Job Description

 
The newly-created Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is seeking a qualified candidate to serve as a Technical Contractor within ICT Team for a period of three (3) month.

BACKGROUND:
The ATA is an initiative by the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) with the primary aim of promoting agricultural sector transformation by supporting existing structures of government, private-sector and other non-governmental partners to address systemic bottlenecks and deliver on a priority national agenda to achieve growth and food security. 
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, focus areas are divided into three different groups of programs; systems which include seeds, soil health and fertility management, cooperatives, input/output markets, household irrigation, and extension/research; high priority value chains including tef, wheat, and maize; and cross cutting initiatives that cut across all programs including technology access and adoption, gender mainstreaming, climate adaptation and environmental sustainability, monitoring and evaluation, and information communication technology (ICT). 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. The ATA is financed by the GOE and a range of development partners.
 
POSITION SUMMARY:
Recently ATA has established a new ICT team to develop and support initiatives that address agricultural issues using information communication technology. The ICT will rarely, if ever, launch initiatives independently. Instead, this team will support other teams at ATA and the Ministry of Agriculture, suggesting technological solutions and helping others define what exactly is needed. Project management tasks will be shared between the ICT Team and other partners.
 
The Technical Contractor (TC) position within the ICT Team will support the projects of the ICT team and will take on substantial responsibilities very quickly, leading specific work streams and serving as the point person to external organizations.
 
The TC will work closely with the Program Manager / International Consultant for Cross-Cutting Initiatives for day-to-day operational and problem-solving activities, while directly reporting to the Senior Director for Cross Cutting Initiatives. She or he will be based in Addis Ababa. The ideal TC would possess a passion for improving the lives of small-holder farmers and a strong interest in how technology can be used to transform existing agricultural practices in Ethiopia. S/he would likewise possess the entrepreneurial ability to visualize transformation, support the ATA to mobilize partners, stakeholders and funding, in order to drive practical change on the ground.

Job Requirements

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• To lead, manage, and be responsible for pre-determined work streams under the management of the ICT Team
• To design systems in collaboration with partners who will be influencing the design
• To be a key driver and architect in designing technical solutions and capacity building of key stakeholders
• To engage other programs within the ATA to ensure that efforts by the ICT Program are aligned and supportive of other activities undertaken in the agricultural sector, especially in Ethiopia’s agricultural corridors
• To meet with stakeholders to assess the challenges they face and mapping them out, so that the ICT team can develop recommendations
• To develop PowerPoint presentation slides to communicate recommendations, project plans, and/or project status
• To monitor and support logistics/field operations

 
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of 6 years of work experience (at least 4 of those in a leadership role) within the ICT or agriculture sector, the government, academia, an international agency or the private sector, working with multiple partners
  • Note: If work experience is not explicitly in the ICT sector, then it must have some connection to ICTs
• Proven record of excellence in managing teams consisting of diverse individuals and ICT-related projects
• Ability to communicate complex ICT-related topics to individuals with no ICT background
• Proven record of excellence in facilitating, developing and building relationships between a variety of public, private and other organizations

• Strong team player with outstanding management skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to work under pressure and in a constantly evolving and challenging environment
• Self-starter and self-motivated person
• At least a Bachelor’s degree in ICT for Development, Public Policy, Public Administration, System Design, Agriculture, Rural Development, Development, or other relevant area.  
  • Note: Candidates with Computer Science or Computer Engineering degrees may be considered, but the candidate must have broader experience. The position is not for a career programmer/coder/system or database administrator with no other experience.
• Experience with system design (technological or otherwise)
• Fluency in English and Amharic

 
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Good relationships with staff at EthioTelecom
• Experience with data flows
• Knowledge about application of ICTs for rural areas, otherwise known as “ICT4D”
• Fluency in additional Ethiopian languages (especially Oromiffa or Tigrigna)
• Basic exposure to coding (Java, html, python, etc.)
• Basic exposure to GIS
• Knowledge of  SMS, USSD and IVR
• Knowledge  and/or experience with any of the following: Tableau, Ushahidi/CrowdMap, Drupal, ArcGIS, QGIS, OpenDataKit, TeleRivet, Frontline SMS, FreedomFone, Formhub, Google Docs, Trello, or R statistical language

 
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
 
We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to send applications including a detailed CV through www.ethiojobs.net or  Recruitment@ata.gov.et by clearly indicating the position title.  
 
Women are highly encouraged to apply
 
NB. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.
 
Application Deadline:  December 27, 2013