Vacancy Announcement
ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY
Position: Senior Technical Expert I, Soil Fertility and Health for Agricultural Commercialization Cluster (ACC)
Term of Employment: One year with possibility of extension
Duty Station(s): Addis Ababa
Required Number: One
Salary & Benefits: Competitive
Application Deadline: May 30, 2019
BACKGROUND:
The Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) has been established by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to identify and address systemic bottlenecks to Ethiopia’s agricultural development. The Agency does this through problem-solving, implementation support, and capacity building of stakeholders involved in implementation of interventions that address the systemic bottlenecks. The Agency reports to a Transformation Council chaired by the Prime Minister and whose co-chair is the Minister of Agriculture.
The programmatic focus of the Agency responds to a core set of needs identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Transformation Council. Within the Agency, issues are divided into four different groups: Production and Productivity which includes Inputs and Crop Protection, Livestock, Research and Extension, Mechanization, Rural Finance & Agro-Processing Value Addition; Agribusiness and Markets including Market Services, Market Infrastructure, Commercial & Contract Farming, Domestic and Export Market Development, and Cooperatives Development; Environmentally Sustainable and Inclusive Agricultural Growth including Sustainable Irrigation & Watershed Management, Sustainable Land Management, Gender Equality and Nutrition, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, and Planning and MLE; and Enhanced Implementation Capacity which includes ICT, Private Sector, and Organizational and Human Capacity. Across the programs, the ATA engages public, private and non-governmental stakeholders to support strategic planning, manage and strengthen implementation capacity and test innovative models.
Our Culture
We have an exceptional team of employees with highly competent and 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 team work to achieve excellent results.
At ATA, 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 STE for soil health and fertility will primarily support the integration of soil health and fertility consideration into the Agricultural Commercialization Cluster Imitative. The STE will focus on (i) providing implementation support to the ACC initiative to promote appropriate soil health and fertility interventions; and (ii) developing solutions for soil issues as necessary.
The ideal candidate will possess very strong technical competencies in soil fertility management technologies and practices and analytical background in monitoring and evaluation as applied in the public and development sectors. He/she will also have a passion for improving the lives of small-holder farmers, and knowledge of Ethiopia’s agricultural sector and ongoing efforts to transform this sector.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
· Study on acid soil management; e.g., assessment of lime deposits within ACC geographies and developing production/distribution models,
· Strengthen relevant input supply chains -- inclusion of latest soil health technologies within existing services of input suppliers
· Build capacity of the extension system on disseminating Vertisols and acid soil management technologies,
· Build capacity of the extension service to provide effective advisory services on on-farm soil management
· Support the ACC projects in relation to soil fertility and soil health technologies dissemination
· Directly support the Soil fertility directorate of the MoA in developing the content and technical capabilities of Ministry counterparts (federal and regional) and other partners, related to soil health and fertility issues as appropriate.
· Engage in soils related discussions with key stakeholders and build independent working relationships with all levels stakeholders; represent ATA on key fora
· Prepare presentations, propose ideas for communication and support facilitation of constructive dialogue where required
· Understand cultural and political dimensions of stakeholders and their impact on recommendations being made related to environment
· Demonstrate depth of expertise in area of soil health and fertility and use knowledge to enrich and guide problem-solving with teams and external stakeholders
· BSc, MSc or PhD degree in Soil Science, Natural Resource Management, or related fields. Educational background and certification directly related to soil mapping, crop fertilization and plant nutrition, fertilizer blending and fertilizer management is a plus
· At least 8 years’ experience for BSc, 6 years for MSc and 4 years for PhD.
· Possess experience of working in similar projects and managing teams working on related activities.
· Experience in prioritizing and sequencing both programmatic and operation activities
· Excellent adaptive problem-solver in challenging environment
· Ability to thrive in a fast-moving environment, with an emphasis on high performance, teamwork, accountability and results
· Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and data gathering skills
· Excellent oral and written communication skills, with highly collaborative working style
· Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service
· An entrepreneurial, can-do attitude to overcoming barriers and making change
· Fluency in English and Amharic.
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