Senior Assistant to the Minister- Food System

Position:    Senior  Assistant  to the  Minister – Food System

Term of Employment:         One year with possibility of extension

Duty Station(s):                     Addis Ababa, Secondment to MoA

Required Number:               One

Application Deadline:          May 1, 2026

Job Description

Background

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), formerly known as the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), is a strategy and delivery-oriented government institute created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of Ethiopia’s agriculture sector, which is a key contributor to the country’s GDP, exports, and workforce. The ATI’s work is cantered on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers (SHFs) across the country for improved income, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability.

The ATI works to transform the agriculture sector in Ethiopia by conducting policy and analytical studies, providing technical implementation support and capacity building, coordinating.

platforms to better integrate partners and projects and designing and directly leading several innovative/pilot interventions. The Institute joins forces with various stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, farmers, and development partners, to support the implementation of agricultural development programs and initiatives. In addition, the ATI collaborates with national and international partners to facilitate knowledge exchange and learning opportunities. The Institute plays a crucial role in generating and disseminating information to support evidence-based decision-making in Ethiopia’s agricultural sector.

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 Senior  assistant  to the  Minister- Food System is responsible to perform administrative, managing office operations, and office support activities in a fast-moving environment. The Executive Assistant is a key member of the team who provides a wide and varied range of administrative and organizational support to the Ministers Office in particular and to other members of the team in general. Efficiency, attention to detail, flexibility, and good judgment are critical to this role to ensure smooth operations of the team, scheduling appointments, planning meetings, and performing various administrative tasks. Possess excellent organizational, communication, and time-management skills and are proficient in office software and equipment.

Outcome 1:  Administrative and organizational support to the Minister (32%)

·   Plan, coordinate and ensure the Minister’s schedule is followed and respected. Provide “gatekeeper” and “gateway” role, creating win-win situations for direct access to the Executives’ time and office.

·    Undertake a broad variety of administrative and secretarial tasks for the Minister, including managing an extremely active calendar of appointments

· Proactively support the Minister in delegating assignments and requests to other teams within the Office and across the MoA.

·  Handle other high-priority ad hoc requests from the Minister, and use good judgement to deal appropriately with urgent requests when Senior Director is absent or engaged.

·  Demonstrate effectiveness meeting deadlines in a role requiring continual attention to detail in composing.

· Make travel arrangements and logistics for Minister for meetings/workshop including booking flights, accommodations, and transportation for senior executives, ensuring smooth and hassle-free travel experiences.

·   Act as first point of contact for the office for both visitors and telephone enquiries, internal and external seeking to connect with the Minister.

· Acting as liaison for team with internal employees, team & external partners, stakeholders, in order to organize meetings with Senior Management Team Members, Executives /Leaders within the operation and carry out efficient scheduling answering questions, and routing requests appropriately.

· Use appropriate judgement to determine relevant course of action, including referral to other appropriate MoA staff.

·   Have responsible for good interpersonal communication skills in order to establish trust with the Minister or other Senior Leaders work for.

·   Actively follow up to ensure responses are provided and deadlines are met.

·   Support completing expense forms of Minister and follow through on the settlement

·  Support senior executives in decision-making through sharing ideas.

·   Manage phone calls٫ schedule appointments and organize calendars for Leadership.

·   Organize, support and facilitate the Senior Leadership Meeting, arrange logistics, and other

·   Excellent teamwork and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

· Review and organize regular correspondence٫ like invitations and informative material.

·   Maintain the Minister’s stakeholder and other contact information.

·  Responsible to conduct clerical duties within our institute.

·  Composing and preparing correspondences that are sometimes confidential; making judgments about priorities and rescheduling where necessary.

·  Research, monitor, prioritize, and swiftly follow up on all incoming issues and correspondences addressed to the Minister.

·  Facilitate unexpected payments for miscellaneous issues by the request of the Minister.

·   Other duties as assigned by the Minister and supports other Senior Leadership across MoA.

Outcome 2:    Plane, Coordinate and Manage meetings, workshop and conferences and performing various administrative tasks (32%)

·   Prepare annual budget for assigned area; monitor expenditures against budget; prepare purchase requisitions and requests payment requests as necessary.

·   Plan and set a schedule for the meeting on-site as well as off-site, workshop, or conference with the consultation of The Minister and other Leaders presentations including finance and procurement activities

·   Prepare budget breakdown for the events (meeting, workshop, and conference)

·   Reserve meeting rooms, setting up event documents, equipment, and coordinating hotel accommodation undertakings.

·   Make travel arrangements including booking flights, accommodations, and transportation for the event participants, ensuring smooth and hassle-free travel experiences.

· Prepare agendas; compiling documents for travel-related meetings; and completing expense reports.

· Collect, compile, prepare different reports (Bi-weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-annual and Annual) from all teams and report for the Office of the Minister on time based on the recurrent calendars.

·   Print, scan, e-mail, and distribute hard copies of documents.

·    Initiate payment and other requests vie the institution software  (ERP)  .

·    Request budget realignments, budget Supplements, if needed.

·    Organize office events and team building.

·     Taking important notes, as well as keeping the meeting on task.

·    Tracking  the reporting period from teams and report as important.

·   Proofreading and editing drafts of letters, reports, and other work for the executive team.

·   Arrange for team check-ins and briefing documents; quality control and pull together team requests and advice.

·  Request Stationary, and other fast moving supplies from store to maintain readily usable stock.

·   Work closely and effectively with all teams within the office to keep them well informed of and prepared for upcoming commitments and responsibilities, following up appropriately.

