Senior Advisor (Private Sector)

Brief and attractive description of the project/ unit

Cluster or office-Economic Transformation Cluster

Project name-Sustainable Industrial Clusters (S.I.C. II)

Contract duration-30/11/2026

Duty station-Addis Ababa

The Government of Ethiopia (GoE) implemented several reforms that have opened considerable opportunities for investments in the economy and adapted private sector-led economic growth as one of the strategic pillars for economic development. The textile and garment sector and special economic zones are priority sectors in the new Manufacturing Industry Policy as well as in the recently published Home-Grown Economic Reform Agenda 2.0 (HGER 2.0) 2024 – 2026. The British and German governments are supporting the country’s pathway towards industrialization and economic transformation through the implementation of a joined project named Sustainable Industrial Clusters (S.I.C.) II.

S.I.C. II has the objective to strengthen the resilience of Ethiopia’s textile and garment sector by applying a demand- and market-oriented approach in its support to workers, manufacturers and the government. It aims at promoting worker welfare; preparing companies to align with international market requirements; attracting international buyers to sourcing from Ethiopia; advising the management of IPs on sustainable operations and offering policy advisory to ease business environment constraints. The S.I.C. II project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH under a co-financing agreement between the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

One of these policies is the Industrial Development Policy, which made textile and garment industry a priority sector on the Ethiopia’s path to industrialization. Despite its potential, the sector encounters several significant challenges. These include underdeveloped supply chain, poor infrastructure, high skilled labor turnover, bureaucratic hurdles, policy and regulatory inefficiencies. These barriers limit the growth of the manufacturing industry and deter investors’ confidence to further expand.

To unlock the textile and other strategic investment sector potential, effective collaboration between public institutions and the private sector is essential. While regular and open Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) frameworks have emerged to support addressing these issues, past efforts have been fragmented and lacked sustained follow-up. Currently, the S.I.C. II project is collaborating with the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC) to institutionalize structured dialogue implementation and create more favorable environment for business to flourish.

In this regard the project is looking for Senior Advisor – Private Sector to act as the FDI Secretariat Coordinator, on secondment with the EIC, to support establishment and coordination of the FDI Secretariat. The FDI Secretariat Coordinator will play a central role in supporting the management and facilitation of foreign direct investment (FDI) initiatives. This position acts as the backbone of the FDI Secretariat, ensuring effective coordination among stakeholders,

Responsibilities and Duties

• Establish and steer the FDI secretariat (Public-Private Dialogue Coordination): play a leading role in establishing and steering the FDI secretariat, ensure institutional ownership, and stakeholder buy-in.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the FDI Secretariat, managing communications, scheduling, and documentation.
• Organize and coordinate secretariat meetings, workshops, and investment forums.
• Prepare agendas, minutes, briefing notes, and progress reports for stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate records, databases, and filing systems related to FDI projects and initiatives.
• Conduct diagnostic studies on bottlenecks that impede the flow and operation of investment in Ethiopia, provide recommendations to the EIC management and other stakeholders, and coordinate proper implementation of the FDI focused and EIC-led public-private dialogue forums.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Maintaining communication between government agencies, private-sector partners, international investors, and development organizations, while ensuring compliance with established frameworks and objectives.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration between government agencies, investors, and development partners. More concretely: Inter-agency Coordination – liaise with key government agencies like Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry, Ethiopian Customs Commission, National Bank of Ethiopia, Immigration and Citizenship Service, and other key government offices such as the Prime Minister’s Office, and Regional President Offices and Investment Administration Organs, etc. to research the opportunities and challenges in the investment space and contribute in fostering conducive investment climate in Ethiopia through designing and implementation of agreed actions.
• Support the development of stakeholder engagement strategies to attract and retain foreign investors.
• Coordinate feedback and follow-up on investment-related inquiries and proposals.

Policy & Research Support

• Assist in the preparation of policy briefs, presentations, and investment promotion materials for both internal and external audiences, ensuring clarity and relevance. This includes regular reporting to EIC management, Investment Board and EIC-led PPD Secretariat.
• Monitor global and regional FDI trends and provide insights to support strategy development.
• Contribute to the drafting of reports, position papers, and recommendations for decision-makers.
• Collaborate with a team of legal and policy advisors within the S.I.C. project, EIC and key partner institutions ensuring proper
• smooth administrative operations, and timely delivery of investment-related activities. The coordinator will be responsible for implementation of the EIC-led PPD, capacity building and the delivery of evidence-based policy insights.

  Project & Event Management

• Support the planning and execution of investment promotion events, roadshows, and conferences.
• Track implementation of decisions taken by the Secretariat and ensure follow-up actions are completed.
• Provide logistical and administrative support for investor missions and delegations.

Monitoring & Reporting

• Develop and maintain dashboards, trackers, and progress reports for FDI projects.
• Ensure timely submission of reports and updates to leadership and partners.
• Monitor Secretariat operations to ensure compliance with governance standards and investment protocols.
• Maintain regular communication with the S.I.C. project promoting alignment with the objectives of political partners.

Qualifications

• Education Background: MA Degree in Business Administration, Economics, International Trade, Business Management, Law or related field.

Professional experience

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in in investment promotion, international business, project coordination, or secretariat functions.
• Demonstrable experience to influence senior-decision makers and effectively represent private sector issues in politically sensitive discussions.
• Proven experience in coordinating multi-stakeholder initiatives, preferably with government and private sector involvement.
• Proven experience of providing investment policy and legal advisory to public agencies.
• Strong understanding of foreign direct investment (FDI), economic development, and international trade.
• In-depth understanding of the national investment and related policy, laws, investment operations and constraints affecting the ease of doing business in Ethiopia.
• In-depth understanding of the private sector, especially the manufacturing sector business operations, challenges across the supply chain and its stakeholders.
• Proven ability to navigate complex political environments, mediate between competing interests, and secure consensus among diverse actors.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills in English and Amharic, tailored to the target audience and communication channel.
• Strategic thinker, detail-oriented, able to meet deadlines and work under pressure.

Other knowledge, additional competencies

• Proven networking expert with a strong record of establishing and maintaining diverse professional relationships, adept at stakeholder engagement and partnership facilitation to meet strategic goals.
• Exhibits intercultural understanding and interest, a sense of diplomacy, and the capability to work in a politically sensitive environment.
• Proactive, self-motivated and maintains a result-oriented mindset, with demonstrable ability to identify and solve problems.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and report-writing skills.
• Strong interpersonal and networking skills with proven political clout.
• Attention to detail with excellent problem-solving abilities.

Strategic thinking and ability to grasp economic/investment concepts quickly