Senior Project Officer II – Poultry Agribusiness Full Time NEW

ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION INSTITUTE

Position: Senior Project Officer II – Poultry Agribusiness

Term of Employment: One year with a possibility of extension

Duty Station(s): Mekelle and Hawassa

Required Number: Mekelle (1) and Hawassa (1)

Application Deadline: March 18, 2026

Please Note: WE WILL ONLY CONSIDER APPLICATIONS THAT CLEARLY INDICATE THE SPECIFIC DUTY STATION THE APPLICANT IS APPLYING FOR.

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 Senior Project Officer (SPO) II will provide technical support to poultry (egg and meat) value chain development and agri-business initiatives and coordinate poultry commercialization projects S/he will actively involve in the planning, coordination and implementation of poultry production, poultry product technology and processing (value addition), poultry and poultry products marketing, input and service supply, and business development. The Officer will coach and mentor value chain actors, monitor and evaluate the progress and achievements of poultry and forage interventions, and provide business advisory services. Moreover, the senior officer engages in forage value chain development and agri-business in the region. S/he will also engage in the planning, coordination and implementation of forage production, product technology and processing (value addition), forage products marketing, input and service supply, and business development. The Officer will directly report to the regional ACC director. The Senior Project Officer will map relevant stakeholders, identify areas of synergy and work together to develop the sector in the region and beyond.

The Livestock Commercialization Program focuses on developing the huge potential of the Ethiopian livestock sector by leveraging the clustering approach of the ACC program which has realized a significant impact on improving production, productivity, and market linkages for prioritized crops. The Livestock Commercialization Program aims to address the significant and worsening undersupply of animal-sourced foods and to achieve improvements in farmers and pastoralists incomes, nutrition security, import substitution and forex availability through market-driven value-chain development approach while ensuring environmental sustainability. To achieve these strategic objectives, the program prioritized poultry (egg and meat), apiculture and forage-based dairy for immediate interventions.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

Outcome 1: Technical Leadership and project management (60%)

• Provide high-level technical/expertise support to the poultry value chain activities in the region.
• Ensure effective technical and financial planning (annual, quarter, monthly) for poultry and forage commercialization activities of the region
• Support project management in accordance with project documents, work plans, and budgets, and ensure that the work is delivered in consistent with the project implementation document.
• Coordinate and manage the implementation of poultry and forage commercialization activities within the context of the livestock commercialization program
• Ensure all prioritized interventions of the poultry and forage project are successfully implemented following the poultry and forage commercialization clustering approach, and provide support to achieve the objective of the project.
• Closely support and work with ADEY and other ATI project teams on poultry and forage agribusiness activities in the region.
• Identify and analyse critical technical issues related to the design and implementation of the project, and recommend solutions
• Provide capacity development and advisory services to actors and project beneficiaries at different levels in the region.
• Provide high-quality technical support to egg (layers) and meat (broiler) value chain development through practical demonstrations, introduction of good production practices and technologies, and experience sharing
• Monitor the progress and evaluate performance of the project and ensure the delivery of a high-quality report in a timely.
• Develop Terms of Reference (ToRs), organize logistics, and liaise with operation team for organizing successful workshops
• Facilitate regional poultry value chains development platforms through effective stakeholder engagement, capacity development, and promoting new technologies across the different stages of the value chain.
• Ensure CCI (Gender, CSA, and Nutrition) is properly mainstreamed in the project interventions
• Ensure strong communication among value chain actors.
• Undertake any other duties as assigned by the supervisors
• Ensure effective collaboration and teamwork with ADEY and other ATI project teams in the region.

Outcome 2: Ensure effective teamwork and coordination (15%)

• Effectively manage programmatic as well as operational components of the program
• Represent the poultry commercialization project in various internal and external forums in the region
• Organize and facilitate workshops and ToT trainings on prioritized activities to stakeholders
• Ensure effective collaboration and teamwork with ADEY and other ATI project teams in the region.

Outcome 3: Stakeholder engagement (10%)

• Map poultry and forage value chain actors and the private sector, and create linkage for effective and efficiency value chain development.
• Documented experience in facilitating stakeholder forums, business and market linkages, working with sectoral associations, and strengthening of MSEs and private traders.
• Proactively engage with ADEY and other ATI project teams, and external partners to identify major bottlenecks and recommend solutions for joint implementation
• Liaise with the project team lead and the Director of the program at HQ for effective and efficient implementation of the project.
• Ensure smooth working relationship with project beneficiaries, the private sectors and other stakeholders.

Outcome 4: Ensure effective communication and Representation (15%)

• Provide effective, timely, and regular reporting to the program team lead, director, and regional ACC directors on programmatic and operational issues.
• Ensure effective regular communication and reporting with internal (Livestock Commercialization, ADEY, and other ATI project teams) and external (government and non-government institutions and the private sector) partners.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATION

Qualification and experience

• Minimum master’s degree in animal production, animal science, poultry science, poultry production, poultry agri-business, or other related discipline
• At least 8 years of professional experience directly related to poultry value chain development (both layers and broilers), poultry agri-business, and other related to the position.

Behavioural competencies:

• Result-oriented – Experience in prioritizing and sequencing both programmatic and operational activities
• Collaborative and team building – Highly facilitative and collaborative leadership style; Ability to build relationships with all kinds of people
• Energetic and passionate in transforming livestock commercialization –
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, start-up environment, with an emphasis on high-performance, teamwork, accountability, and results
• Problem-solving – Practical experience in testing and scaling up relevant solutions at the local level; Excellent adaptive problem-solver in a challenging work environment
• Act with Integrity – Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty, and desire to be of service
• Networking – Creating a network in his /her functions with all actors in the program and beyond
• Time management – Experience in prioritizing and sequencing both programmatic and operation activities

Technical competencies:

• Planning, implementing, and monitoring: Planning, implementation, and monitoring of Livestock Commercialization Program tasks and efficient resource management.
• Knowledge and experience on Value Chain Management: Market-led value chain development and value chain principles, analysis, upgrading chains, with strong skills in supporting commercialization.
• Agricultural system – Understanding of Ethiopia’s agriculture sector, with a broad perspective on how the entire system operates and how public, private, and informal actors operate within the system
• Agribusiness development & Management – Practical experience in business planning, linkages between producers and markets, and working across poultry value chains in Ethiopia.
• Project Management Cycle – Experience with project design, performance management, learning systems, and monitoring & evaluation
• Data management and analyses – good data management and analytical skills
• Delivery of impactful interventions – Practical experience in implementing poultry (layers and broilers) interventions to address systemic bottlenecks of poultry development
• Competent in utilizing essential computer applications.
• Proficiency in oral and written English and Amharic, and knowledge of local languages is an added advantage.

Other requirements

• Competent in utilizing essential computer applications.
• Proficiency in oral and written English and Amharic, and knowledge of local languages is an added advantage.