Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA)Vacancy Announcement Position: Senior Technical Expert I, Soil Fertility and Health for Agricultural Commercialization Cluster (ACC)- Term of Employment: One year with possibility of extension- Duty Station(s): Addis Ababa- Required Number: One- Salary & Benefits: Competitive- Application Deadline: May 30, 2019POSITION SUMMARY:The STE for soil health and fertility will primarily support the integration of soil health and fertility consideration into the Agricultural Commercialization Cluster Imitative. The STE will focus on (i) providing implementation support to the ACC initiative to promote appropriate soil health and fertility interventions; and (ii) developing solutions for soil issues as necessary.The ideal candidate will possess very strong technical competencies in soil fertility management technologies and practices and analytical background in monitoring and evaluation as applied in the public and development sectors. He/she will also have a passion for improving the lives of small-holder farmers, and knowledge of Ethiopia’s agricultural sector and ongoing efforts to transform this sector.ESSENTIAL DUTIES:• Study on acid soil management; e.g., assessment of lime deposits within ACC geographies and developing production/distribution models,• Strengthen relevant input supply chains — inclusion of latest soil health technologies within existing services of input suppliers• Build capacity of the extension system on disseminating Vertisols and acid soil management technologies,• Build capacity of the extension service to provide effective advisory services on on-farm soil management• Support the ACC projects in relation to soil fertility and soil health technologies dissemination• Directly support the Soil fertility directorate of the MoA in developing the content and technical capabilities of Ministry counterparts (federal and regional) and other partners, related to soil health and fertility issues as appropriate.• Engage in soils related discussions with key stakeholders and build independent working relationships with all levels stakeholders; represent ATA on key fora• Prepare presentations, propose ideas for communication and support facilitation of constructive dialogue where required• Understand cultural and political dimensions of stakeholders and their impact on recommendations being made related to environment• Demonstrate depth of expertise in area of soil health and fertility and use knowledge to enrich and guide problem-solving with teams and external stakeholdersHow to Apply• We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to submit (i) a cover letter, (ii) CV (maximum 5 pages) to https://apply.ata.gov.et• Please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application.• Women are highly encouraged to apply.• Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Bachelor's

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• BSc, MSc or PhD degree in Soil Science, Natural Resource Management, or related fields. Educational background and certification directly related to soil mapping, crop fertilization and plant nutrition, fertilizer blending and fertilizer management is a plus
• At least 8 years’ experience for BSc, 6 years for MSc or 4 years for PhD.
• Possess experience of working in similar projects and managing teams working on related activities.
• Experience in prioritizing and sequencing both programmatic and operation activities
• Excellent adaptive problem-solver in challenging environment
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving environment, with an emphasis on high performance, teamwork, accountability and results
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and data gathering skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with highly collaborative working style
• Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service
• An entrepreneurial, can-do attitude to overcoming barriers and making change
• Fluency in English and Amharic.

5-10 years