Enabling Seed Business Expert – Stichting Wageningen Research (SWR)

Background

Stichting Wageningen Research (SWR) is an international NGO registered in Ethiopia since March 2021 with the FDRE Agency for Civil Society Organizations. The organization is established with the objectives of promoting a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems in Ethiopia. One of the projects implemented by SWR is Ethiopia-Netherlands Seed Partnership (ENSP).

The Ethiopia-Netherlands Seed Partnership (ENSP)

You will leverage trade and investment in the seed sector by championing reforms that enhance regulatory service delivery to businesses in the seed sector. You will do this in support of the Partnership’s overall mission to enable the private sector in Ethiopia to deliver farming men and women high quality seed of improved varieties much needed for food security and nutrition, and climate resilience. The Partnership is development cooperation between Ethiopia and the Netherlands, implemented by a consortium of the Ethiopian Seed Association in Ethiopia, and Plantum and Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands.

We are looking for

A strategic and politically smart facilitator to cut red tape and enable business in the seed sector in Ethiopia. Ethiopia ranks 159^th out of 190 countries in terms of ease of doing business, and requires (reforms to) regulation to enable business in the seed sector. The Enabling Business Expert should be a critical, but constructive adviser of systems change within Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture and regional state seed regulatory authorities. Accordingly, his/her attention should lie upon the policies, strategies, structures, systems, procedures and working cultures of these institutions and their coherence with the practices of seed businesses for enhancing seed regulatory service provision.

Key Responsibilities

• Leverages trade and investment in the seed sector by cutting red tape and enabling business
• Spearheads the development of an investment plan and roadmap for the seed sector
• Facilitates dialogue between government, industry and other stakeholders for raising options for increasing private domestic and foreign direct investment in the seed sector
• Researches and contrasts options from other countries for proposing improvements, amendments, directives, guidelines and procedures for sensible regulation
• Builds a strong and privileged relationship with government officials, earning their trust
• Champions reforms to relevant policies, regulations and institutions and supports their implementation in a hands-on way
• Enhances seed regulatory service provision through improved delivery models of variety testing and registration, plant breeders’ right protection, seed inspection and testing and phytosanitary services
• Supports efforts to modernize and digitize seed regulatory service provision
• Supports efforts to standardize, harmonize, accredit and obtain international recognition for seed regulatory services in Ethiopia
• Strengthens the capacities of seed regulatory services by facilitating the training of staff, sharing of experiences from abroad, and procurement and maintenance of hardware

Project:              Ethiopia-Netherlands Seed Partnership

Duration:         Four years, subject to annual renewal based on performance

Reports to:      ENSP Project Manager

What we offer

Depending on candidate’s education and work experience, we offer a competitive salary as per the organization scale which is negotiable within the range of the salary scale assigned for the position. We also offer other benefit packages as per the internal HR manual.

What we ask

We need someone with a strong grasp of abstract concepts of organization and management, and a great deal of familiarity with the multiple facets of the seed sector in order to navigate complex processes of systems change. This intellectual capacity of the Enabling Business Expert should be met by a hands-on and pragmatic approach to getting things done. S/he should be strategic, but importantly also highly motivated and tireless in pulling different levers for achieving intended results. S/he should have skills in framing complex problems, drawing upon networks, forming coalitions, leading by example and scaling up change. We strongly encourage women to apply, are committed to being inclusive of all genders in our organization and strive to become a diverse organization.

Minimum requirements:

• At least MSc/MA in Agronomy, Breeding, Agricultural development, Agricultural policy, Agricultural economics, Seed science, and related subject
• At least 7 years’ experience working in seed sector development
• Excellent facilitation skills and fluency in spoken and written English and Amharic
• An relentless drive to solve problems and succeed, tenacity and resilience
• The ability to think and act systemically
• Proficiency in MS Word, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint