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, two home flights per
year if applicable
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.
