Senior Economic Cooperation and Private Sector Development Advisor

Fostering Entrepreneurship and Value Addition in the Avocado Value Chain

Contract Duration: 31.07.2026

Ethiopia is one of the biggest avocado producers in Africa. The crop is grown by smallholder farmers in agroforestry systems, often in organic cultivation. Farmers are particularly vulnerable to climate change resulting in erratic weather patterns and severe droughts, which causes declining productivity. Regenerative and organic agricultural practices, such as integrating beekeeping to enhance pollination, or applying high-quality vermicompost can help smallholders increase their productivity as well as enhance their resilience against climate change.

Tradin Organic Agriculture BV is a leading Dutch producer of organic food ingredients and set up a local subsidiary in Ethiopia, Sunvado, to produce unrefined organic avocado oil. The private companies are confronted by several challenges, such as the scattered nature of the avocado faming sites, uncertain supply chains and low productivity of small holder avocado farms. These challenges are exacerbated by the effects of global climate change, these factors jeopardize their reliable access to organic avocados.

In this public-private partnership project, GIZ and Tradin Organic aim to strengthen the avocado supply chain through digital approaches and, secondly, enhance the avocado productivity through integrating beekeeping and vermicompost. To engage in these two business opportunities, five entrepreneurial business hubs will be established that support local people so that they can supply avocado farms with pollination services and vermicompost. This leads not

only to the creation of new jobs but also, in a win-win situation, to a higher income for the local avocado farmers. Avocado processors, in turn, will secure sustainable access to high quality avocados. The project is implemented in cooperation between the GIZ, Tradin BV and its local subsidiary, Sunvado.

Responsibilities and Duties

Responsibilities

• Serve as key focal point and local manager for the project, representing GIZ towards private and public sector partners and beneficiaries.
• Support and supervise the establishment and management of five entrepreneurial business hubs for the production of honey and vermicompost. Advise on the operational concept and the individual business plans of the hubs.
• Provide advice to the business hub managers regarding the honey and vermicompost value chain development by ensuring that all activities are technically sound, properly planned and coordinated to achieve the project’s work plan and indicators.
• Planning, procurement and supervision of need-based training programmes for the value chain actors in collaboration with extension service agencies.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with private-sector extension service providers.
• Support and advise on the establishment of digital supply chain management.
• Assess and select project beneficiaries in the project target areas based on objective criteria for planning and implementing project activities.
• Ensure data collection and monitoring at different levels to guide project implementation and fulfil M&E and reporting requirements
• Prepare periodic and final progress reports as per GIZ quality standards.
• Undertake any other tasks related to the project and its progress as requested by the immediate project leader.

Required qualifications, competencies, and experience

Qualifications

• University degree in agriculture, agricultural economics, economics, IT sciences or in another subject area relevant for the position.

Professional experience

• Profound experience, technical knowledge and functional expertise based on a minimum of ten (10) years of working experience, including some at the international level, in project execution or coordination, particularly in the areas of agriculture and value chain development.
• Proven experience in supporting project management with the planning, documentation of results, progress report, etc.
• Experience in international/technical cooperation projects.
• Proven track record of the coordination/facilitation of cooperation with the private sector.
• Excellent writing, verbal and presentation skills and the ability to clearly communicate complex issues to both technical and nontechnical audiences in English and local languages.

Other knowledge, additional competencies

• Good knowledge of GIZ project management processes (incl. M&E, procurement and finance) including experience in working with bilateral and global GIZ programmes as well as experience in the conceptualisation of GIZ project concepts and proposals is beneficial.
• Strong computer skills (Microsoft Office, internet research, social media)
• Full fluency in English and Amharic
• Local knowledge of Sidama region will be considered an asset