Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency Senior Project Officer I – Business Development Jobs

Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency Senior Project Officer I – Business Development

Jobs

Job Id: 224430

Category: Agriculture

Location: Addis Ababa

Career Level: Senior Level (5+ years experience)

Employment Type: Full time

Salary: Competitive

Job Description

Vacancy Announcement

Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency

Position: Senior Project Officer I – Business Development

Term of Employment: One year with possibility of extension

Duty Station(s): Addis Ababa

Required Number: One

Salary & Benefits: Competitive

Application Deadline: October 09, 2019

Background

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) is a strategy and delivery-oriented government agency created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector.

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.

The agency focuses on two primary national approaches to catalyse agricultural transformation. First, we support the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources (MoA), its affiliate institutions, and other partners to identify and address systemic bottlenecks within an Agricultural Transformation Agenda.

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) Initiative.

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, and we have regional offices in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, 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 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:

Working under the supervision of the Project Team Leader, the Senior Project Officer (SPO) serves as technical lead person in business development support for AOSSs owners.

It works on all aspects of business management counseling, advisory service in sub-grants management, clear guidance on development and implementation of presentable accounting systems and support the business development initiatives of sub-grantees.

The SPO will provide guidance on Business Plans preparation by candidate AOSSs in the course of grant application processes.

The SPO will be a key player in providing guidance to the grant application evaluation team on all aspects of business management capabilities of the candidates through application of extensive business profitability assessment and analysis.

Provision of periodic and need based business management skill enhancing trainings; grant utilization and reporting in compliance with ATA’s policies to regional offices, AOSS staff and to create market linkage AOSS with Agricultural Input Suppliers are the major responsibilities of the SPO.

In collaboration with the regional Project Officers, the incumbent will seek, guide & recommend alternative access to credit financing to the AOSSs.

As a multi-faceted position, the SPO will review & monitor clients accounting reports, business performance progress & provide timely technical support wherever necessary.

SPO will set standard business management for all AOSSs. S/he will be based in Addis Ababa, with frequent travel to regional project offices.

Essential Duties:

Work with a team in the evaluation of AOSS grant applicants, including performance of documentary and in-person due diligence of the applicant’s historical financial records;

Support the successful AOSS applicants to develop pro-forma financial projections of their projects, including assisting in the design of potential impactful targets related to business performance;

Develop functional working relationship with agricultural input suppliers, output market networks and the AOSSs;

Assist AOSS grantees to access trade credit and commercial finance to help meet their matching investment requirements and project implementation;

Provide capacity building, mentoring and coaching on financial management and business planning to regional business development POs and program beneficiaries over the life of the project;

Provide training, mentoring and coaching services regarding business development to AOSS staff

Support AOSS in stocking and inventory management

Set minimum standard for AOSSs business management and follow-up the implementation;

Facilitate business to business relations between AOSSs and wholesalers and other chain actors

Follow up the sub-grantee disbursement and on time request from grant team and follow up the transfer of cash to the sub -grant

Produce timely and quality periodic reports; and

Other duties as required by the Project Team Leader.

Job Requirements

Minimum of Bachelors’ degree in Finance, Agri-business, Business Administration, Business Management, Economics, Agro-economics or relevant field required; MSc/MA degree is preferred;

Minimum of 6 years (MA) or 8 years (BA) of experience with good understanding of the agriculture sector. Working in inputs and output marketing business is preferable;

Proficiency in Microsoft Office including advanced proficiency in Excel;

Proficiency in Peach-tree Accounting system is required;

Strong technical Training skill and interpersonal, communications, and leadership skills;

Fluency in English and other local languages required;

Strong communication skills and ability to work with people having different background.

How to Apply

Application Instructions

We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to send (i) a cover letter and (ii) CV (maximum 3 pages) at http://apply.ata.gov.et

Also, please Do not submit scans of certificates with your application form.

Women are highly encouraged to apply.

NB. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency Senior Project Officer I – Business Development
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