Project Manager – FRESHWAY Project

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Background of the Project

FRESHWAY is a four-year project that aims to strengthen Ethiopia’s fruit and vegetable agrologistics system along the Arba Minch–Hawassa–Addis Ababa–Modjo corridor. It focuses on reducing postharvest losses, improving food safety, and attracting private investment in cold chain infrastructure, aggregation, and market linkages, in line with the national Postharvest Management Strategy and growing market demand.

The project combines policy reform, private sector support, aggregation hubs, and skills development to create a sustainable horticulture logistics ecosystem.

Key components include:

• Regulatory strengthening: Supporting the Ethiopian Agricultural Authority to improve food safety systems, including pesticide residue monitoring and the implementation of Ethio GAP standards.
• Market integration: Establishing private sector-led aggregation hubs to link farmers with markets, improve product quality, and increase incomes.
• Export promotion: Supporting selected farms and companies to access regional and international markets, including through the Modjo cool port.
• Capacity building: Enhancing agrologistics training and workforce development through A-TVETs, focusing on cold chains, certification, and postharvest management.

Purpose of the Job

The project manager will have a dual role. The first role focuses on the overall management of FRESHWAY, the second role is a technical role supporting component 4: Effective policy and regulatory framework around food safety interventions.

The Project Manager manages the start-up, implementation, and closing of the project in Ethiopia, within scope, budget, timeline and acceptable quality levels along the commitments specified in the contracts signed with the donor.  The Project Manager works in line with SNV standards, and embraces SNV`s approach to project management and donor regulations, in order to achieve high quality results and deliverables of the project. The PM will lead and oversee all aspects of the program including planning and implementation of all project activities, results-based management, and client/partners relations. The  project manager will lead a diverse team of advisors and external professionals to deliver ambitious targets leading to a strengthened Ethiopia’s F&V agrologistics system by reducing postharvest losses, improving food safety, and unlocking private sector investment in cold chains, aggregation, and market linkages.

As technical advisor, the manager is responsible for leading the design, coordination, and technical quality assurance of Component 4, aimed at strengthening an effective policy and regulatory framework for safe, compliant, and competitive fruit and vegetable markets in Ethiopia.

Three strategic interventions will be directly supported:

Strategic intervention 4.1. Pesticide residue monitoring

Strategic intervention 4.2. Guidelines fruits and vegetables markets Addis Ababa municipality

Strategic intervention 4.3. Ethio GAP implementation

Key Responsibilities of the Project Manager

Project Start-up and Planning

• Lead inception phase, including kick-off meetings with government and donors, and private sector actors.
• Translate the approved proposal into operational plans (annual workplans, budgets, procurement plans).
• Facilitate regional government agreement if any

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships

• Build and maintain relationships with:
  • Project donor
  • Ministry of Agriculture / regional BoA
  • Private logistics companies and off-takers
  • SMEs, cooperatives, and farmer clusters
• Coordinate with donors and partners to align interventions and ensure complementarity.
• Manage subcontracting of local partners, including due diligence and contracting.

Project Implementation & Delivery

• Oversee implementation of the 5 project components.
• Coordinate technical specialists and regional teams to deliver outputs.
• Ensure adaptive management in response to market, security, and operational challenges.
• Ensure quality of the deliverables
• Ensure cross learning with other projects and sectors

Procurement & Operations Oversight

• Oversee preparation and execution of procurement plans for equipment, infrastructure, and services.
• Ensure compliance with SNV and donor procurement procedures.
• Manage logistics for project activities (events, missions, field operations).

Financial Management

• Manage project budget and forecast expenditures.
• Ensure efficient and compliant use of donor funds.
• Coordinate with finance team on reporting, audits, and cost control.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning & Reporting

• Ensure robust MEAL system is in place.
• Lead periodic progress reviews and coordination meetings.
• Deliver high-quality donor and government reports focusing on results, impact, and institutionalisation.

