Project Officer – Regional Crop Specialist

Required Number:        One

Salary & Benefits:          Competitive

Application Deadline:   February 14, 2016

 

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 a Transformation Council chaired by the Prime Minister and whose co-chair is the Minister of Agriculture. 

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:  Production and Productivity which includes Inputs and Crop Protection, Livestock, Research and Extension, Mechanization and Rural Finance; Agribusiness and Markets including Market Support Services, Commercial Farming, Agro-processing & Market Development, and Cooperatives Development; and Environmentally Sustainable and Inclusive Agricultural Growth including Natural Resource Management, Sustainable Land Management, Gender Equality and Nutrition, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, and Planning and MLE. 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 employees with a proven track record of success in managing complex activities and achieving transformational results.  Our culture is one where talented individuals are committed to doing their best and work together 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, motivated colleagues and excellent career development and training.  We recognize our most valuable assets are our people and are committed to providing our employees with the tools and training necessary to achieve their career goals. 

 

POSITION SUMMARY:

ATA, in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Bureau of Agriculture, USAID and CNFA, is implementing a three-year Feed the Future Ethiopia Commercial Farm Services Project. The objective of this project is to improve smallholder productivity, food security and incomes through the development of sustainable private sector driven agricultural input supply and services by creating 20 new Farm Service Centers (FSCs) throughout Oromia, Amhara, Tigray and SNNP Regions. These FSCs will serve as innovative and replicable private, retail input supply and farm service businesses model for scaling up private farm supply and service networks in Ethiopia and throughout Africa.

Working under the supervision of the Project Officer – Regional Business Development, the Project Officer – Regional Crop Specialist will be responsible for providing technical guidance and conducting capacity building activities in delivery of crop related extension services to Farm Service Center staff, and support FSC’s crop related extension services to smallholder clients. The Crop Specialist will also be responsible for ensuring that FSC grantees conduct thorough demand assessments in seeds (cereals, horticulture), agro-chemicals, farm tools and facilitating training/demonstration activities of these products for FSC customers/smallholder farmers.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Organize and conduct training programs and seminars for FSC staff and clients, in cooperation with program technical staff and consultants;

• Organize events such as field days, demonstrations and visits by input suppliers on behalf of the FSC;

• Organize and conduct training of smallholder farmers and extension agents on the value and use of improved inputs;

• Develop linkages between input suppliers, output markets and the FSCs;

• in conjunction with the business development officer, support FSCs to have access to improved agricultural technologies and facilitate technology demonstrations on FSC own land or on the land of FSC customer farmers;

• Assist FSCs to have a good working relationship with the local Office of Agriculture, Cooperative Promotion Office, Livestock Agency and any other relevant development partner operating in the area; and

• Other duties as required by Project Officer – Regional Business Development and Project Manager at national level.

• BSc or Master’s degree in Agriculture with specialization in crop production, irrigation, horticulture, crop protection, agronomy, plant science, agri-business or other relevant field


• At least 5 years (for BSc) or 3 years (for MSc) experience in agriculture or crop production and/or protection capacity building, seed marketing, extension and outreach services in agronomy, horticulture, irrigation and input supply value chains.


• Understanding Ethiopia’s agricultural system, with a broad perspective on agrochemical and seeds and their supply system.


• Experience in USAID or other donor-funded programs a plus.


• Strong interpersonal, communications, and leadership skills.


• Excellent adaptive problem-solver in challenging environment.


• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.


• Fluency in English and Amharic is required; knowledge of regional working languages is a plus.


• Proficient Microsoft Office user.

Closing date: Feb 21, 2016