ETHIOPIAN Agricultural Transformation Agency– SENIOR DIRECTOR OF SYSTEMS
The newly-created Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is seeking a qualified candidate to serve as the Senior Director of Systems.
Background
The ATA is an initiative by the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) with the primary aim of promoting agricultural sector transformation by supporting existing structures of government, private-sector and other non-governmental partners to address systemic bottlenecks and deliver on a priority national agenda to achieve growth and food security.
The programmatic focus of the Agency responds to a core set of needs identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Transformation Council. Within the Agency, issues are divided into three different groups; systems which includes seeds, soil health and fertility management, cooperatives, input/output markets and extension/research; high priority value chains including tef, wheat, maize, barley, oilseeds and pulses, rice as well as livestock and special initiatives that are cross-cutting including technology access and adoption, gender mainstreaming, climate adaptation and environmental sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation. 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. The ATA will be financed by GOE and a range of development partners.
POSITION SUMMARY:
Scope:
The Senior Director of Systems is a senior executive level management position within the ATA administration with the Senior Director serving on the senior management team of the Agency. His/her role will primarily involve managing and supporting Program Directors within the ATA’s Systems programs which include Seeds, Input/Output Markets, Soil Health and Fertility, Cooperatives, and Research and Extension.
The Senior Director will also work closely with other senior directorial staff within the ATA, in order to leverage and maximize on synergies across different program types. To this end he will support and guide implementation plans and strategies along priority crop value chains and special initiatives as related to agricultural systems. To this effect, he/she must possess and be able to demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills and relationship building abilities. The Senior Director of Systems will report directly to the ATA’s CEO and will be based in Addis Ababa.
The ideal Senior Director would possess a passion for improving the lives of small-holder farmers, a deep familiarity with Ethiopia’s agricultural system, and extensive knowledge of Ethiopian agriculture system and the stakeholders involved in the sector. S/he would likewise possess the entrepreneurial ability to visualize transformation, mobilize stakeholders across system and drive practical change on the ground.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
- Supervise and performance manage the Program Directors of the various Systems programs within the ATA – Seed, Soil Health & Fertility, Input/Output Markets, Cooperatives and Research & Extension
- To provide direction, guidance and support to the above Program Directors in order to ensure that high quality deliverables and outputs are seen within each program, in line with the ATA’s overall goals
- Actively participate in the diagnostic activities, solution design and development and finally implementation stages of policies and strategies developed by the ATA Systems programs
- Support, enable and facilitate close and collaborative relationships between Program Directors and key stakeholders/partners across problem solving and implementation support areas
- Coordinate and harmonize the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of Programs and projects within ATA’s Systems programs
- Assist in building capacity of key government, private and informal actors in the education, research, extension and production continuum associated with the system sub sector.
- To support the organization in other operations or roles as required by the CEO
KEY FUNCTIONS:
- Member of the Senior Management Team which is responsible for organizational strategy within the ATA.
- Direct supervisor of Program Directors of ATA’s systems programs, spearheading solution development, implementation, M&E, reporting and documentation of programs and projects.
- Support and facilitate the mobilization of required financial, human and organizational resources for the successful implementation of programs and projects.
- Critically assess capacity gaps that may hinder effective implementation of activities and develop solutions as required.
- Assist in the creation and delivery of strategies and programs to enhance the ATA, and where appropriate obtain external expertise and counsel
- Provide guidance to and manage output of the analytics and technical staff within the Systems programs and contribute to performance reviews and planning for their continued professional development
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- 10-15 years in a senior leadership role within government, an international agency or the private sector
- Experience in a management or strategy consulting/fast-paced corporate environment
· Deep understanding of Ethiopia’s agricultural system, with a good perspective on how the system operates and how public, private and informal actors interact within the system
· Practical experience in implementing solutions at a local level
· Experience in developing and building relationships between the public and private sector
· Demonstrable track record of success with program design, performance management, learning systems and monitoring & evaluation
· Strong team player with outstanding management skills
· Excellent communication skills
· Ability to work under pressure and in a constantly evolving and challenging environment
· Self-starter and self-motivated person
· At least an MSc in Agriculture, Rural Development, Development or other relevant subject.
· Fluency in English is essential. Fluency in at least Amharic and/or one additional Ethiopian language is a plus
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to send your applications including a detailed CV through our e-mail: Recruitment@ata.gov.et by clearly indicating the position title.
Application Deadline: Thursday June 7, 2012. NB. Only short listed candidates will be contacted
Senior Director of Systems Agricultural Transformation Agency Addis Ababa
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