Organization
Description
Most of the world’s
poor are farmers, representing the largest and most uniform group of poor
people in the world. One Acre Fund is a start-up NGO in Kenya, Rwanda, and
Burundi that is innovating a new way of helping farm families to achieve their
full potential. Instead of giving handouts, One Acre invests in farmers to
generate a permanent gain in farm income. We provide farmers with a
“market bundle” that includes education, finance, seed and
fertilizer, and market access. Our program is proven impactful – every year, we
weigh thousands of harvests and measure more than 100% average gain in farm
income per acre. We have laser-like focus on generating better lives for the
people that we serve.
We are growing
quickly. In six years, we have grown to serve 130,000 farm families with more
than 1000 full-time field staff. In three more years, we will at least
quadruple in size, while adding several new countries. Our approach has won
widespread validation, winning grants from the highly competitive Echoing Green
and Skoll Foundations, and the global Financial Times/ IFC award for
“basic needs financing” in 2010 and 2011. Website: www.oneacrefund.org
Job
Description
Farming is the
world’s most dominant economic profession. And One Acre Fund is building
Africa’s largest network of smallholding farmers. As we do so, we are
translating the world’s “expert” agriculture knowledge into practical
trainings and tools that can be used by the world’s one-acre farmers.
We rely on an
increasingly global network of agriculture advisors stationed at a wide variety
of universities, research institutions, and in the field. We are seeking
somebody who is good at synthesizing both primary interview research and
secondary literature research, and coming up with actionable recommendations
for our farmers.
Specific
responsibilities:
– Gather the world’s
agricultural knowledge, and synthesize it into actionable research that is
usable by smallholding farmers, who make up the majority of the world’s poor.
– Build One Acre
Fund’s network amongst the world’s foremost agriculture and crop experts.
– Interview experts
regularly on targeted topics of interest to One Acre Fund.
– Conduct secondary
research, drawing upon scientific research journals to gather information.
– Reach out to
agricultural seed, chemical, and fertilizer companies to learn the latest
industry-led research.
– Conduct direct
field research through One Acre Fund’s extensive network of in-field trial
managers.
– Lead wide-scale
lab testing programs to increase our understanding of soil conditions, disease
prevalence, insect movements, etc.
Career
Growth and Development
One Acre Fund invests
in building management and leadership skills. We provide constant, actionable
feedback delivered through weekly mentorship and through regular 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 and countries.
This results in fast career growth for our staff.
Qualifications
We are seeking
exceptional professionals with 2 to 5+ years of work experience. We are looking
for truly extraordinary candidates that will help governments to achieve the
next levels of impact. This is not
a short stint in Africa – this is a competitive posting for a career–track
role. Only 3% of applicants make it to a phone screen. Therefore, please only
apply if you fit these criteria:
- Strong
work experiences. We are looking for an agronomist, former management
consultant, or research professional. Entrepreneurial and unstructured
work experiences are also helpful - 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 that
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 – very high levels of proficiency with PowerPoint, Excel and other
software programs. - Language:
English required; French highly desirable.
Location: Nairobi (preferred), Kigali,
or Bujumbura
Preferred
Start Date:
Flexible
Compensation: Starts very 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 cover, immunizations.
Career
development:
Bi-annual management consulting-style career reviews, and significant
investment in career development. Your manager will invest significant time in
your career development.
How
to apply
To Apply
Email cover letter
and resume to jobs@oneacrefund.org
(Subject line: “AR Manager” + name of the site that referred you). RPCVs should also include a
copy of their DOS.
