One Acre Fund is a nonprofit organization that supplies smallholder farmers in East Africa with asset-based financing and agriculture training services to reduce hunger and poverty. Headquartered in Bungoma, Kenya, the organization works with farmers in rural villages throughout Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and recently Malawi.
Using a market-based approach, One Acre Fund facilitates activities and transactions at various levels of the farming value chain, including seed sourcing and market support. In 2013, farmers who worked with One Acre Fund realized a 180% return on their investment and significantly increased farm income on every planted acre.About the Role
Seeking an exceptional Agronomy researcher with 3-5+ years of experience creating impactful solutions to join our team to increase our impact per farmer by recommending products that can improve resilience and livelihood of farming households.
Responsibilities
Research:
Literature reviews, rapid evidence assessments, expert consultation etc. to identify impactful agricultural innovations
Trial Design and Management
Design efficient on-station (Phase 1) and on-farm (Phase 2) trials with global team members to generate rigorous data and insights needed to inform program decision making.
Lead all required operational steps for successful trial planning and execution, including site selection, input calculation, ordering and distribution.
Develop trial activity and data collection protocols to guide and ensure high standards of trial execution and data collection (this may include the development of mobile data collection surveys).
Prepare and manage a trial pipeline according to available trial capacities.
Ensure the trial team (i.e. officers, managers and coordinators) is efficiently and continuously trained to ensure high quality trial execution.
Ensure high quality data collection and trouble-shoot trial execution when needed.
Conduct regular field visits.
Implement continual improvements in trial management and coordination based on lessons-learned.
Data Analysis and Reporting:
Use statistical softwares like STATA or R to analyze trial data with moderate support of department leadership.
Use trial data to prepare impact models and provide actionable recommendations for program decision-makers.
Team Management and Capacity Building:
Lead weekly check-ins for field staff to discuss challenges, support task prioritization and monitor their key performance indicators (KPIs).
Draft professional development plans and facilitate bi-annual performance reviews.
Conduct unbiased hiring and management of team.
Liaise independently with external departments within One Acre Fund on efficient trial planning and execution.
Qualifications
Across all roles, these are the general qualification we look for For this role specifically, you will have:
A minimum of Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in the field of Agriculture, Rural Livelihood or any relevant field (mandatory), a Master’s Degree is preferred.
Proficient in data analysis with experience using STATA, R or any other relevant statistical software.
3-5 years of practical experience working in Project Management is required, previous experience in Agricultural Research is a plus.
Proven ability to teach/mentor others.
Fluency in Microsoft Packages like Powerpoint, Excel and Word.
Willingness to live and work in rural areas close to our farmers.
Willingness to frequently travel to trial sites across our area of operation.
Eligibility:
This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Nigeria