Senior Manager, Partnerships and Government Relations at One Acre Fund

About The Role

The role of the external relations team is to establish a close collaboration between the partners of One Acre Fund, including the government of Burundi, the private sector and international institutions, to jointly achieve our common goals in the agricultural sector. We also ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and policies in Burundi.

Specifically, the department is made up of two units: a Government Relations and Communications unit, and a compliance unit. These departments work together to manage the reputation of the organization in Burundi among various target partners.

Your role as Government Relations Senior Manager will be to set the vision for the department, and work with your direct reports (the Government Relations Lead and the Compliance Lead) to develop the goals and strategy to make that vision a reality. You would represent the CD to Government officials at the highest level to further increase access to leadership as we scale. You would manage a team of nine staff members.

Over time, the role may evolve to include involvement in internal communications and strategic planning, where the person who fills it would help the leadership team navigate the increasing complexity of the program as we scale by 1) maximizing the support of the Government Relations (GR) Department to other departments in the program, and 2) leading the annual strategy and goals process with the guidance of the leadership team.

Responsibilities

• Vision Setting. You will set the vision for the department, working with the two department leads to develop strategies to achieve this vision.
• Policy and Advocacy. You will build long-term strategies for policy and advocacy projects, including new, creative partnerships with the government and the private sector.
• Partnerships and Champion Oversight. You will develop partnership and champion strategies with your direct reports to ensure the health of our relationship with the Government of Burundi and other important external partners.
• Communications Oversight. You will develop an internal communications strategy with the GR and Communications lead.
• Compliance Oversight. Oversee and help implement a new procurement system with the Government of Burundi that allows us to access inputs and other products.
• Representation. You will represent the Country Director at Government strategy and planning meetings whenever necessary. Working with the Government/Communications lead, follow-up on essential partnerships and early stage opportunities.

Career Growth and Development

We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You’ll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You’ll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.

Qualifications

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• Hold a Master's/Bachelor's degree in communication, international relations and other related fields. A Master's degree would be a plus.
• 8+ years of experience in total, 5+ years of experience in senior management roles that required significant coordination, communications and external partner engagement experience.
• Experience in communication and advocacy: we are looking for a person able to eloquently and intelligently represent and advocate for our program, and has the negotiation skills to advocate on our behalf.
• Experience working with the public sector including government institutions, research institutes or other public agencies focused on agriculture and rural development in Africa.
• You have powerful collaboration skills and are proficient at understanding motivations of different groups and teams and you support them to work together.
• A passion for One Acre Fund's program and the desire to promote our mission based on a genuine and commitment to serving farmers.
• Languages: French and English