Job
Description
One Acre Fund
believes that policy is all about implementation. No matter how good or bad the
policy, its execution on the ground is what changes lives.
To help craft
policies which work on the ground, we are starting a new Government Services
unit which is working together with regional and national partners to support government-led
policy initiatives in agriculture. Following the lead of host governments, we
support them with field implementation that changes the lives of millions of
people. Our long-term goal is to help gov
ernment to transform the agricultural
ecosystems of whole countries. These projects generally utilize our existing
field expertise in farm input distribution, rural mass marketing, and scalable
training programs.
For these
initiatives, we need both skilled Government Relations staff (see, for example,
our Africa Government Officer posting) and also entrepreneurial field staff
based in rural areas to focus on implementation.
- Regional and National Strategy
Design: The Policy Innovation Officer will work with other One Acre Fund
staff and high-level government officials to develop ideas to improve
livelihoods of smallholder farmers and the efficiency of the agricultural
sector. - Program Implementation: The Policy
Innovation Officer will roll out region-wide and eventually nationwide
programs. Examples of past projects include a farm input system that
delivers seed and fertilizer to several hundred thousand farm families;
farm input marketing programs for similar numbers; and training support
for 10,000+ extension agents. - Team Management: The Policy Innovation
Officer will screen, hire, and develop a staff of 30-150 full-time country
national staff, depending on the project, to support scaled
implementation. - Innovation Trials: The Policy
Innovation Officer will conduct an ambitious slate of trials within several
districts, in order to discover new and effective mechanisms for promoting
mass agricultural training—and to identify promising interventions One
Acre Fund could scale-up across its entire network of smallholder farmers.
- Collaboration with Key Officials: The
Policy Innovation Officer will update high-level officials in the ministry
of agriculture on a regular basis. The Policy Innovation Officer will also
collaborate with important leaders at partner institutions.
Career
Growth and Development
One Acre Fund
invests in building management and leadership skills. Your manager will invest
significant time in your career development. We provide constant, actionable
feedback delivered through mentorship and through regular management
consulting-style career reviews. We also have regular one-on-one meetings,
where we listen to and discuss career goals, and work collaboratively to craft
roles that each person can be passionate about. Because of our rapid growth, we
constantly have new high-level roles opening up and opportunities in many
functions. This results in fast career growth for our staff.
Qualifications
To start up and
build this new team, we are seeking exceptional professionals with 2 to 5+
years of work experience. We are looking for truly extraordinary candidates who
will help governments achieve the next levels of impact. Candidates who fit the
following criteria are strongly encouraged to apply:
- Strong operational work experiences.
We are looking for strong leaders with direct operating experience,
ideally of an entrepreneurial and unstructured nature. - Intelligence, creativity, and a
desire to make things work. We need people to develop creative ideas to
improve the quality of government services, who can then get out to the
field and figure out how to make these ideas work in practice. - Leadership experiences at work, or
outside of work. - Top-performing undergraduate
background (please include GPA and test scores on your resume). - Humility and personal stability. We
are looking for passionate professionals who combine strong leadership
skills with good humor, patience, and a humble approach to service. - A willingness to commit to living in
East Africa for at least two years—this is a long-term, career-track role.
The ideal candidate will have at least one year demonstrated experience
working in the developing world, although this is not a strict
requirement. - Professional/technical skills—high
levels of proficiency with PowerPoint, Excel and other software programs. - Language: English required and Amharic
desirable in Ethiopia. English and French required in Rwanda.
Preferred
Start Date
Flexible
Compensation
Starts modest.
However, this is a career-track role with fast raises for performance, paying a
meaningful salary for long-term placement in developing nations.
Benefits
Health
insurance, immunizations, flight, room and board.
Sponsor
International Candidates
Yes
How to apply
Complete this form.
You will be prompted to submit your CV and cover letter. You may also be asked
to submit work samples for some positions. Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
(RPCVs), please submit a copy of your Description of Service (DOS) in the
appropriate section.
