Program Rotation Associate at One Acre Fund

Job Description

Note there is also a more senior version of this role available here.

Concretely Speaking, Selected Program Rotation Associates Will Have The Opportunity To Rotate Through a Progression Of Field-based Postings, Followed By The Opportunity For a Permanent Posting Or Further Rotations Depending On The Candidate’s Interests

• First 12-24 months: Rotate between several ~6-month long posts
• Subsequently: Permanently fill a role of particular interest for the candidate and priority for the organization

Example Rotations Include

• Field Operations: This team is the direct service provider to our farmers, with the primary objective of building the capacity of our local staff to provide financially sustainable impact, at scale, to all One Acre Fund farmers. A rotation with Field Operations could include managing an entire season’s worth of training materials for 100,000+ farmers, designing incentives to ensure high repayment, or serving as a liaison to our crop health teams which monitor in-field agricultural problems for our farmers.
• Business Operations: The objective of our Operations departments is to ensure that we are able to deliver on all of our promises to our clients. Operations encompass mission-critical systems like transaction tracking, client data management, print, procurement, and investigations. A rotation with Business Operations could include running bulk SMS service for 100,000+ farmers, creating a new customer service line and systems to support it, or ensuring that we can process farmer insurance claims fairly and rapidly.
• Logistics: The primary responsibility of our Logistics team is to ensure that we deliver life-changing inputs and materials to farmers on time and at high quality. A rotation with Logistics would likely include managing a season’s worth of deliveries to thousands of farmers, including planning, troubleshooting, procurement of trucks, liaising with warehouses, etc.
• Program Innovations: The Scale Innovations team aims to deepen One Acre Fund’s impact on every community we serve by increasing the percent of households who join our program, and by developing innovations that help our field staff serve farmers better. Example projects with the Scale Innovations team include running trials related to using tablet computers in field operations, a “junior OAF member” marketing trial, or reconfiguring the role of farmer group leaders in our operations.

Program Rotation Associates will work together with the organization to determine their country or countries of operation, individual rotations, and then their final full-time role. We see the Program Rotation Associate role as an opportunity to develop future leaders in international development while meeting some of One Acre Fund’s most critical field-facing needs. Part of our commitment to this role is offering high-quality professional development and feedback opportunities as our Associates make their way through the various rotations.

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.

In order to provide a consistent and long-term career growth experience for rotational staff, we will also pair you with a permanent “career buddy” from our internal consulting team who will provide guidance in selecting rotations and offer long-term mentorship that provides a bridge between each rotation.

Qualifications

We are seeking exceptional professionals with 2 to 5+ years of work experience, and a demonstrated long-term passion for our mission. Candidates who fit the following criteria are strongly encouraged to apply:

• At a minimum, a Bachelor’s degree is required for this position with strong demonstrated previous work experience.
• Functional flexibility – an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to hit the ground running and start adding value quickly upon taking up a new rotational role
• Geographic flexibility – at least in the first 12-18 months, the ability to relocate will be important as One Acre Fund has high-priority work across eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This includes willingness to live outside capital cities, close to our customers, as this is where most rotations will be based.
• Strong work experiences. Examples include a demanding professional work experience, or successful entrepreneurial experience (e.g. starting a field program in a developing country, leading a conference, starting a business, etc).
• Solid and growing analytical skills, including the ability to work with data and make informed judgments based on programmatic evidence
• The ideal candidate will have at least one year demonstrated experience working in the developing world, although this is not a strict requirement.
• Language: English required, French a plus in Rwanda and Burundi. Swahili-speakers are particularly encouraged to apply.