Description

Heifer International- Ethiopia Country Office

Job Description for ELSIPB Project Team Leader

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identify, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

Heifer International is a Non-Governmental Organization whose mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth. We work with farmers and their communities to identify opportunities that deliver living incomes, creating solutions to local challenges that are designed to build inclusive, resilient economies. With Increased productivity of livestock and crops, farmers provide for their families and improve the health of their communities.

Heifer Project International Ethiopia Country Office (HPI Ethiopia) together with the Ministry of Agriculture is implementing “Enhancing Livelihoods of Smallholders through Improved Poultry Business (ELSIPB)” Project under its signature program (RESTORE+). ELSIPB project aims to close the living income gap of targeted households (women and youth) through improving production, productivity, and marketing of eggs and day-old-chicks (DOC). To achieve this, the project will identify a private poultry complex with demonstrable capacity and incentive to serve as an Egg-hub. The project will be implemented in four regional states (Amhara, Oromia, Sidama and Central Ethiopia) and 70 districts of Ethiopia. The overall objective of the project is to help 70,000 rural households (50 % women and 70% youth) are on the path to attain sustainable living income by the end of 2027. ELSIPB project applies Market Systems Development (MSD) approach to address root causes of the systemic constraints in the poultry market system by designing innovative interventions that improve poultry market efficiency and sustainably benefit more poor households.

HPI Ethiopia is seeking for a qualified applicant for team leader of the ELSIPB project.

FUNCTION:

The Team Leader reports to Signature Program Technical Lead of HPI Ethiopia. The post holder will lead the ELSIPB project and coordinate implementation of all project activities (administrative and technical).  He/she is responsible for overall project planning, implementation, scaling and/or closure of the project and the workforce of the project, within scope, budget, timeline and acceptable quality levels along the commitments specified in the project document and contracts signed with the Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant stakeholders, and managing the veil offices and staffs.

He/she maintains relationships with the partner, local government and other stakeholders to the effective implementation of the project. The team leader ensures the core principle of the project market led innovation (MSD approach) for improving the productivity and production of private poultry feed and DOC producers, engaging selected producer cooperatives in feed production, improving access to finance and financial products, and introducing technology supported/digital extension and business development services.

The team leader will be responsible for supporting the Signature Program Technical Lead and MEL Manager in monitoring and evaluating the projects and coordinating formal reporting to the Country Director. They will work with field officers to support the program’s field-level operation.

ESSENTIAL CHARACTER TRAITS:

• Detailed-oriented, self-driven, action oriented, team player.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELIVERABLES:

1. Project Management (50%):

Day-to-day management and implementation to ensure achievement of project objectives, outputs and activities including, not limited to:

• Provide overall leadership and management of the Project including technical, administrative, operational, and logistical direction of the project.
• Collaborate with the project team, program director and project MEL to develop the project annual work plans and budgets.
• Ensure plans and MEL plans are fully implemented as needed.
• Review and approve (technical and financial) monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports as per donor and Heifer’s requirements.
• On a quarterly basis, ensure that the performance-coaching logs are maintained and updated for all project staff.
• Coach and ensure that all staff carry out their assignments to achieve individual and project targets, including timely completion of annual staff performance reviews.
• Ensure evaluation of project staff performance objectives is completed as per the HPI’s performance monitoring schedule.
• Provide guidance and support to project teams through periodic planning and reviews as well as implementation.
• Work closely with the Signature Program Technical Lead and relevant departments (MLE, Finance) to ensure timely submission and review and dissemination of project information and reports.

1. Project planning, monitoring, and reporting (30%)

• Ensure compliance with donor requirements and Heifer’s internal policies and procedures, including, but not limited to, timely reporting (technical and financial quarterly, semi-annual, and annual), periodic project reviews and documentation of learnings and sharing.
• Hold project teams to the highest standards of accountability.
• Ensure quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports are submitted and approved as per donor and HPI’s requirements.
• Ensure project documentation and records keeping for the procurement quarterly, semi-annual, annual audit, global indicator monitoring and evaluation reports.
• Project Success stories and lessons learned are documented and disseminated on a regular basis (Quarterly).

1. Coordination and Stakeholder’s management (15 %)

• Represent the organization and the project at the regional, district and community levels.
• Identify partners in the field and nurture relationships with local authorities.
• Establish plans for multi-stakeholder’s engagement and learnings, including the creation of appropriate forum for key stakeholders and facilitate knowledge sharing.
• Develop strategies of capturing and processing sharing knowledge from the project interventions.
• Participate in quarterly, semi-annual, and annual planning meetings with stakeholders.
• Develop and review the project exit strategy.

1. Any other assigned functions (5%)

• May perform other job-related tasks assigned by the line manager or Country Director.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• BSc degree in Rural Development, Project Planning and Management, Agriculture, Agribusiness, and other relevant qualifications; and seven (7) years relevant experience in project management, extension, and community development work; or

1. Preferred Requirements:

• Master’s Degree in relevant professional discipline.
• Four (4) years of supervisory/managerial experience.
• Thorough knowledge of programming processes, systems and principles, and the ability to provide leadership and support to staff working at community level.
• Sound knowledge of market systems and value chain development on various agricultural commodities including the Poultry and Livestock sectors; and strong poultry value chain and livestock sector experience in Ethiopia.
• Strong background and experience in the capacity building of producer organizations, particularly in the poultry sector.
• Partnership management experience and working through partnership structures and private sector partners.
• Sound business knowledge especially in the agricultural and agribusiness sector.
• Solid knowledge and foundation in proposal development, financial and budgets management and of project management cycle.

1. Most Critical Proficiencies:

• Strong business skills, leadership, strategic and innovation skills.
• Strong communication skills in English and other local languages of the project areas.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the latest developments in advancing good/best practices in the Poultry Value Chain development.
• Demonstrated creativity, ability to think systematically, willingness and ability to incorporate innovative solutions and design catalytic activities within the poultry market systems/value chain.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement strategies aimed at providing institutional capacity building to key partner institutions with a view to building a more efficient, competitive, and sustainable poultry industry. This requirement is in line with the need to have in-built ‘exit strategies’ within the project as a measure of ensuring that there are self-sustaining businesses by project end.
• Ability to manage training programs targeted at farmers in poultry husbandry, feed, health and marketing.
• Knowledge of and experience in setting up cottage industries for processing for onward supply to niche and markets as well as implementing supply promotion/stimulation strategies in the context of Poultry and Livestock sub-sector.
• Experience in facilitating the establishment of strategic alliances and partnerships with the private sector with the aim of improving extension services and value addition.
• Strong computer literacy, preferably with Microsoft Office Suite.

1. Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands:

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work diplomatically and tactfully in high-pressure situations.
• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks with minimal supervision in a multicultural setting.
• Uphold Customer First, prioritizing the needs of beneficiaries and stakeholders.
• Demonstrate Accountability, Honesty, and Transparency in all project activities, ensuring ethical and responsible operations.
• Foster Engagement by actively involving the team and external stakeholders in decision-making processes.
• Maintain Effective Communication internally within the team and externally with partners and beneficiaries to ensure alignment and project success.
• Ability to work with sensitive information and maintain confidentiality.

Travel requirements

• The position holder should be able to allocate 50% of his/her time for travel to project areas aimed at supporting the regional, district and community level activities.