generating new and original solutions to complex problems and in ICT4Ag is essential.
• Practical experience in developing and implementing strategies and initiatives in ICT and agriculture
• Experience designing and/or implementing nation-wide ICT projects is a major plus
• Proven record of excellence in facilitating, developing and building relationships between a variety of public, private and other organizations
• Ability to communicate complex ICT-related topics to individuals with limited ICT backgrounds
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, start-up environment, with an emphasis on high-performance, teamwork, accountability and results
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service
• Fluency in English and Amharic is essential