ABOUT ONE ACRE FUND

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund supplies 1 million smallholder farmers with the agricultural services they need to make their farms vastly more productive. Our 8,000+ team is drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. With operations across six core countries in Africa, we make farmers more prosperous by providing quality farm supplies on credit, delivered within walking distance of farmers’ homes, and agricultural training to improve harvests. On average, the farmers we serve harvest 50 percent more food after working with One Acre Fund.

To learn more about our work, take a look at our Why Work Here blog for more information.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Commercialization and Agriculture Department’s (CAG) purpose is to bridge the existing gaps between smallholder farmers and large-scale offtakers. The department aims to increase farmer incomes by piloting multiple market access programs, and subsequently scaling those with promising results.

The Horticulture Systems and Venture Building Associate reports to the Market Access Associate and layers the ground work, and operationalizing our initiatives in cold-chain development and horticultural certification. The CAG department is poised to invest in developing cold-chain logistics and infrastructure for the movement and storage of our horticultural products. You will develop strategic and investment options of cold-chain logistics from farm-gate to sea-freight, and subsequently implement the selected strategy. Such strategies should consider internal needs of the department and potential third party revenues. Furthermore, you will be responsible for researching, developing, piloting and scaling our systems of horticultural certification initiatives, including the hiring and development of our internal certification team.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Cold-chain strategy development

Develop cold room business model options
Develop models for scale for internal and external use
Conduct market analysis
Develop business model
Make strategic recommendations on best approach
Packhouse business development
Assure alignment with required certifications and quality criteria
Conduct market analysis
Develop business model for packhouse revenue
Farm-gate to sea-freight logistics
Establish farm-level and district-level cooling needs at scale
Research creative solutions to farm and district level cooling
Research options for container shipments by sea ports
Develop whole cold-chain value model
Certification Development

Put together complete requirements for certifications (Global GAP, Organic, Fair Trade, SMETA, HACCP, etc)
Design quality and risk management systems
Understand requirements
Develop centralized processes for cold room storage and packhouse
Develop processes for farmers
Integrate systems to available software and internalize to OAF
Research best available tools for building systems at scale
Build workflows for field level execution
Hire and train internal auditing team
If required, partner with external consultant to support in audit team development
Training
Create and conduct HQ level training
Create and conduct ToT farm level training
Research and hire certification bodies for external audits
Develop and run certification trials
Create work plans and budgets for scale
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:

At least 4 years experience in postharvest cold chain operations
Experience in project management: from design, to milestone tracking
Understanding of global food standards in supply chains
At least 2 years of people and project management experience focused on strategy or trial execution. Someone able to full own projects, and really guide projects forward independently
Strong business acumen, able to develop business plans, financial models and conducting market analysis
Ability to conduct research via multiple sources including third party outreach and a keen sense for detail
Logical thinker and comfortable with analysis. We require someone who can consider multiple complex factors in making decisions
Experienced team leader, can train and developing small teams.
Experience or qualifications in food quality and safety.
A background in agriculture
Fluency in English is required. Fluency in Kinyarwanda is not required, but an added advantage.
PREFERRED START DATE

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, start dates can vary significantly by role. We are adapting rapidly to Covid-19 and most of our team is now working remotely. Given the changing environment, we will appreciate your flexibility in confirming a start date.

JOB LOCATION

Kigali, Rwanda

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.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

27 July 2022

One Acre Fund never asks candidates to pay any money or pay for tests at any stage of the interview process. Official One Acre Fund emails will always arrive from an @oneacrefund.org address. Please report any suspicious communication here ([email protected]), but do not send applications or application materials to this email address.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), and anti-racism are deeply connected to our organization’s mission and purpose. One Acre Fund aspires to build a culture where all staff feel consistently valued, represented, and connected – so that our team can thrive as professionals, and achieve exceptional impact for the farmers we serve.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.