SOE & Public Asset Management Reform Technical Adviser

Job Description

KEY INFORMATION
Job Title: SOE & Public Asset Management Reform Technical Adviser
Sector: Economic Growth & Investment
Position Type (full/part time): Full Time
Duration/Level of Effort (long/short term):  Long Term (Until 31 December 2028, subject to satisfactory performance.
Position Location (e.g. city, country, remote): Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (on site)


SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT
The Ethiopian Investment Advisory Facility - Phase 2 (EIAF2), is a £17.9 million, three-year (July 2025-December 2028) UK FCDO-funded technical assistance programme supporting Ethiopia’s economic reform agenda. It delivers flexible, demand-led advisory services to strengthen public investment and asset management and state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Operating adaptively within Ethiopia’s evolving reform landscape, EIAF2 primarily engages with the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Planning and Development (MoPD) and Ethiopian Investment Holding (EIH), the Government of Ethiopia (GoE)’s holding company for federal state-owned enterprises. This role specifically supports EIH’s reform priorities, notably its Subsidiary Transformation Programme (STP) and portfolio restructuring initiatives. 


OBJECTIVE OF THE POSITION
The main objective of this assignment is to strengthen EIH’s capacity to design, operationalise and institutionalise SOE reform and portfolio management functions, in alignment with EIH’s strategy, Ethiopia’s broader reform agenda and EIAF2’s objectives.  

The role is strictly advisory, catalytic, and capacity building in nature. The SOE Reform Technical Adviser (Adviser) will not replace EIH staff or assume line-management responsibilities.


SUMMARY OF THE POSITION
The Adviser will work alongside EIH leadership and teams across the following areas, with priorities refined adaptively based on inter alia counterpart demand, macroeconomic and geopolitical developments and reform traction:

SOE Governance and Ownership

• Support the strengthening of board governance, performance monitoring and accountability mechanisms.
• Support the operationalisation of ownership policies and governance instruments.

Subsidiary Transformation Programme

• Advise on turnaround strategies, commercialisation pathways, and organisational restructuring.
• Support prioritisation and sequencing of SOE reforms based on readiness and impact potential.

Portfolio and Investment Management

• Provide support enhancing EIH’s investment appraisal and prioritisation process, performance dashboards and risk mitigation tools.
• Support the integration of financial, operational, and strategic data into investment portfolio decision-making.

Capital Markets and Private Sector Engagement

• Advise on SOE investment readiness for private capital participation, capital-market instruments, and strategic partnerships.
• Draw lessons from prior corporate transactions (e.g. Ethio Telecom IPO) to shape future approaches.

Institutional Capacity and Sustainability

• Transfer skills to EIH staff and ensure ownership of reforms.
• Develop guidance notes, templates and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure sustainability of reforms beyond the assignment.

The Adviser’s role will also include the following:
Co-creation and refinement of Concept Notes (CN) and Task Orders (TO) related to SOE reform and PAM interventions involving EIH.
This support will be technical and advisory in nature, ensuring that proposed interventions are grounded in institutional realities, aligned with EIH priorities, and consistent with EIAF2’s strategic objectives. Specifically, the Adviser will:

• Contribute technical inputs to the co-creation of CNs with EIH counterparts, including problem definition, scope clarification and sequencing considerations.
• Support the articulation of the strategic rationale and implementation feasibility for proposed Task Orders (TO).
• Advise on the alignment of proposed interventions with EIH’s reform agenda, portfolio priorities, and absorptive capacity.
• Ensure that CNs reflect relevant political-economy considerations and risks; and
• Work closely with the EIAF2 SOE/PAM Workstream Lead during CN and TO development.

Support EIAF2’s Technical Partners during Task Order implementation.
Where technical partner firms or short-term advisers are on-boarded to implement approved TOs, the Adviser will play a facilitative and coordination role to support effective delivery and institutional uptake. In this context, the Adviser will:

• Act as a technical liaison between EIH counterparts, technical partners and the EIAF2 SOE/PAM Workstream Lead, to support clarity of scope, sequencing and expectations during Task Order implementation.
• Support technical partner onboarding by providing institutional context, reform priorities and guidance on EIH processes, stakeholders and decision pathways.
• Facilitate regular engagement between EIH and technical partners to address operational bottlenecks, support timely delivery of milestones and ensure output remains relevant and usable.
• Provide feedback to the EIAF2 SOE/PAM Workstream Lead on delivery progress, emerging risks, and opportunities for adaptive adjustments, without assuming contractual or line-management responsibility for the technical partners.

  Deliverables   The Adviser’s deliverables will include:

• Concept Notes and Task Orders aligned with all key stakeholders.
• Advisory notes and decision briefs for EIH leadership and EIAF2.
• Enhanced investment portfolio-management tools and STP implementation support products (e.g. roadmaps, prioritisation matrices, monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks, etc.).
• Capacity-building outputs (training materials, SOPs, etc.).
• Written and oral progress updates on the status of reform activities.

Qualifications, Experience and Competencies

The Adviser must possess the following qualifications, experience and competencies:

• Relevant undergraduate degree with at least 10 years post-qualifying experience. A postgraduate degree is also an advantage.
• Expertise in SOE reform, asset management and/or strategic transformations.
• Experience providing consulting services to governments/public companies in Africa or other emerging markets (an advantage).
• Strong coaching, facilitation and stakeholder-management skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication and presentational skills; and
• Ability to deliver high-quality work within set deadlines.

Duration and Place of Performance

The deployment period of the assignment is until 31 December 2028, subject to the Adviser’s satisfactory performance. 
The Adviser will provide the services in-country and be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Reporting, Oversight and Performance Management

The Adviser will report directly to the EIAF2 SOE/PAM Workstream Lead. Approval of deliverables will inter alia be based on the following key performance indicators:

• KPI 1: Deliverable Completion - all tasks outlined in the “Deliverables” section are fully executed and submitted.
• KPI 2: Quality of Output - all services and deliverables meet or exceed agreed-up on quality standards; and
• KPI 3: Timeliness - deliverables are submitted within mutually agreed deadlines.

Ethical and Compliance Requirements

Full compliance with data protection and confidentiality protocols is required. Prior to commencing any work, the Adviser shall sign a formal Non‑Disclosure Agreement (NDA) provided by EIH. The NDA shall govern the Adviser’s obligations regarding confidentiality, permissible use of information, restrictions on disclosure, and secure handling of sensitive data.

Commitment to gender equality and social inclusion, and environmental sustainability is required.


APPLICATION PROCESS
Candidates are encouraged to apply before 04 March 2026.

For your application to be considered, please upload your documents as followed: Candidate Last Name, First Name, date, Title of the Position.

Cowater international strives to maintain a fair, transparent, and human centered recruitment process. As part of our commitment to responsible hiring practices and compliance with evolving recruitment regulations, we may use AI assisted tools to support limited aspects of our talent acquisition workflow, such as reviewing or shortlisting applications. These tools are used only to enhance efficiency and consistency in our processes. All assessments, interviews, and final hiring decisions are made exclusively by our human recruiting managers. Candidates may request additional information about the use of these tools or reasonable accommodations during the recruitment process. 

Cowater International is an equal opportunity employer, basing employment on merit and qualifications as they relate to professional experience and position expectations. Cowater does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, age, or any other basis protected by law. 

We thank all applicants, however only those shortlisted will be contacted. 

About the Organization

ABOUT US
Founded in 1985, Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company. Headquartered in Ottawa and with corporate hubs in Auckland, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manila, Nairobi, Singapore and Stockholm, Cowater International has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our yearly award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies since 2017. 

We thank you for your interest in building a better tomorrow.