Area Program Coordinator -Jigjiga, Somali

Feed the Future Ethiopia Transforming Agriculture Activity

Job Description: Contingent to donor funding.

Organization Overview

Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has over 30 years’ experience assisting governments, communities, and the private sector. As a not-for-profit, independent research institute based in North Carolina, USA, RTI has roughly 5,000 employees with global experience implementing international development projects. RTI’s Sustainable Growth & Resilience (SG&R) technical unit within the International Development Group brings together RTI experts and capabilities across food security, agriculture, energy, environment, water, governance, and economic opportunity. SG&R will leverage RTI’s experience designing and delivering multisectoral programming and technical solutions to respond to climate change, build resilience, and promote economic growth around the world.

SG&R’s Global Food Security and Agriculture portfolio is working to strengthen agricultural markets, engage youth and women as critical leaders of the on- and off-farm workforce, and tackle the dual burden of malnutrition around the globe. RTI’s work is helping foster stronger food systems, reduce malnutrition in all its forms, build resilience and engage the next generation of food security leaders. RTI is currently partnering on nearly 30 projects in East Africa, including activities focused on private sector-driven agricultural growth in Rwanda and market systems development in Kenya.

Project Description

The purpose of the USAID/Ethiopia Transforming Agriculture (ETA) Activity is to increase access to healthy diets, particularly for women and children, by improving competitiveness, inclusiveness, and resilience of the Ethiopian food and agriculture system. ETA is the core component of a suite of food and agriculture activities funded by USAID. It is the largest project and serves as the hub. As such, FAST must collaborate intensively with other USAID funded projects working in the food and agriculture sector.

Position Description

The Area Program Coordinator – Jigjiga will be responsible for leading the implementation and coordination of all technical activities at the regional level while providing oversight to day-to-day project operations. RTI has established regional  office stationed in Jigjiga that will be overseen by a Area Program Coordinator- Jigjiga, who will maintain local relationships and make locally-focused programmatic decisions. Each Area Program Coordinator will report to the Area Program Manager-Dire Dawa and support the Technical Officers who will serve as technical engagement managers for market actors supported by the ETA. This position will be based in Jigjiga, Somali. Ethiopia, and will report to the Area Program Manager-Dire Dawa.

Responsibilities

Position Roles and Responsibilities

• Overall coordination and manage ETA activities in the cluster
• Oversee all activities grant, procurement, logistics, HR, and IT functions for the regional office.
• Responsible for data collection and submission to main office.
• Support and coordinate with ETA technical teams in nutrition, food and agriculture systems, and market systems to ensure technical quality of core activities to ensure scale and impact across sectors.
• Develop and maintain relationships with private sector actors within their regions, engaging them as grantees, learning partners, and stakeholders in local food market systems.
• Engage with other donors and donor-funded activities by including them as active participants in learning agendas and events, to ensure that learnings are shared and successes are amplified and replicated.
• Oversee and coordinate local partners, sub-contracts, and grantees implementation and reporting.
• Coordinate and work closely with regional government and district (woreda) level government technical implementation of ETA activities
• Continually monitor field travel and day-to-day risk assessments,
• Ensures that regional support needs are clearly identified to the head office.
• Supervise and support technical and operational staff in the field, including coordination in the preparation process of work plan development and activities implementation, monitoring of activities and progress made using partners’ data platform, identification of needs for technical.
• Continually monitors field travel and day-to-day risk assessments in the region.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications, Experience and Skills

• Master’s degree and 6 years of experience, or a Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated skills in building, mobilizing, and leading multidisciplinary teams.
• Supervisory experience required.
• Proven ability to work under pressure, and with multiple concurrent demands.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Verbal and written fluency in English required, understanding of local context and language.
• Ability to travel and work throughout Ethiopia in difficult terrain/conditions at times.
• Perform other duties assigned by his/her supervisor or his/her delegate