Job Description

Description

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

The Organization

Since 1944, Heifer International has supported more than 46 million Small Holder Farmer (SHF) families globally lift themselves out of hunger and poverty while caring for the earth in partnership with the communities we serve including Youth & Women. Heifer International is now accelerating its strategic approaches to closing the Sustainable Living Income (SLI) gap for 10 million additional SHF households globally by 2030.

Heifer Ethiopia’s contribution to the Global 10 million households target is to help 1,000,000 of Heifer Africa’s 6.745 million households achieve sustainable living income by 2030. Heifer Ethiopia’s maiden Signature Program, focusing on dairy, poultry, small ruminants and horticulture, will set the pace.

Function

The Project Team Leader reports to the Signature Program Technical Lead of HPI Ethiopia. The post holder will lead the Bridging the Skills Gaps in Horticulture to Enhance the Sector Growth, and Food and Nutrition Security in Ethiopia (BSH4GFNS) Project and coordinate the implementation of all project activities, both administrative and technical. He/she is responsible for the overall project planning, implementation, adaptive management, scaling, and/or closure of the project and the project workforce, ensuring delivery within the approved scope, budget, timeline, and acceptable quality standards as stipulated in the project document, donor agreement, and contracts signed with the Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant stakeholders.

The Project Team Leader maintains strong and effective working relationships with the donor, relevant government institutions, private sector actors, development partners, and other stakeholders by facilitating the establishment and well-functioning of muti-stakeholders platform (MSP) to ensure effective coordination and smooth implementation of the project. The Team Leader ensures strict application of the project’s market-led innovation and Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, aimed at strengthening horticulture value chains through improved productivity, post-harvest handling, quality assurance, market access, private sector engagement, access to finance, and technology-enabled extension and business development services.

The Project Team Leader is responsible for supporting the Signature Program Technical Lead and the MEL function in monitoring and evaluating project performance and coordinating formal technical and financial reporting to the Country Director and the donor. He/she works closely with field-based technical staff to support effective field-level implementation and ensure alignment between strategic objectives and operational delivery. The position is contingent upon confirmed funding and donor approval.

Responsibilities & Deliverables

A. Project Management (60%)

Day-to-day management and implementation of the project to ensure achievement of project objectives, outputs, and activities.
Provide overall leadership and management of the project, including technical, administrative, operational, and logistical direction of all project components.
Lead and coordinate the project team to ensure coherent, timely, and high-quality implementation of planned activities across all project regions.
Collaborate closely with the project team, Signature Program Technical Lead, and MEL function to develop annual and quarterly work plans and detailed budgets aligned with donor commitments.
Ensure approved work plans, budgets, and MEL plans are fully implemented and adjusted as necessary based on performance data and contextual changes.
Review and approve technical and financial reports (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual) in accordance with donor and Heifer International requirements.
Ensure that performance coaching logs for all project staff are prepared, reviewed, and updated on a quarterly basis.
Coach, mentor, and supervise project staff to ensure effective performance, timely delivery of outputs, and achievement of individual and project targets.
Ensure that annual performance reviews and evaluations of project staff are completed in line with HPI performance management policies.
Provide continuous guidance and technical backstopping to project teams through regular planning meetings, field visits, implementation reviews, and problem-solving sessions.
Work closely with relevant internal departments (MEL, Finance, Procurement, People) to ensure timely submission, review, and dissemination of project information and reports.

B. Project Planning, Monitoring, and Reporting (20%)

Ensure full compliance with donor requirements and Heifer International internal policies and procedures, including timely submission of high-quality technical and financial reports.
Uphold the highest standards of accountability, transparency, and value-for-money across all project activities.
Ensure that quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports are prepared, reviewed, and submitted in accordance with donor and HPI requirements.
Ensure proper project documentation and records management for procurement, financial transactions, audits, and global indicator monitoring and evaluation reports.
Ensure that project success stories, lessons learned, and good practices are systematically documented and disseminated on a quarterly basis.
Promote adaptive management by using monitoring data and learning findings to inform decision-making and improve project performance.

C. Coordination and Stakeholder Management (15%)

Represent Heifer International Ethiopia and the project at national, regional, district, and community levels.
Identify, engage, and maintain strong working relationships with government institutions, private sector actors, cooperatives, financial institutions, and development partners.
Establish and facilitate multi-stakeholder engagement and learning platforms (multi-stakeholders platform- MSP) to support coordination, knowledge sharing, and alignment across the horticulture sector.
Develop strategies for capturing, processing, and sharing knowledge generated through project interventions.
Participate in quarterly, semi-annual, and annual planning and review meetings with key stakeholders.
Lead the development, implementation, and periodic review of the project sustainability and exit strategy.

D. Any Other Assigned Function (5%)

Perform any other job-related tasks assigned by the Signature Program Technical Lead or Country Director that are consistent with the objectives of the project.

Minimum Requirements

A Master’s degree in Horticulture, Agriculture, Agribusiness, Rural Development, Project Planning and Management, or other relevant disciplines.
A minimum of seven (10) years of relevant experience in project management, agricultural development, extension, or value chain development.

Most Critical Proficiencies

Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and innovation skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and relevant local languages.
Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in horticulture value chain and market systems development.
Ability to design and implement institutional capacity-building strategies with built-in sustainability and exit considerations.
Experience managing farmer-focused training and extension programs.
Strong computer literacy, particularly in Microsoft Office applications.

Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands

Strong interpersonal skills and physical ability to work in high-pressure, multicultural environments.
Ability to manage multiple tasks with minimal supervision while meeting strict deadlines.
Commitment to Heifer values, including Customer First, Accountability, Honesty, Transparency, Engagement, and Effective Communication.
Ability to handle sensitive information and always maintain confidentiality.
Ability and willingness to travel extensively within project regions to support district- and community-level activities.

Key Behavioural Competencies