Project Team Lead I- FARM

Vacancy Announcement

ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION INSTITUTE

Position: Project Team Lead I- FARM

Term of Employment: One year with possibility of extension

Duty Station(s): Mekelle, Tigray with frequent travel to project woreda

Required Number: One

Application Deadline: June 28, 2025

BACKGROUND

The Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) was established by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to identify systemic bottlenecks, conduct studies, and provide recommendations, provide implementation support, manage projects, create linkages and coordination among activities and agricultural development programs. The Institute is a strategy and delivery-oriented government institute created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector. The ATI envisions that, to be the leading center of innovative solutions to catalyze and contribute to the transformation of Ethiopian Agriculture by 2030 where smallholder farmers are commercialized with greater incomes, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability.

ATI provides a unique 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, committed, motivated colleagues and excellent career development and training. We recognize our most valuable assets are our staff and are committed to providing our teams with the tools, training, and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals.

The programmatic focus of the Institute responds to a core set of needs identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and other sectors along commodity value chains. Across the programs, the ATI engages public, private, and non-governmental stakeholders to support strategic planning, manage and strengthen implementation capacity and test innovative models. Currently, ATI is tasked to coordinate the revised Agriculture and Rural Development policy agendas of the sector and such sectoral level delegation requires high level expertise in the policy areas and skillsets in coordination and networking with multiple stakeholders.

Our Culture

We have an exceptional team of highly competent employees with a proven track record of success in managing complex activities and achieving transformational results. Our culture is one where talented, dedicated, and adaptable individuals are committed to doing their best and exhibit great teamwork to achieve excellent results.

At ATI, 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, committed, motivated colleagues and excellent career development and training. We recognize our most valuable assets are our staff and are committed to providing our employees with the tools, training, and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals.

Position Summary

The team leader is responsible for the implementation of the FARM project and the achievement of its planned results to a high level of quality and in a timely manner. To achieve this, he/she will supervise, guide, manage, coach and monitor the FARM project PMU members. He is also responsible for coordinating short-term contracting.

The Project team leader is expected to facilitate and supporting the director for an overarching coordinating role ensuring all aspects of the Project progress in accordance with the approved project proposal and international best practice. He/she will ensure coordination role across all management and implementation tasks.

He/she will help and support the director to liaise closely with ATI management as well as with the AFD office for Ethiopia, particularly the AFD project management officer (TA in support of the FARM project). He/she will report to FARM Project Director directly at head office and to Farm project Director and ACC directors for region-based position (regional team leader II position), in a matrix form.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Coordinate and facilitate the Implementation of the FARM project with proper communication with stakeholders.
• Support and lead the regional activities with proper stakeholder communication and management.
• Coordinate project implementation and achieve planned results to international quality standards, including logistics, procurement, political, bottlenecks in implementation, project management compliance, etc
• Supervise and manage project personnel, including the preparation of annual work plans and budgets, establishing performance objectives and standards, and ensuring timely and appropriate feedback, guidance, and support for optimum performance.
• Provide technical and strategic advice to all members of the PMU and facilitate capacity building when needed.
• Lead and coordinate the monitoring of project progress and the evaluation of results.
• Take part in E&S team recruitment and mobilisation and ensure that the Environmental and Social Management Plan and the Gender Action Plan are adhered to during the project implementation.
• Monitor project risks, supervise implementation of risk mitigation measures, and update the risk and mitigation measures yearly.
• Support the director to Identify needs for external technical support for effective implementation, organise and oversee short term missions.
• Oversee administrative and financial management, including procurement of goods and services, budget and expenditure analysis or contractual management.
• Review/approve FARM staff leaves, FARM project plan, performance goals/targets, budgets, reports, procurement, travel, etc.
• Liaise and coordinate with all project stakeholders and in particular coordinate beneficiary targeting with the PSNP, coordinate ATI, RBoA and RARI action (and any other operating institution), work with ATI, AFD and the EU.
• Coordinate the drafting of all projects related reports in a timely manner (annual, semi-annual or quarterly progress and operational reports, as per requirements), including reporting to the Steering committee on ESMF and GAP implementation status and Complaint and resolution status.
• Ensure coordination and harmonisation of FARM project activities with those of government authorities and other Development Partners active in Northern Ethiopia.
• Support the director in build partnerships whenever relevant and possible.
• Support the project director to facilitate strategic dialogue between AFD, project staff and Government officials at central and local levels, in project´s areas of work, particularly seed value chain development and agroecology.
• Facilitate knowledge management, particularly in terms of lessons learned and best practices which may feed a dialogue with government authorities and other DPs as well as contribute to future interventions and policy making.
• Identify needs and oversee the design and elaboration of project related communication and capitalization material.
• Help the director in the development of strategy or plan for outreach and advocacy of the FARM portfolio. Organize and prepare stakeholder meetings; workshops and related activities and prepare materials as needed to expand the outreach and advocacy.

 

Required Qualification, Competencies and Experience:

• Master’s degree or above in Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Science, Rural Development, project management and Natural Resource Management.
• AT least 10-years relevant experience in implementing at least partly large-scale projects/programs at the regional or national level, of which five (5) years’ leadership experience in leading the implementation of development-oriented projects/programs in international organisations.
• Experience leading multi-dimensional teams and complex work programs.
• Analytical skills, including livelihood and farming system analysis.
• Training or demonstrated experience of agricultural economy.
• Knowledge of the Ethiopian economy with knowledge of the Northern Ethiopia context a very strong asset.
• Experience in emergency and rehabilitation project implementation in conflict affected areas, would be a strong asset for this position.
• Experience in agroecology would be a strong asset.
• Familiarity with Ethiopia’s agricultural research system is an asset.
• Experience in Participatory Guarantee Scheme (PGS) establishment is an asset.
• Inclination towards participatory management (at team and beneficiary level), capacity to implement and experience of participatory planning methods.
• Desire of improving the lives of smallholder farmers.
• Leadership, autonomy and integrity.
• Strong capacity to facilitate teamwork.
• Willingness to undertake frequent field visits.
• Strong Communication skills (writing, speaking, composing, presenting, etc).
• Proficiency in oral and written English and Amharic.
• Computer literacy.