Advisor E-Governance and Digitalization

“Private Sector Development in Ethiopia”

Brief Description of the project/ unit

The Government of Ethiopia is undertaking a significant programme of economic reforms. Among many others, increasing domestic resource mobilization, improving customs and aligning accounting standards to internationals norms are parts of Ethiopia’s Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda. However, the business and regulatory environment remains a constraint for domestic companies to grow and hinders the expansion of the private companies in productive sectors. Domestic customs management and tax administration are considered by Ethiopian businesses and international investors to rank among the most problematic areas of doing business.

The ongoing Private Sector Development in Ethiopia (PSD-E) programme has signed a co-financing agreement with the European Union to implement two outputs of an Action supporting the national reform processes on tax administration and customs reforms. The “Modernizing and Harmonizing Ethiopia’s Tax Administration and Customs Management Systems for Private Sector Growth“ component is part of the PSD-E programme and commenced in November 2025 with a duration of 48 months. As part of the PSD-E programme, the component will focus on improving the regulatory and policy frameworks in Ethiopia’s private sector.

The E-Governance / Digitalization Expert supports the modernization and harmonization of Ethiopia’s tax administration and customs management through user-oriented digital solutions, process optimization, and institutional capacity development. The position ensures that digitalisation efforts translate into improved service delivery, risk-based operations, transparency, and effective inter-agency coordination—while being compliant with Ethiopia’s data protection requirements and aligned with partner initiatives.

Duration of contract: Until February 28, 2027,

Application deadline: 15 January 2026

Required Candidates: 1

Place of Work: Addis Ababa

Responsibilities and Duties

Digital transformation planning and coordination

• Lead the development of digitalisation roadmaps and implementation plans for priority reform areas in tax audits, tax dispute settlement/appeals, customs systems (e-SW, e-CMS, e-DMS, e-ECVS), and trade data management.
• Support establishment and facilitation of governance and coordination structures (working groups, steering formats, technical committees) with MoR, ECC and relevant agencies.
• Conduct / steer process mapping and “as-is / to-be” assessments for selected tax and customs procedures (audit workflows, risk identification, taxpayer onboarding, appeals filing/tracking, valuation procedures, data capture and reporting).
• Translate business needs into functional requirements and user stories for IT-supported tools (e.g., computer-assisted auditing, risk scoring, portals, tracking tools).
• Support user-centric design and usability improvements of portals and digital services for businesses and internal users.
• Provide technical advisory on introduction/improvement of:
  • Risk-based audit tools (automation of risk identification, data analytics use cases, CAAS/CAAT concepts, quality control systems).
  • Digital tax dispute settlement solutions (e-filing and tracking of appeals; secure databases; end-to-end case management).
  • Customs digital ecosystem (integration of agencies into e-SW/e-CMS; once-only principle; e-DMS; valuation tools and workflows).
  • Trade data systems and protocols (SOPs for data collection/use/reporting/accessibility; dissemination products such as data papers).
• Support preparation of technical terms of reference for consultants/vendors and quality assurance of deliverables (testing, acceptance criteria, documentation).
• Advise counterparts on data governance frameworks, including data sharing protocols, access management, metadata standards, and interoperability principles across federal/regional levels and across agencies.
• Ensure compliance considerations linked to Ethiopia’s data protection regime and good practice in secure system design, audit trails, and privacy-by-design.
• Design and implement change management measures accompanying digitisation (communication, SOPs, roll-out plans, feedback loops, champions networks).
• Support development and piloting of e-learning modules and blended learning approaches for MoR and ECC staff (and where relevant for private sector users through BMOs).
• Contribute to training needs assessments and “training of trainers” approaches, ensuring that digital systems are accompanied by user competence and operational readiness.

Business process analysis and user-centric service design

Digital tools and systems support (tax, customs, trade data)

Data governance, interoperability, and compliance

Change management and capacity development

Reporting & Monitoring

• Monitor implementation progress against agreed roadmaps and milestones
• Identify technical risks and propose mitigation measures
• Prepare technical reports, briefs, and progress updates for GIZ and partners

Education Background:

• University Degree (Master) in Computer Science, Software engineering, Electrical and computer engineering or closely related discipline
• Professional Experience:
  • Minimum of 7 years of experience in digitalization, including software development, team leadership, and implementation of public-sector digital transformation initiatives
  • At least 2 years of relevant experience supporting digital government or e-government initiatives.
  • Demonstrated experience supporting implementation of digital public services or enterprise systems (portals, case management, workflow systems, interoperability/data exchange platforms).
  • Relevant professional experience in a similar role in GIZ or other international organizations is a big asset
• Language Proficiency: Excellent knowledge of English and Amharic both in speaking and writing

Specialized experience & knowledge:

• • Specialized experience in one or more of the following fields is a big asset:
    • Design and implementation of end-to-end digital government services
    • Software development experience, including ability to design and build platforms in-house when required
    • Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) and service workflow digitization
    • System architecture, enterprise architecture, and interoperability frameworks
    • Integration of systems using APIs, data exchange standards, and middleware
    • Knowledge of data governance, data quality, and information management
    • Use of Agile / hybrid software development methodologies.
    • Experience working with government ICT environments and reform programs
    • Capacity building, technical mentoring, and knowledge transfer to public institutions
• Technical Skills: Strong software development skills; solid experience with Linux-based systems, server setup, deployment, and maintenance; familiarity with system administration and application hosting environments; and excellent communication and presentation skills to effectively engage technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Other knowledge, additional competencies:

• Results-Orientation: Results-oriented mindset, with the ability to solve problems, prioritize/organize tasks and meet deadlines under high pressure
• Independent and proactive working style: Pro-active and self-reliant working attitude
• Teamwork abilities: Strong teamwork abilities (i.e., strong motivation to contribute positively to the team by sharing knowledge and helping each other out)
• Stakeholder Liaison: Ability to liaise with different stakeholders in both the public and private sector
• Intercultural Competence: Intercultural understanding and interest, a sense of diplomacy, and the capability to work in politically sensitive environments
• Willingness to learn: Ability to accept constructive feedback and motivation to learn and develop your competencies