Team Management

• Lead and supervise project staff (technical, regional).Handle performance management of the project staff
• Coordinate with SNV country programme team (finance, HR, operations).

Knowledge Management & Learning

• Capture lessons learned and best practices.
• Support knowledge sharing across regions and programmes.
• Contribute to scaling successful logistics models.
• Integrate Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) across logistics access and services.

Key responsibilities as technical advisor

Strategic Intervention 4.1 – Pesticide Residue Monitoring

• Support the establishment and/or strengthening of pesticide residue monitoring systems.
• Collaborate with regulatory bodies, laboratories, and inspection services to improve testing capacity and protocols.
• Facilitate coordination between public institutions and private sector actors to ensure compliance along the value chain.
• Promote awareness and adoption of safe pesticide use practices among market actors.

Strategic Intervention 4.2 – Market Guidelines

• Lead the development, refinement, and operationalisation of fruits and vegetables market guidelines for Addis Ababa.
• Engage with municipal authorities to institutionalise guidelines in market management systems.
• Support piloting and scaling of improved market management practices (e.g. hygiene, handling, traceability).

Strategic Intervention 4.3 – EthioGAP Implementation

• Promote the rollout and adoption of EthioGAP standards among producers, aggregators, and market actors.
• Support systems for certification, compliance monitoring, and continuous improvement.
• Facilitate capacity building for service providers and institutions supporting EthioGAP.
• Engage with national and regional policymakers to strengthen enabling policies and regulatory frameworks.

• Master’s degree in Agribusiness, Supply Chain Management, Agricultural Economics, Logistics, or related field. A BSc in horticulture or food safety is an added advantage
• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in project management preferably in private sector development setting as well as at least 6 years of experience in a technical advisory role.
• Good understanding of the latest horti logistic technologies which are applicable in an Ethiopian context focused on export and domestic markets.
• Experience working with public and private sector stakeholders in the horticulture sector in Ethiopia and preferably also other countries
• Experience managing donor-funded projects (preferably Dutch donor funded).
• Strong project and programme management skills, including financial and operational management experience
• Experience working with government institutions and regulatory frameworks on food safety
• Experience in food safety systems, standards (e.g. GLOBAL GAP), and certification processes.
• Strong technical expertise in food safety and regulatory systems
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills
• Strong communication and reporting skills
• Willingness to travel frequently to various project regions.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of local languages is an asset.
• Strong alignment with SNV values and development approach.
• Initiative and creativity in solving problems
• High attention to detail
• High degree of initiative, flexibility, reliability, discretion, and willingness to learn

Competencies:

• Leadership
• Planning and organising
• Persuasiveness
• Conceptual thinking
• Result orientation
• Focus on quality

Contract Type: National

Expected start date: September 1,2026

Duty Station:  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Contract Duration: The contract is for one year, with the possibility of extension based on performance and budget availability.

How to Apply

If you believe that your credentials meet the outlined profile, we invite you to apply by uploading your CV and a letter of motivation before/on the 16th of July 2026.

Please submit your application only via: >> Smart Recruiters. All information will be kept in the strictest confidentiality.

If we see that your experience and skills match the requirements of the position, we will contact you to advise on the next steps in the recruitment process.

Working at SNV

SNV offers a challenging work environment, opportunities to lead and innovate, and a commitment to growing your skills in a fulfilling and diverse working environment. Our staff benefit form and contribute to, an internal and global network of experts.

At SNV, inclusivity is at the heart of our ethos. We celebrate the diversity of our workforce and uphold a policy of non-discrimination based on factors such as disability status, religion, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, and more.

Vetting

SNV carries out rigorous background and reference checks concerning possible safeguarding incidents for all candidates applying for both national and International determined positions. As SNV participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, all reference checks include a request to past employers to fill in a questionnaire regarding Misconduct (sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment), the “Statement of Conduct“. This Statement of Conduct adopts the definitions used in the Scheme.

SNV is an equal opportunities employer and female candidates are encouraged to apply.