Apply for a job opportunity at One Acre Fund as Agricultural Innovations Manager

Job Title: Agricultural Innovations Manager

One Acre Fund is a Non-profit working in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda that is innovating a new way of helping farm families to achieve their full potential. One Acre Fund 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.

Job Summary: The Agricultural Innovations Manager will be responsible for One Acre Fund’s efforts to develop, evaluate, and prove new agricultural practices, products, and seed varieties for our farmers. As head of the department, the Manager will work under a Program Associate to build a strong Innovations Department that produces efficient, relevant, high-impact farming solutions. The primary objective of the Innovations Department is to find new ways for small-scale farmers to improve their livelihoods through involvement with One Acre Fund’s programs. The Manager will oversee the design and implementation of One Acre Fund’s experimental farms and farmer trials. She/he would take the lead on researching possible approaches to solve agricultural problems or improve yields, and then work in a team to design experiments to address these problems and opportunities. She/he would also oversee implementation of the experimental designs, manage data collection, and eventually collaborate on analyzing the results and adjusting the Organization’s core farming strategies and products. This position entails extensive research about agricultural practices and products, as well as staying informed about new risks or problems that face Ugandan farmers.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:  

• Identify new crops, inputs, and management practices for OAF farmers
• Manage and supervise the agricultural research trials
• Work in liaison with the Innovations team to design trials and prepare products
• Liaise with major suppliers of inputs and agricultural research organizations
• Create and refine trainings for Field Officers and farmers
• Improve the innovations department staff and policies
• Oversee the Department’s human resources
• In charge of hiring associates, overseeing workers, etc
• Develop team members’ skills and leadership capabilities
• Manage budgets, control fraud, and provide expense reports

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:  

• The ideal candidate for the aforementioned job should hold a University Degree in agronomy, agricultural economics, crop science, or similar degree
• Two or more years’ experience in agricultural research or experimentation
• Two years’ experience managing farms or agricultural projects
• Highly capable of spending long days in the field
• Demonstrated experience in agricultural innovations
• Good leadership experience
• Excellent communication conversational, email, and written
• Integrity with funds
• Dedication to improving the livelihoods of Ugandan farmers
• Computer literacy i.e. proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and email
• Past experience with small-scale farming preferred
• Work or volunteer experience with NGOs preferred
• Statistical experience preferred
• Fluent in English, Proficiency in Luganda/Lusoga Preferred
• Must be willing to live in Kamuli, Uganda

How to Apply for the job:  

The applicants should email their cover letters, education documents, updated CVs and salary expectations to: office.kamuli@oneacrefund.org

Deadline: 30^th November 2014 by 5pm

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