Senior Project Officer II – PMER Full Time NEW

ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION INSTITUTE

Position: Senior Project Officer II – PMER

Term of Employment: One year with possibility of extension

Duty Station(s): Jigjiga, Ethiopia

Required Number: One

Application Deadline: October 19, 2025

BACKGROUND

The Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) was established by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to identify systemic bottlenecks, conduct studies, and provide recommendations, provide implementation support, manage projects, create linkages and coordination among activities and agricultural development programs. The Institute is a strategy and delivery-oriented government institute created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector. The ATI envisions that, to be the leading center of innovative solutions to catalyze and contribute to the transformation of Ethiopian Agriculture by 2030 where smallholder farmers are commercialized with greater incomes, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability.

ATI provides a unique 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 teams with the tools, training, and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals.

The programmatic focus of the Institute responds to a core set of needs identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and other sectors along commodity value chains. Across the programs, the ATI engages public, private, and non-governmental stakeholders to support strategic planning, manage and strengthen implementation capacity and test innovative models. Currently, ATI is tasked to coordinate the revised Agriculture and Rural Development policy agendas of the sector and such sectoral level delegation requires high level expertise in the policy areas and skillsets in coordination and networking with multiple stakeholders.

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 teamwork 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.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) has designed a program called “Humanitarian Development Peace (HDP)” nexus and “Agriculture-focused Dignified Employment for Youth in Ethiopia”(ADEY) to address IDPs/refugees and unemployment challenges of youths, especially young women, including those with disabilities, and increase their participation in the labor market, particularly in the agriculture sector. ATI has mainstreamed youth employment, gender equality, climate-smart, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture in all its programs and projects with the primary objectives of increased access to sustainable and inclusive job opportunities for youth, inclusivity, and the sustainable use of natural resources while building resilience capacities to shocks at all levels.

The ADEY program will focus on several workstreams such as agriculture and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to strengthen access to agricultural input and output markets and finance; improve the competitiveness of youth-owned MSMEs through capacity-building activities; enhance the skills and mindsets of young women and men through technical and business skill development and create an enabling environment for work opportunities through policy interventions. Similarly, HDP program will focus on enabling and creating conducive working environment to the IDPs/Refugees and make them self-reliant and freed from food aid.

The PMER at the region will be responsible to ensure that the program planning, implementation of M&E, documentation of results, learning exchanges and reporting are properly conducted for the HDP, ADEY and any incoming projects and program in Somali region. She/he will ensure integration and coordination with ATI programs and projects at federal and regional levels. The position holder will directly report to the regional Director and to the Program manager in a matrix. She/he will closely work with all ADEY and HDP (ACC program) staff. Besides, he/she will work collaboratively with partners including regional bureaus, SoRLARI, SDA and other partners

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead development and implementation of HDP, ADEY and other projects PMER system based on the program’s quality frameworks.
• Ensure quality and timeliness of activity planning, implementation, evaluation, data collection and reporting.
• Refine development of M&E tools for data collection and reporting on the program interventions and target indicators.
• Provide technical supports and training to program staff and partners on all components of project monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Lead development of M&E database, methods of data analysis and sharing results.
• Design and implement a system for data quality assurance, and oversee data collection by the regional staff and partners at different levels.
• Clean and analyse data, and prepare quality reports (quarterly, semi-annual and annual) and provide feedback to the beneficiaries and stakeholders on progress performance and lessons learned.
• Lead development of program learning – identifying opportunities for learning, research and publication.
• Lead development of terms of reference and engagement of external consultants to support in improvement of programming and implementation, and documentation of impacts and lessons.
• Review external consultants’ expression of interests and technical proposals for the outsourced evaluation undertakings and facilitate the service procurement process.
• Organize validation workshops to enrich results of different assessment research and enhance its usability.
• Facilitate learning exchanges and promote best practices through different approaches including publication, platform meetings, workshops, etc.
• Coordinate review and planning workshops with the program team and implementing partners.
• Organize joint monitoring visit in selected sites in collaboration with the program/project team.
• Participate in M&E workshops, meetings and other events, and provide feedback to integrate into ongoing programming and implementation.
• Produce, document and share quality reports on meetings and workshops organized by the program.
• Proactively participate and contribute to ATI and Mastercard Foundation programs community of practices and working groups.
• Work closely with responsible persons at the ATI and Mastercard Foundation to ensure alignment and compliance with the donor requirements.
• Undertake any other related works as assigned by the program director.

Required Qualification, Competencies, and Experience:

• Minimum of a master’s degree in project monitoring and evaluation, project management, statistics, economics, agri-economics, development studies or other related fields.
• Minimum of 8 years relevant experiences in planning and implementing project monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
• In-depth knowledge of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system, especially in the agriculture sector.
• Proven experience in PMER with donor-funded projects implemented with multiple partners.
• Experience in managing M&E system for youth employment in agriculture (crop, natural resource, livestock value chains) and MSME’s development is preferred.
• Demonstrated technical, analytical and quality report writing skills.
• Demonstrated experience and ability to device implementation approaches and guide project teams in the implementation and M&E to achieve target indicators.
• Ability to provide technical advice and guidance on MEAL to program staff and implementing partners.
• Ability to develop learning agenda and produce learnings on project impacts for wider dissemination and institutionalization.
• Strong understanding of national strategic priorities and policies in the agriculture sector.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, and ability to develop stakeholder collaboration and partnerships.
• Ability to stay composed and positive in difficult moments, and handle tense situations.
• Ability to complete multiple assignments and produce quality results under tight schedules.
• Ability to work with multidisciplinary team and develop collegial relationships.
• Excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Willingness to undertake frequent field visits.
• Strong communication skills (written, verbal, composing, presentation, etc.).
• Proficiency in verbal and written English and Amharic.

Safeguarding risk level

• The role holder will have frequent or intensive contact with program participants as he/she will be responsible for implementing and monitoring program activities.

Other Requirements (Languages, Licensing Or Certifications)

• Proficiency in oral and written English, Somaligna and Amharic languages
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite and data analysis tools.
• Certification in Project management is preferred.