​​Requisition ID: 3849 
Grade : ISA-Senior Specialist 
Country: Ethiopia 
Duty Station : Addis Ababa 
Category: International Consultant 
Type of job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: NonStaff-Regular
Application deadline: 14-May-2024  

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Female candidates from all Member States are particularly encouraged to apply.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Departments/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

The Division provides technical cooperation services to assist the modernization of agriculture and agroindustry, especially in less-developed countries, ensuring that enterprises add value to primary agricultural production, substitute the imports of food and other value-added agricultural products, and participate effectively in local, regional and global value chains. Where needed, it will develop infrastructure and agroindustrial parks and capacities for agro-industrialization, value addition, quality assurance and food safety. It will also bring innovative approaches to Member States to fully benefit from carbon-neutral and biodiversity-enhancing agricultural and agro-industrial production and development opportunities in the green and blue bioeconomy.

 Agro-Innovation and Bioeconomy Unit (IET/AGR/AIB)

The Agro-Innovation and Bioeconomy Unit (IET/AGR/AIB) promotes the development of innovative approaches to agricultural and agro-industrial production by looking at new products for industry, new processes of production, new sources of materials and energy from biomass, new schemes for sustainable production and new approaches to climate adaptation and the reduction of climate change. The Unit will contribute to addressing global challenges such as climate change, food and water shortages, environmental pollution, and loss of biodiversity – all in combination with economic development - by replacing fossil and mineral resources with renewable raw materials and through new technologies in production and processing of agriculture and aquaculture-based products.

Overall, the Unit will support agriculture and agro-industry in Member States in a transition from fossil and mineral-based production to a green and blue circular bioeconomy. Through partnerships with innovative firms, R&D departments and development partners, the Unit draws from the latest technology development in agricultural machinery, agro-processing and digitalization and renders adapted solutions to agro-industry development, emphasizing services to less developed countries. It will also engage with innovative carbon sequestration and biodiversity improvement schemes that help farmers and agro-industry firms to finance and apply new technologies of CO2 reduction and biodiversity improvement. It will also foster climate adaptation in agricultural and agro-industry production, using more sustainable technology and production schemes.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Project ID: 190001

The Government of Ethiopia (GoE) has prioritized the development of Integrated Agro-Industrial Parks (IAIPs) and interlinked Rural Transformation Centers (RTCs) as key vehicles for the structural transformation of their economy. The transformation will be driven by the development of the Ethiopian agricultural production system from its current fragmented and supply-driven practices, to one that is organized and based on quality and demand. Such a change will boost agroprocessing and will help create employment and stimulate a shift in investment and human resources from agriculture to agro-industries. To this end, The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has since 2011, been supporting the GoE in developing four pilot IAIPs in the regions of Amhara, Tigray, SNNP and Oromia, regions, which are currently in the final stage of construction and becoming operational.

An important feature that IAIPs and RTCs facilities, is the inclusion of local businesses allied to agro-industry. The value chain approach facilitates the integration of farmer’s cooperatives, which supply the agricultural products to agro-processors in the IAIPs and RTCs. The geographical approach facilitates the integration of MSME around the RTCs and the IAIPs that provides intermediate goods and services (logistics, packaging, cold chain, transportation). Strengthening these backward linkages is key to ensuring local economic growth, increased farmers sustainable income and off-farm employment.

Through the PCP Ethiopia, the GoE has mobilized several development partners and funding mechanisms to support the development of the four pilot IAIPs and UNIDO is a technical implementation partner in some of these including:

The EU funded “Promotion of Sustainable Ethiopian Agro-industrial Development (PROSEAD) aims at providing a substantial contribution to the IAIP development in areas like park-related infrastructure, value chain development, access to finance and building the capacity of the workforce. UNIDO is responsible for the overall coordination of PROSEAD and other interventions related to the IAIP programme in the country.

MAIN DUTIES

The Chief Technical Advisor shall be under the over-all supervision of the Project Manager of the Integrated Agro-Industrial Park (IAIP) project in Ethiopia and shall be working in close coordination with the Country Program Coordinator of PCP-Ethiopia, with specific duties as follows:

1. The CTA will be UNIDO technical resources responsible for coordinating PROSEAD activities among partners, EU the Government Ministries

• He/she will develop and manage partnerships with institutions of relevance to the projects including, development agencies, the organized private sector, professional associations and identify other possible sources of co-financing
• Actively foster partnerships to, build synergies between UN agencies and other development organizations (e.g. IFAD, WB, WFP) on ongoing intervention in agroindustry and agriculture value chain development with the overall industrial development strategy in Ethiopia

