Agri – Business Investment Advisor 114 views

Vacancy Announcement

ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY

Position:                          Agri – Business Investment Advisor

Term of Employment:   One year with possibility of extension

Duty Station(s):              Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC), Addis Ababa

Required Number:         One

Salary & Benefits:           Competitive

Application Deadline:    November 01, 2020

BACKGROUND:

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) is a strategy and delivery-oriented government agency created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector. The ATA envisions that, by 2025, smallholder farmers are commercialized with greater incomes, inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability, contributing to Ethiopia’s achievement of middle-income country status.

The agency focuses on two primary national approaches to catalyze agricultural transformation. First, we support the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources (MoA), its affiliate institutions, and other partners to identify and address systemic bottlenecks within an Agricultural Transformation Agenda. Second, we support Regional Governments to accelerate development of high-priority commodity value chains in clearly defined geographic clusters, through the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC) Initiative.

Our major activities include conducting strategic and analytical studies, providing technical implementation support, coordinating platforms to better integrate partners and projects, and designing and directly leading a number of implementation projects. Our headquarters are in Addis Ababa, and we have regional offices in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray regional offices, allowing us to work closely with a wide range of public, private and development sector partners across the country.

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 ATA, 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:

This position is a secondement position to the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC).

Over the years, the EIC has pursued a series of policy, legal and institutional measures with the goal of effectively realizing national investment plans and targets proposed under Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plans and now the newly designed Home-Grown Economic Reform. The EIC is now designing clearer strategies, institutionalizing a fairly enabling environment, and positioning the country to strengthen the competitive edge of its private sector, to attract foreign direct investment and to develop labor intensive industries and an export–oriented manufacturing sector.

Yet, the transformation of the national economy continues to be hampered by organizational and operational limitations availed within the EIC; particular problems include an overstretched capacity of senior personnel, the non-existence of active outreach system targeting potential investors, lack of relevant and pre-packaged information needed to attract quality investments, a nascent One-Stop-Shop service and the absence of an adequate number of qualified and purpose–driven human resources pool.

To address some these limitations, the EIC, is supported through its various stakeholders in development of studies and implementation of key recommendations aimed at capacitating the institution. The ATA, has developed the ‘Strengthening Investor Engagement, Advisory Roles and Regulatory Powers of the Ethiopian Investment Commission’ Program. The main objectives of the Program during the GTP II are to carry out strategic development of EIC’s institutional infrastructure and human resources portfolio and thereby augment its capacity to attract quality investment, to better support private sector stakeholders and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of services rendered to investors.

In collaboration with its various partners such as the ATA, the EIC undertakes various sectoral studies and assessments with a multipurpose objective to enhance productivity, export performance and investment attraction potential of key productive sectors. With this in mind the EIC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and ATA has developed and published a comprehensive study titled “Food and Beverages Processing and Auxiliary Industry Strategy”.

The Agr-Business Investment Advisor will be responsible for the overall coordination and implementation of the various promotional efforts in the agro-processing industry and more specifically the approved Food and Beverages Processing and Auxiliary Industry Strategy with key targets that fall under the Ethiopian Investments Commission mandate. These targets are anticipated to be implemented through the various Directorates within the EIC including but not limited to the Investment Promotion and Marketing, Registration and Licensing, Aftercare, Incentives, IP Facilitation, Domestic Industrialists Support, IP Branch Services, IP Regulation, Investment Climate Improvement, and Information Technology and Data Management.

The Agr-Business Investment Advisor will directly report to the Policy Research and Investment Promotion Deputy Commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission.

 ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Understand the full context of approved Food and Beverages Processing and Auxiliary Industry Strategy and its subsequent recommendations.

• Develop an action plan for the recommendations specifically aimed at the EIC on the approved Food and Beverages Processing and Auxiliary Industry Strategy.

• Lead the design and roll-out of a competitive investment promotion strategy in-line with the FBPAIS recommendations.

• Support in the implementation of action plan by conducting various tasks such as (but not limited to):

o   Developing and overseeing investor pipeline for prioritization, attraction, and conversion.

o   Support in content development for promotional materials (briefing notes, presentations, business cases, teasers, etc).

o   Identification, prioritization, and planning of key promotional platforms for attendance.

o   Provision of any information on sector as requested.

o   Engaging and supporting with key investors as requested for conversion.

• Provide support in the promotion and conversion of potential investments into the Integrated Agro Industrial Parks (IAIP) through.

o   Review and further refine the draft IAIP Promotion Strategy developed to current situation.

o   Lead the implementation of the strategy with coordination of the relevant units and stakeholder including but not limited to the IP Division, Ministry of Trade and Industry, etc.

o   Developing investor pipeline (Identification, prioritization of potential FDI for attraction and conversion).

o   Investigate best international experiences in the provision of holistic support to attract domestic investors engaged in the agro-processing sector.

o   Development of tailored promotional materials for the IAIP and more specifically targeting domestic investors.

• Support and build technical capabilities of the Investment Promotion Experts in EIC assigned to the agri-business sector.

• Support the Aftercare Directorate through a follow-up of investors who have commenced operations within the agro-industry sector and provision of aftercare support as required.

• Act as a focal person for effective communication and alignment on all agro-processing and IAIP promotion initiatives, projects, and platforms (including Working Groups and Steering Committees) that EIC is a part of.

• Provide regularly updates to both Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner on progress update and key milestones on all initiatives.
• Lead any required diagnostics, research and analysis and provide key recommendations or inputs for direction/decision by the management on:

o   Key issues or bottlenecks pertaining to the Agro-processing sector.

o   Support increase of foreign direct investment flows to the agribusiness.

Work with other divisions of the EIC to facilitate the organization and flow of investment related information and services through the deployment of modern ICT infrastructure.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• A minimum of master’s degree in Development Studies, Economics, Business Administration, or relevant disciplines.

• At least 10 years of combined professional work experience in either one or more of the following:

o   Policy analysis and advice on economic development, legal regime, private sector development, industrial policy and/or investment related subjects in different developmental contexts

o   Team leadership, program/project coordination/support type roles (Experience working with Senior management is an asset)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Basic understanding of Ethiopia’s economic policies and investment system, with a strong analytical skill in economic and social dimensions of development and investment.

• Experience in prioritizing and sequencing programmatic and operational activities.

• Experience in creating partnerships at the national level and (preferably) at international level.

• Strong analytical and management skills, including sound knowledge of data analysis, strategic planning, and project management tools.

• Demonstrable track record of success with program design, performance management, learning systems and monitoring and evaluation.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving environment, with an emphasis on high-performance, teamwork, accountability, and results.

• Highly facilitative and collaborative leadership style.

• Excellent computer (ICT) skills, analytical and data gathering skills.

• Excellent writing, presentation, and verbal/oral communication skills.

• Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty, and desire to be of service.
• Fluency in English and Amharic is essential.