Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA)Vacancy Announcement Position: Direct Seed Marketing Project Leader- Term of Employment: One year- Duty Station(s): Addis Ababa, Ethiopia- Required Number: One- Salary & Benefits: Competitive- Application Deadline: April 6, 2019Purpose of the positionGiven the above background, ATA is looking to hire one Project Manager to work with MoA-regional BoAs, various development partners, and other stakeholders to oversee and coordinate the implementation of the DSM expansion project.The project manager will lead a dedicated DSM team that is currently operating under the Inputs and Plant Protection Program. The project manager will be tasked to coordinate project activities across each region. Moreover, the project manager will manage technical experts that are assigned to oversee the initiative in a given region.The ideal project manager possesses a passion for improving the lives of small-holder farmers, and a deep familiarity with Ethiopia’s agricultural system. The candidate should have strong skills and experience in project management, stakeholder management and coordination. Moreover, the candidate is expected to have extensive background knowledge and experience in the marketing and distribution of agricultural inputs. In addition, s/he should possess the operational and entrepreneurial ability to mobilize stakeholders across the seed system, and drive practical change on the groundMAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESLead the development and successful implementation of the ATA Communications Strategy toThe major duties of the project manager include, but are not limited to, the following:• Work plan development: lead the development of detailed implementation plan for each region with clear activities, milestones and targets in close collaboration with critical regional stakeholders and development partners• Coordination: ensure alignment of different stakeholders and complementary of project activities between each region so that DSM design principles are implemented uniformly• Administration: manage project resources (budget) and support technical experts who are currently overseeing the implementation of DSM in each region• Resource mobilization: identify resource needs and develop concept notes/ proposals for mobilizing resources (funding, technical support, etc) that are critical for implementing DSM• Capacity building: identify capacity gaps at different levels and design support programs in collaboration with technical experts e.g. training programs, organization of workshops, etc.• Monitoring, learning and evaluation: lead tracking of project results and outputs in accordance with ATA’s overall MLE framework• Reporting: document and report project progress and associated risks to ATA’s leadership (program director) and external partners (MoA, BoAs and development partners)• Support related projects: coordinate with external partners and ATA teams in co-launching Input Tracking system (ITS) and Input Credit through voucher system in selected woredas• Integration with related external projects/ program: liaise with external development partners and ensure effective integration of DSM project with other related programs e.g. CBSP, AOSS, IVS, etc.• Ad hoc support: provide ad hoc support to Inputs program and senior management team as required on issues relating to core organizational development, prioritization of interventions, problem solving, planning

Master's

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Educational qualifications: MA/MSc degree in fields such as Project Management, Business Administration, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Business Management, Development Economics or other closely related fields
• Professional qualifications: at least 8 years (BA/BSc) and 10 years (MA/MSc) of work experience in areas related to agricultural input marketing, Small and Medium enterprise (SME) development, cooperative development, value-chain development, and other related disciplines. The candidate should have worked 4-5 years assuming managerial positions.

Other qualifications:
• Understanding of Ethiopia’s agricultural system with a broad perspective on interactions between public, private and informal actors in the seed system
• Deep knowledge of agricultural input marketing and distribution systems across value chains of key crops such as maize, wheat, tef, etc.
• Experience in project management, program design, performance management, stakeholder management, contract management, and MLE systems
• Practical experience in developing and maintaining linkages between producers and markets
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, start-up environment, with an emphasis on high-performance, teamwork and accountability
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service
• Fluency in Amharic and proficiency in English are essential. Knowledge of other Ethiopian languages desired.

10-15 years

• We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to send (i) a cover letter, (ii) CV (maximum 5 pages), and (iii) a completed online ATA Application Form at https://apply.ata.gov.et• Also, please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application form.• Women are highly encouraged to apply. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.