Project Officer II:Insurance -Digital Finance Service (DFS) Full Time NEW

ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION INSTITUTE

Position: Project Officer II:Insurance -Digital Finance Service (DFS)- Re-advert

Term of Employment: One year with possibility of extension

Duty Station(s): Addis Ababa Ethiopia

Required Number: One

Application Deadline: Jan 3, 2025

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 team work 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 Insurance Project Officer plays a key role in advancing ATI’s efforts to develop and implement effective insurance solutions for smallholder farmers and rural finance actors in Ethiopia. This position requires strong expertise in agricultural insurance, project design, stakeholder engagement, and resource management. The officer will collaborate with external partners to conceptualize and execute insurance-related projects, ensuring alignment with national priorities and development partner initiatives. Responsibilities include maintaining up-to-date knowledge of the insurance landscape, managing project plans and budgets, preparing high-quality reports and presentations, and representing ATI in various forums. The role also involves performing additional duties as assigned by the Project Team Leader to support the successful delivery of project objectives.

Essential Duties:

• Apply agricultural finance knowledge, especially in input/output finance; financial literacy; and micro-insurance in implementing the DFS project and supporting team members and stakeholders.
• Manage the crop and livestock insurance system and support in the development and designing the features of the technology.
• Design guidelines and policies for the change management of the insurance output with the DFS project with regional stakeholders.
• Follow up with the technology service provider on deliverables, timeline and performance according to the contract.
• Oversee the work plan, procurement, trainings, payment and donations related to the insurance output with the DFS project implementation.
• Persuade senior regional stakeholders to get a buy in for the pilot and scale up of the insurance output with the DFS project by presenting the advantages of using this system.
• Supervise and provide continuous support to officers and agents of rural financial institutions and primary cooperatives implementing the system.
• Handle change management issues that may arise from implementing insurance system through a technical working group represented by all the relevant regional bureaus.
• Supports team members in identifying, structuring, and prioritizing problems, and developing and applying appropriate frameworks across rural digital finance projects.
• Support project team members in identifying, structuring, and prioritizing problems, developing and applying appropriate frameworks and approaches, collecting data and high impact analysis and drawing out robust insights and recommendations.
• Independently create and frames high-quality quantitative and qualitative analyses using multiple formats (excel, power point, etc.).
• Independently develop, validates and prioritizes actionable recommendations for rural digital finance projects.
• Develop high-quality output with minimum errors and minimal guidance required; leads and supports team members to do the same.
• Manage own timelines and/or multiple workstreams to meet deadlines with high-quality output; oversees team members through prioritizing and assigning workstreams and tasks, overseeing stakeholder interaction, and regularly validating progress against deadlines.
• Proactively identify major risks, issues, and potential opportunities affecting work stream or project delivery, and communicates to supervisor with solution options.
• Identify all required resources, including budgetary, human resources and logistics, to ensure deliverables are properly executed; develops solution options, and communicates upward as required.
• Organize and lead regular communications and discussions with multiple project stakeholders; builds independent working relationships with up to mid-manager level stakeholders.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of cultural and political dimensions of stakeholder, their impact on recommendations, and how to address these; supports team members in identifying and addressing sensitivities.
• Lead and support capability building for regional counterparts, Fellows and other partners, through training, ongoing coaching and support.

Required qualifications, competencies, skills, training, and experience:

• Minimum of a master’s degree with 4 years of relevant work experience in rural financial services, including insurance, agriculture, finance, or development.
• Preference will be given to candidates with direct experience in insurance, particularly micro-insurance.
• Demonstrated understanding of Ethiopia’s agricultural sector and rural development dynamics, with a strong interest in agricultural insurance and financial inclusion.
• Proven ability to think creatively, innovate, and contribute to large-scale change initiatives in rural finance and insurance.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage and manage relationships with diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, development partners, and private sector actors.
• Strong willingness to learn and collaborate within multidisciplinary teams. Ability to work effectively in fast-paced, results-oriented environments.
• High personal integrity, honesty, and a strong commitment to service and ethical standards.
• Fluency in English and Amharic is required. Proficiency in additional Ethiopian languages is an asset.
• Willingness to undertake additional tasks as may be assigned by the Project Team Leader.