Job Title: Technical Lead – Agriculture and Rural Development
Department: Technical Practice
Reports to: Technical Practice Director
Employment Type: Full-Time
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
About the Position
Frontieri Consult PLC is seeking a Technical Lead – Agriculture and Rural Development to provide methodological and technical leadership across research and consulting assignments in agriculture, food security, rural livelihoods, climate-smart agriculture, value chains, and related development sectors.
The Technical Lead will be responsible for the technical substance of assigned engagements, from proposal development and methodological design through analysis, reporting, and technical quality assurance. The position will work across a portfolio of projects and collaborate closely with the Project Director, project teams, data teams, and other technical specialists.
Depending on the requirements of an assignment, the Technical Lead may lead specific technical components, including methodological design, analytical work, technical reporting, or provision of senior technical advice. The role is primarily focused on technical expertise and quality rather than line management.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Design and Methodology
- Lead the development of research and consulting methodologies for proposals and active assignments in agriculture, rural development, food security, resilient livelihoods, agrifood systems, and multi-sectoral development.
- Formulate robust study designs, complex sampling approaches (cluster, stratified, multi-stage), power/sample size calculations, impact evaluation analytical frameworks (e.g., RCTs, quasi-experimental designs), and select mixed-methods research protocols appropriate to assignment requirements.
- Develop technical specifications and content for digital data collection tools (e.g., household survey modules, agricultural yield assessments, market/value chain tools) in coordination with the data team.
- Enforce adherence to international technical standards, donor requirements, and rigorous research methodology.
- Partner with the Project Director during project start-up to translate technical methodologies into actionable operational work plans.
Research and Analysis
- Direct high-level quantitative and qualitative data analysis and supervise econometric/statistical modeling and thematic qualitative coding.
- Apply appropriate statistical, econometric, and qualitative analytical methods to generate robust findings.
- Interpret complex agricultural, socioeconomic, and rural household data to draft clear, evidence-based findings, policy recommendations, and actionable insights tailored to institutional clients.
- Provide technical guidance on data quality, analysis, and interpretation throughout project delivery.
Technical Delivery and Quality Assurance
- Provide technical leadership for assigned components of live projects.
- Review technical outputs, reports, analytical products, and other deliverables for methodological quality and consistency.
- Work with Project Director and Project teams to ensure technical requirements are appropriately reflected in project implementation and reporting.
- Participate in technical review sessions and provide input to strengthen project deliverables.
- Identify significant methodological or technical risks and recommend appropriate corrective action.
Proposal Development and Business Development
- Contribute to technical proposals, expressions of interest, and other business development opportunities within relevant areas of expertise.
- Develop methodological approaches, technical narratives, analytical frameworks, and other technical inputs for proposals.
- Support technical presentations and client discussions where required.
- Contribute to the development and refinement of Frontieri's technical approaches, tools, and knowledge resources.
Knowledge and Technical Development
- Contribute to the firm's technical knowledge base through documentation of methodologies, tools, lessons learned, and research findings.
- Maintain current knowledge of relevant developments in agriculture, rural development, agrifood markets, climate change adaptation, and related development research.
- Contribute to internal technical learning and peer review activities.
Technical Competencies
Research and Analytical Skills
- Advanced proficiency in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, econometrics, and statistical analysis.
- Practical knowledge of experimental/quasi-experimental study designs (e.g., DiD, PSM, RCTs), sample-size determination, power calculations, and complex survey weighting.
- Demonstrated capability to design and specify digital data collection tools and their content for digital field deployment in rural environments.
- Ability to interpret research findings and translate agricultural and socioeconomic analysis into clear technical conclusions and recommendations.
Data Collection and Analysis Software
- Working knowledge of common data collection and analysis platforms, such as SPSS, Stata, R, KoboToolbox, SurveyCTO, Survey Solutions, ATLAS.ti, NVivo, MAXQDA, or similar tools is an advantage.
- Experience with digital data collection and analysis workflows is desirable.
Technical Writing and Presentation
- Strong technical writing, editing, and reporting skills suitable for donor and institutional clients (e.g., World Bank, USAID, FAO, IFAD, FCDO, EU).
- Ability to present technical findings clearly to clients and other stakeholders.
- Sound presentation and facilitation skills for technical discussions and client engagements.
- Peer-reviewed publication experience in development studies, agricultural economics, or related fields is an advantage.