Country: Ethiopia
Closing date: 29 Jun 2018
Vacancy Announcement ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY
Position: Senior Manager, Program & Project Management – International
Term of Employment: Through July 2020 Duty Station(s): Addis Ababa Required Number: One Salary & Benefits: Competitive Application Deadline: June 29, 2018
BACKGROUND: The Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) has been established by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to identify and address systemic bottlenecks to Ethiopia’s agricultural development. The Agency does this through problem-solving, implementation support, and capacity building of stakeholders involved in implementation of interventions that address the systemic bottlenecks. The Agency reports to the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Resources and is Secretary to the Agricultural Transformation Council.
The programmatic focus of the Agency responds to a core set of needs identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources Development and the Transformation Council. Within the Agency, issues are divided into four different pillars: Crops & Natural Resources which includes Inputs and Plant Protection, Soil Health & Fertility, Irrigation and Drainage, and Mechanization; Cross Cutting Initiatives, which includes Inclusive Growth, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, and Planning and MLE; Livestock, which includes Animal Health and Genetic Improvement and Feed & Feeding; and Agribusiness and Markets including Market Development, Rural Finance, ICT, and Private Sector. In addition, the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters Initiative is another critical focus area for the Agency. 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. 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: The Senior Manager will create and lead a Project Management Center of Excellence (CoE) within the ATA and the Ethiopian agricultural sector to catalyze successful execution of the projects in the Agricultural Transformation Agenda. The CoE will support Project Leaders and their teams and build their execution capacity to ensure that the Agricultural Transformation Agenda projects are delivered on time, on budget and with the targeted results. This execution capacity has been identified as a major bottleneck to the transformation of Ethiopia’s agriculture sector, and the person in this role will be on the front lines of creating national change affecting millions of smallholder farmers. This position will report directly to the Director of the Program & Project Management (PPM) team. In addition the CoE, the PPM team is tasked with running a national-level PMO to coordinate actions of the ATA and many national, regional and local partners to execute new Priority Initiatives over the next few years, including eliminating wheat imports and increasing food security through dramatically increasing maize production. As part of the Strategic Services department, the Senior Manager will work closely with the Performance Management (planning, reporting & evaluation) and Analytics teams and the Delivery Unit at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources. The position will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The terms of employment for this position may be done and governed by World Food Programme (WFP) and managed in accordance with the internal framework of the WFP, which provides employment contracting and related services to the ATA. ESSENTIAL DUTIES: • Develop strategy for the CoE's engagement with ATA projects and partners • Lead design of best practice project management processes, tools and training for the entire project lifecycle • Hire, manage and develop CoE team members. • Identify and prioritize specific projects and activities that require enhanced project management support. • Train the CoE team to support ATA teams and partners from project launch through execution and troubleshooting to documentation and handover or transition • Ensures clear communication and coordination of activities between the CoE, other Strategic Services teams, ATA project teams and ATA partners • Design and manage productivity or work planning software as needed for successful project management • Support the Director of the Program & Project Management team with tools, processes and training to ensure optimal performance of the national PMO for Priority Initiatives • Regularly survey ATA and partner project teams for feedback on improvements to project management tools, training and support • Link projects with common activities and bring learnings from one project to another in consultation with the Senior Management Team. • Provide portfolio management insights to the Senior Management Team – look across projects to identify common trends, areas for collaboration with partners, potential bottlenecks, risks, and opportunities for refocus or expansion.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: • Master’s degree in business, economics, engineering or other relevant field preferred, Bachelor’s required. Professional certification in Project Management preferred • At least 8 years’ relevant professional experience with a Master’s degree, or 10 years with a Bachelor’s degree, in the direct management of large, complex, long-term projects in the private sector or in international development, including responsibility for people management, goalsetting, budgeting, work planning, meeting targets, and capacity building • Experience working in developing countries is highly preferred. • Highly structured thinker and communicator – you can quickly and clearly envision and explain a system that makes people’s jobs easier. • Demonstrated ability to build relationships and influence people without authority – you get things done even when people don’t report to you and have different priorities. • Good judgement and decisiveness in choosing among competing priorities – you can wisely lead your team in a rapidly changing environment with limited information. • Passion and talent for training, coaching, and capacity building – you share your learnings with others in a way that fits their needs, and enjoy the growth and success of others. • Highly adaptive and resourceful problem solver in rapidly changing environments – you enjoy the challenge of rapid invention and iteration and come up with surprisingly practical solutions. • Energized by a fast-moving environment with an emphasis on high performance, accountability
and results - you have a drive for excellence and enjoy being around others with the same drive • Strong set of personal values, including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service – this is your bedrock when all else is uncertain. • Fluency in English is required.
How to apply:
We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to send (i) a cover letter and (ii) a CV (maximum 5 pages) to recruitment@ata.gov.et, and submit a completed ATA Application Form at http://apply.ata.gov.et/
Women are highly encouraged to apply.
NB. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.