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Vacancy Announcement
ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY
Position: Director, Project Management – International
Term of Employment: Through July 2019, with potential extension to July 2020
Duty Station(s): Addis Ababa
Required Number: One
Salary & Benefits: Competitive
Application Deadline: December 12, 2017
BACKGROUND:
The Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) is a strategy and delivery oriented government agency created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of Ethiopia’s agriculture sector. The ATA’s mandate is focused solely on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across the country. The ATA does this through problem-solving, implementation support to government stakeholders, and direct implementation of projects that address the systemic bottlenecks. The ATA is accountable to the Ethiopia Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and is Secretary to the Transformation Council chaired by the Prime Minister.
Our Culture
At the 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 and alleviating poverty. We are a young, fast-paced, growing organization, with a proven track record of success in managing complex activities and achieving transformational results. We have an exceptional team of passionate, dedicated and talented individuals. We recognize our most valuable assets are our people, and are committed to providing our employees with the tools, training and mentorship necessary to achieve their career goals.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Director of Project Management (DPM) will create and lead a project management team that works as a Center of Excellence within the ATA and the Ethiopian agricultural sector to ensure successful execution of the projects in the Agricultural Transformation Agenda. The DPM will support project teams and build their execution capacity to ensure that the Agricultural Transformation Agenda projects are delivered on time, on budget and with the targeted results. This execution capacity has been identified as a major bottleneck to the transformation of Ethiopia’s agriculture sector, and the DPM will be on the front lines of creating national change affecting millions of smallholder farmers.
This position will report directly to the Senior Director of Strategic Services. Strategic Services is a Vertical within the ATA formed to improve the effectiveness of the ATA and our partners’ work. As part of Strategic Services, the DPM will work closely with the Performance Management/MLE, Analytics, Partnerships, Knowledge Management and Communications teams. The DPM will be a key thought partner to the Senior Director in refining the strategy for this vertical. The position will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The terms of employment for this position will be governed by and managed in accordance with the internal framework of the World Food Programme, which provides employment contracting and related services to ATA
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Develop strategy for Project Management team’s engagement with ATA projects and partners.
• Lead design of best practice project management processes, tools and training for the entire project lifecycle.
• Hire, manage and develop Project Management team members.
• Identify and prioritize specific projects and activities that require enhanced project management support.
• Train Project Management team to support ATA teams and partners from project launch through execution and troubleshooting to documentation and handover or transition
• Ensures clear communication and coordination of activities between the Project Management team, other Strategic Services teams, ATA project teams and ATA partners
• Design and manage productivity or work planning software as needed for successful project management.
• Regularly survey ATA and partner project teams for feedback on improvements to Project Management tools, training and support.
• Link projects with common activities and bring learnings from one project to another in consultation with the Senior Management Team.
• Provide portfolio management insights to the Senior Management Team – look across projects to identify common trends, areas for collaboration with partners, potential bottlenecks, risks, and opportunities for refocus or expansion.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in business, economics, engineering or other relevant field, and/or professional certification in Project Management.
• 10 – 12 years of experience in the direct management of large, complex, long-term projects in the private sector or in international development, including responsibility for people management, goalsetting, budgeting, work planning, meeting targets, and capacity building.
• Experience working in developing countries is highly preferred.
• Highly structured thinker and communicator – you can quickly and clearly envision and explain a system that makes people’s jobs easier.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and influence people without authority – you get things done even when people don’t report to you and have different priorities.
• Good judgement and decisiveness in choosing among competing priorities – you can wisely lead your team in a rapidly changing environment with limited information.
• Passion and talent for training, coaching, and capacity building – you share your learnings with others in a way that fits their needs, and enjoy the growth and success of others.
• Highly adaptive and resourceful problem solver in rapidly changing environments – you enjoy the challenge of rapid invention and iteration and come up with surprisingly practical solutions.
• Energized by a fast-moving environment with an emphasis on high performance, accountability and results – you have a drive for excellence and enjoy being around others with the same drive
• Strong set of personal values, including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service – this is your bedrock when all else is uncertain.
• Fluency in English is required.