2. He/she will provide strategic direction and technical advice to the UNIDO project teams to ensure UNIDO’s interventions in the projects remains consistent with the approved project documents and recorded PSC decisions

• Conduct regular meetings with NPCs and regional coordinators to review progress, provide technical guidance on issues
• Organise review meeting and training reports for accuracy and provide guidance in drafting recommendations and next steps before they are submitted to the partners

3. He/she will provide technical oversight in results monitoring and reporting to the Government and donors

• Assume responsibility for the annual technical reports of the IAIP projects implemented by UNIDO in line with the standardized template and in accordance with the requirements of the donors
• Prepare regular progress reports, ad hoc reports and
• Provide guidance in the development of visibility and information dissemination material upon request of the donor and the counterparts;

4. Provide technical support to the Government in funds mobilization and coordination of resource for the IAIPs/ RTCs.

5. Provide technical input in the formulation of new projects for the IAIPs/ RTCs and other projects on agro-industrialization in Ethiopia and in the region.

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education

Advanced university degree in agricultural-economics, economics, engineering, science, business administration, international development/relations or any other relevant field in the livelihood development is required.

Technical and Functional Experience

• A minimum of ten (10)  years of progressive professional  experience in programme or project management in the context of agribusiness development or agricultural and rural development of which at least five (5) years within the national government systems at a senior level,  non-governmental organizations and/or international organizations in Ethiopia or a similar country in the sub-Saharan Africa is required.
• Experience with programmes implemented jointly with agencies within the UN system and donors community in Ethiopia or a similar country in the sub-Saharan Africa is required.
• Experience in managing EU-funded programmes is desirable.
• Experience in managing international aid programmes is desirable.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the international development agenda and strategic issues on economic transformation, sustainable food systems, circular economy and climate change is desirable

Languages

Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Fluency and/or working knowledge of another official UN language and local language (Amharic) is desirable.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

 Core Values

WE LIVE AND ACT WITH INTEGRITY: work honestly, openly and impartially.

WE SHOW PROFESSIONALISM: work hard and competently in a committed and responsible manner.

WE RESPECT DIVERSITY: work together effectively, respectfully and inclusively, regardless of our differences in culture and perspective.

Key Competencies

WE FOCUS ON PEOPLE: cooperate to fully reach our potential –and this is true for our colleagues as well as our clients. Emotional intelligence and receptiveness are vital parts of our UNIDO identity.

WE FOCUS ON RESULTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: focus on planning, organizing and managing our work effectively and efficiently. We are responsible and accountable for achieving our results and meeting our performance standards. This accountability does not end with our colleagues and supervisors, but we also owe it to those we serve and who have trusted us to contribute to a better, safer and healthier world.

WE COMMUNICATE AND EARN TRUST: communicate effectively with one another and build an environment of trust where we can all excel in our work.

WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND INNOVATE: To stay relevant, we continuously improve, support innovation, share our knowledge and skills, and learn from one another.

Managerial and Leadership Competencies (as/if applicable)

WE ARE STRATEGIC, DECISIVE, PRINCIPLED AND INSPIRATIONAL: As managers, we are strategic and fair in driving our team’s performance. As leaders, we are a source of inspiration, stand for norms and standards established in the UN Charter and duty bound to defend these ideals with a principled approach.

WE ARE INCLUSIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE: As managers, we are inclusive in our approach and maintain constructive engagement with all our stakeholders. As leaders, we embrace all personnel and stakeholders and are accountable mutually within UNIDO, within the system, to beneficiaries and the public and beyond.

WE ARE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL: As managers, we go beyond conventional methods to help our organizational units strengthen their own agility and adaptability to change. As leaders in the UN system, we have a vision which is integrated and engaged across the pillars of Peace and Security, Human Rights and Development.

WE ARE COLLABORATIVE AND CO-CREATIVE: As managers, we foster a team spirit and create meaningful opportunities to hear the voices of those around us, while realizing that only by working together can we accomplish our mission. As leaders we see the inter-dependency of imperatives of the UN Charter and personally champion a collaborative inter-agency, multi stakeholders and cross-thinking approach.

This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside.
Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.

All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System. Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.

Visit the UNIDO web site for details on how to apply: www.unido.org
NOTE: The Director General retains the discretion to make an appointment to this post at a lower level.
 
Notice to applicants:
UNIDO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. If you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Vacant positions within UNIDO are advertised on the official UNIDO website. Should you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of UNIDO and requesting payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unido.org