Strategy Manager, Internal Consulting Team at One Acre Fund

About the Role

We are looking for professionals experienced in management/strategy consulting and project management who are dedicated to social impact to join One Acre Fund's Internal Consulting Team (ICT). ICT supports One Acre Fund teams at important junctures where extra analytical, project management, or implementation resources could have a meaningful impact. Above all we are looking for accomplished professionals who can deliver high-quality, high-value work and successfully support teams across the organization on a wide range of project types.

Responsibilities

• Shaping One Acre Fund's expansion strategy - To help One Acre Fund hit its ambitious farmer growth targets, two analysts were challenged to develop a rigorous and scalable approach to program expansion that could be rolled out across all countries. This new approach involved field survey design and analysis, financial modeling, and a political and security risk assessment. The work was adopted by in-country Field Operations teams and is bringing OAF closer to achieving its 2020 target of reaching one million farmers.
• Conducting a Kenya program health check-up - A manager conducted a "health check-up" of our Kenya program to identify risks to that program's goals, independently examining several programmatic areas including management quality, hiring standards, and team culture and morale, and suggesting possible resolutions. The final prioritized list of synthesized takeaways and recommendations gave the Kenya leadership team additional visibility into program pain points, and helped improve the program's overall efficiency while having a positive influence on staff experience.
• ICT Managers can be staffed on projects across our 8 country programs (though travel is up to project specifications and staffer preference). Managers manage anywhere from 1-3 projects at any given time, typically launching important initiatives across multiple countries, managing the roll out of high-priority programs in several departments, and supporting leadership working groups. In their role, Managers are expected to take full ownership from planning through execution and follow-up.
• For the projects of their direct reports, Managers may also provide project scoping or quality assurance support. ICT Managers also play an important role in project sourcing and resourcing, along with team culture and professional development. They regularly meet with the Director of the team to discuss project pipeline, staffer allocation, team needs and satisfaction. They also are typically responsible for at least one team-specific initiative, alongside the Analysts.

Career Growth and Development

We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. Youll 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. Youll 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:

• Strong work experiences: We are looking for candidates with 5+ years of work experience in roles where they have been asked to solve complex, ambiguous problems in a structured way (e.g., management consultants, research managers, business analysts).
• We look for the ability to take a complex question, identify the most efficient route to a useful solution, and structure the work into manageable milestones and to work independently
• We look for experience managing and coaching junior project staff to achieve high-quality work
• We also look for additional leadership experience, in or outside of work, in roles that involve influencing the decisions and behaviors of peers, senior leaders, and external parties (bonus for previous work experience directly serving executive-level leadership)
• Professional/technical skills
• ICT team members are expected to have advanced proficiency in both Excel (can perform complex functions) and PowerPoint (can develop compelling slide decks for various audiences)
• Managers have demonstrated experience in project management, capacity building, and professional development of others
• Outstanding responsiveness to feedback: we firmly believe that ability to act on both positive and constructive feedback is the fastest way to grow. As a team, we give and expect to receive open and frank feedback, both to our reports and to our managers. You should see feedback as a chance to improve and also know how to give it constructively.
• A Bachelor's degree is required for this position.
• Language: English fluency required; proficiency in any languages spoken in East Africa is a bonus

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

East Africa capital city, with preference for Nairobi, Kenya. However, you could be based in Kigali, after an initial 3-6 month period in Nairobi.

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Eligibility

One Acre Fund can support a work permit for this role. However, nationals of (or those with an extensive professional background and work history in) our countries of operation are preferred.