The newly-created Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is seeking a qualified candidate to serve as the Senior Director of Value Chains.
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, focus areas are divided into three different groups of programs; 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 is financed by the GOE and a range of development partners.
POSITION SUMMARY:
Scope:
The Senior Director of Value Chains 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 Value Chain programs which currently include Tef & Rice, Pulses & Oilseeds and Wheat, Maize & Barley.
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 s/he will support and guide implementation plans and strategies along priority systems and special initiatives as related to value chains. 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 Value Chains 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 Value Chains programs within the ATA – Tef & Rice, Pulses & Oilseeds and Wheat, Maize & Barley
- To provide direction, guidance and support to the Program Directors of the above programs in order to ensure that high quality deliverables and outputs are created within each program, in line with the ATA’s overall goals
- Actively participate in diagnostic activities, solution design and development and implementation stages of policies, strategies and solutions developed by the Value Chains programs
- Support, enable and facilitate close and collaborative relationships between Program Directors and key stakeholders/partners across problem solving and implementation support areas
- Critically assess capacity gaps that may hinder effective implementation of activities and develop solutions as required.
- Coordinate and harmonize the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects within the ATA’s Value Chains 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 Value Chains programs, spearheading solution development, implementation, M&E, reporting and documentation of programs and projects.
- Facilitator of the required financial, human and organizational resources for the successful implementation of programs and projects.
- Supporter to the CEO 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 Value Chains 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 Value Chains Agricultural Transformation Agency Addis Ababa
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