Strategy And Research Specialist at One Acre Fund

Job Description

As a rapidly growing organization, there are constant opportunities to expand One Acre Fund’s scale and impact while improving the organization’s efficiency. Strategy & Research Specialists in the Internal Consulting Team will support managing projects to pursue these growth opportunities and operational improvements. As a Strategy & Research Specialist, you will gain exposure to many parts of One Acre Fund, as projects span across departments, such as Finance, Business Development, Product Innovations, Field Operations, Human Resources, M&E, and New Country Expansion.

Strategy & Research Specialists will own portions of projects, focusing on primary and secondary research, and quantitative analysis. This role is part of a long-term career-track at One Acre Fund, and with strong performance, the Strategy & Research Specialist will have the opportunity to grow into the Strategy & Research Analyst position.

Examples of the types of projects that the Strategy & Research Specialist could work on include:

• Operational Improvement projects designed to make us more efficient and effective. For instance, analyzing farmer repayment data then devising novel strategies to increase repayment. Such work involves quantitate analysis in software like MS Excel.
• Strategic Growth projects to evaluate and refine One Acre Fund's growth strategy. For instance, determining which districts or new countries make sense for future expansion. Strategy & Research Specialists will conduct secondary research, expert interviews, and data analysis with guidance from their manager.
• Short-Term Assignments that address immediate organizational needs through research and analytical support. For instance, consulting academic and scientific organizations to improve the design of a new crop trial. These projects require quick thinking, organization and planning skills, and strong analytical and interpersonal skills.

Career Growth and Development

One Acre Fund invests in building management and leadership skills. Your manager and a global support team will commit 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.

Qualifications

We are seeking exceptional professionals with 1 to 3 years of work experience, and a demonstrated long-term passion for development work. Candidates who fit the following criteria are strongly encouraged to apply:

• Work Experience: Candidates should have 1-3 years of strong work experiences in research and data analysis. You should be comfortable working in a fast-paced, innovative, results-driven environment. Candidates with management consulting, finance, and strategic planning backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Leadership: We are looking for candidates with demonstrated leadership experience at work, or outside of work. Examples of demonstrated leadership experience include managing a team or initiating a new project.
• Education: Strong undergraduate background at a top Kenyan or international university. Degrees in business, management, economics, statistics, or related fields preferred.
• Quantitative skills: Demonstrated comfort learning statistics and quantitative analysis.
• Communication: Excellent written and oral communication. Able to summarize and synthesize information.
• Attitude:
• Humility. We are looking for passionate professionals who combine strong leadership skills with good humor, patience, and a humble approach to service to join our growing family of leaders.
• Flexibility: You should be comfortable with ambiguity and quickly learning new skills and subjects.
• Growth: You should be open to feedback, willing to admit mistakes
• Other Skills: Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Intermediate or better typing speed.

• Language: English required; Swahili preferred; French is a bonus.

Preferred Start Date

Flexible

Compensation

We offer a modest starting salary that affords a high quality of life in our areas of operation. This is a career-track role with performance-based raises and the ability to expand responsibilities over time. 

Career Development

Bi–annual career reviews, and significant investment in career development. Your manager will invest significant time in your career development.

Note: We will not be able to sponsor a visa for this position.