I.   TechnoServe Background

TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses and industries. We are a nonprofit organization that develops business solutions to poverty by linking people to information, capital and markets. With more than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives.

II.      Project Description

TechnoServe collaborates with Sasakawa Global - 2000 (SG2000) and Farm Radio International (FRI), both non-profit organizations, to improve market led Teff, maize and wheat production in selected Woredas of Amhara and Tigray regions. The incumbent will be working for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) funded Improving Market Led Production of Selected Agricultural Commodities in Targeted Woredas of Amhara and Tigray regions. The projects aim to improve income and food security of smallholder farmers in the regions. As part of the bigger consortium of the three organizations, TechnoServe is responsible to lead the smallholder farmers’ linkages to structured output market.

III.    Position Description

The Project Officer will be responsible for supporting the Project Manager in planning, coordinating, implementation and reporting of AGRA funded projects that aim to improve market led productivity of selected agricultural commodities in the targeted Woreda of the projects. S/he will also provide administrative, procurement, and financial disbursement support and follow-up to ensure timely and smooth project implementation and deliverables by the Market Linkage Specialists based in the regions. The incumbent will also be responsible for timely data collection, analyses and reporting on indicators based on project log frame.

IV.     Job Description

A.    Project Management Support

·         Co-lead annual and other regular work plans and budgets and submit to the Project Manager

·         Support the Project Manager in planning, coordinating, and implementation of project

·         Prepare, coordinate reviews, and edit project-related documents, including contractor scopes of work, terms of reference, progress updates, memorandum of understanding, and other documents

·         Follow-up, on a daily basis, with project partners to guarantee smooth implementation of administrative and operational activities of the project

·         Identify operational, administrative, financial and other bottlenecks that may impede project delivery and recommend solutions

·         Ensure benefit to women and youth as well as men from the projects

 B.  Financial Management and Administrative Support

·         Collaborate with TNS finance team to ensure monthly fund transfers to satellite project office to ensure projects spends stays on track

·         Provide administrative support and serve as headquarters focal person for field team, including supporting the team with logistics, procurement, hiring, and others

·         Support the Project Manager in ensuring TechnoServe Ethiopia Policies and Procedures, Financial Rules and Regulations are adhered to for efficient project implementation and progress;

·         Liaise with field office staff on various operational, technical and program areas as well as project-related personnel issues

 C. Project Monitoring and Reporting

·         Compile field reports, support timely project progress reporting and prepare presentations as per the internal and donor requirements

·         Ensure those lessons from monitoring and evaluation exercises are integrating into the new project plans

·         Organize project weekly, monthly, and quarterly reviews meetings as well as stakeholders’ review workshops and meetings

·         Maintain up-to-date records of project files and other supporting documents in hard and soft copy

D. Relationship Management and Project Representation

·         With a support from the Project Manager liaise and maintain good relationships between the project and governmental and non-governmental stakeholders as well as the consortium partners

·         Participate and represent project at external functions, as required

·         Perform any other tasks assigned by the project manager

A.    Education

o Bachelor’s Degree/MA in business/economics, agriculture or other relevant area

B.    Experience:

·         At least 5 years of relevant, practical working experience in development related projects, preferably with hands-on experience in projects implementation;

·         Experience in agricultural business, particularly in private sector;

·         Experience in writing and preparing reports in English, with few to no grammatical or typing errors

·         Experience working in rural areas of Ethiopia and willingness to travel to these areas

·         Excellent interpersonal skills, team working, organizational and communication skills

·         Skills and experience working to strict time-frames and deadlines

·         Demonstrates knowledge and ability to use specific computer programs or applications including word processing, spreadsheets, internet, and power point.

·         Experience in data collection, analysis, interpretation and report writing.

·         Curious inquiries, asks questions and seeks out information from multiple sources, learns from mistakes, and sees change as an opportunity

·         Fluency in written and spoken English and Amharic

 C.    Preferable Experiences

·         Experience working with farmers, cooperatives and agribusinesses

·         Experience working in Amhara and Tigray regions

·         Experience working in wheat, Teff and maize markets

 D.    Attributes and skills:

·         Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills; effective negotiation skills

·         Strong and very detailed oriented when planning and preparing documents

·         Problem solver, resourceful and structured thinker with high attention to detail

·         Flexibility and ability to adjust to rapidly changing circumstances

·         Excellent administrative skills

·         Committed to quality and achieving impact; motivated; high level of integrity and honesty