·   Remind time to meets the reporting time deadlines.

·   Make smooth team work and helps team to go based on plans.

·   Monitoring expenditure and follow the budget utilization for the purpose of budget utilization.

·  Uses system to organize and keep track of information in the hard copy and soft copy, Identify problems and applies appropriate frameworks and support with teams in the ad-hoc requests.

Outcome 3:     Ensure Effective Communicational  work, send and receive telephone and Fax communication, Develop and Maintain Filing System (20%)

·  Liaise with internal and external stakeholders: Interact professionally and effectively with internal team members, external clients, and partners, ensuring a positive and professional image of the organization.

·   Receives all incoming telephone calls, receives/sends fax messages, and forward messages/documents to concerned staff on time.

·  Excellent teamwork and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

·  Design filing systems; define procedures for record retention; ensure protection, security and effective transfer of files and records.

· Maintain an organized system of tracking, monitoring, and prioritizing tasks and projects across multiple teams.

·  Assist the MoA Leadership administrative and office support activities such as preparing/writing letters, memorandums; compiling presentations filing and faxing to the appropriate agencies

· Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.

· Handle, organize and manage different documents for signature, stamp, and other facilitation through working with teams.

· Handle, organize, and file all incoming and outgoing letters that come from all organizations.

· Strong decision-making and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to analyse information and make sound judgments.

·  Meet visitors and provide general support to them

·Maintain stationery supplies and manage the office area including seating, internet connectivity, printers and other equipment.

·Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks effectively and meet deadlines.

· Responsible to create, gather data and maintain a filing system for both paper and electronic documents this involves the use of Microsoft Office Suite.

· File, organize and maintain records, manage office supplies, and coordinating office equipment maintenance and repairs.

·  Draft and/or type, word process, format, edit, revise, and print a variety of documents and forms including reports, correspondence, memoranda, agenda items and reports, agreements, , and other specialized and technical materials from rough drafts, dictation, modified standard formats, and brief verbal instructions.

· Work together with other MoA Teams (Teamwork) to create procedures that help achieve those goals.

· Organize tasks by level of urgency, taking calls and communicating via email.

Outcome 4:     Provide general support to visitors, and greeting clients and keeping the office area tidy (16%)

·   Receives and assists visitors of the office courteously, answers query and provides information while being as prudent as possible

·    Ensure an attractive, pleasant and neat office area is maintained at all times.

·    Responsible for greeting office visitors and creating a great first impression.

·    Regularly organize information to relevant stakeholders.

·    Provide an organized information to the stakeholders for the relevant questions on time that are asked based on stakeholder interests, link with them our partners with concerned people (external stakeholders, all Senior Director, etc).

·   Oversee tasks if needed to the cleaning/coffee attendants  team.

·    Oversee and delegating tasks to the admin team.

·    Identify issues/problems and reports along with suggestions and/or other courses of action.

·     Support teams for the unit work flow of ERP to meet for the deadline.

·    Operate a variety of office equipment including a copier, scanner and binding/laminating machine,

·    Other duties as assigned

Required Qualification, Competencies and Experience:

· Bachelor or master’s degree in management/business administration, Secretarial Science or other relevant field from a recognized institution; secretarial background is advantageous.

· Minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience for master’s degree holders, or 4 years for Bachelor’s degree holders. At least 2 years of proven experience as an Administrative Assistant, in office management, or in a related role within a dynamic environment, preferably in an international organization.   Experience supporting senior management in a fast-changing environment is an added advantage.

Working Conditions Requirements:

·  The job holder spends several hours in office where his or her tasks are largely carried out in an office setting working with computer and moving within the office to meet with other operational teams for the coordination of activities. As necessary she/he may travel for the off-site meetings, workshop and conferences arrangements and coordination’s.

Behavioral competencies

·  Result orientation/outcome oriented: Focus on a critical few matter that concern the office administrative support issue for the organization and end users.

·   Team building: Strong in teamwork and organize and develop team-based activities.

·  Passion for rural development: Have a great passion to helping low-income rural farmers, both directly and indirectly through the position.

·   Strategic thinking: Focus on the organization goals, Alignment with each administrative team work, Commitment to organizational Vision, Mission, and values and Thinking out of the box for the ad hoc

·  Problem-solving skill: Very good problem solving, investigative and reporting abilities on the administrative and office management issues, the ability to identify problems and gaps in clear and structure way and Take initiates to solve problems using structured and professional manner.

Technical competencies:

·   Planning, implementing, and monitoring: Planning and implementation of different vertical activities with consultation of Senior Director, the ability to identify possible course of actions and the ability to prioritize, scheduling & execution of tasks in a way that ensure effectiveness

·  Building operation excellence: Oversee and manage vertical budget of Senior Director and follow that the activities is met the goal and Obtaining information about office operations inside the organization to increase capacity

·  Stakeholders’ Management: Knowledge of the capacity to manage visitors of stakeholders and partners in an appropriate manner and these abilities are important for building strong relationship

Other requirements (Languages, Licensing or Certifications)

·       Competent in utilizing essential computer applications.

·       Working/Regional language and English language skills. Profifient in ERP, Oracle, etc

HOW TO APPLY

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to submit (i) a cover letter and (ii) a CV (maximum 5 pages) to: https://apply.ati.gov.et. It is mandatory to mention the position title in both the subject line of your cover letter and the Outlook email subject line. Please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application.

Women are highly encouraged to apply

NB. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.