Burundi Field Operations Associate
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Field Operations Department supports the implementation of the program of One Acre Fund in the field through a team that reaches hundreds of field agents. These agents are in close contact with farmers and provide them with the main services offered by Tubura, such as training, credit management and the organization of the access to products. As a Program Associate, you will have the opportunity to learn from field operations and to help improve our program. The position includes two elements; operations management and scale innovation.
Operations:
The staff focuses on farmer-facing services. They start as generalists, with overall responsibility for executing our program in a region. Over time, they can continue to rise as a general leader, possibly growing to manage an entire country’s field operation. Or they may specialize, for example, in the creation and roll-out of training.
The staff builds the infrastructure required for growth. These teams proactively eliminate barriers to scale in a diverse range of areas – processing millions of farmer payments, communicating to farmers via tens of millions of SMS, hiring hundreds of new staff per year, and physically moving 20,000+ tons of farm inputs to thousands of drop sites. Program Associates also make steady improvements to accelerate growth – for example, setting up mobile money integration for a country.
Scale innovation:
Improve our core agricultural products or run new experiments in energy and health products. The ideas they discover may eventually scale to hundreds of thousands of households. Product Innovations staff design trials, execute trials together with thousands of farmers, synthesize trial data, and make constant revisions to the product offering.
Seek to improve our core operating model. By running trials with tens of thousands of farmers, they analyze targeted questions such as: does moving from a group liability loan to an individual liability loan improve repayment and customer satisfaction? Or they might investigate more radical ideas, such as setting up physical One Acre Fund shops to see if there are more efficient ways to deliver high-quality service to farmers. They try variations on our program with the goal of improving our scalability, impact, and financial sustainability.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Understanding and solving problems: observing field operations, meeting with leaders of our field staff, running surveys, conducting desk research, analyzing KPIs, etc. Then creating simple and lasting solutions to complex problems.
Planning and executing large projects: identifying clear goals, creating project calendars, designing workflows, creating field tools and talking points, designing incentive systems and understanding stakeholders, following up and monitoring project execution in the field, etc.
Building teams: hiring staff using One Acre Fund’s unique “experiential hiring” system, mentoring key deputies, and steadily handing off responsibility to your team as you build it.
Communicating with other teams: working in coordination with One Acre Fund’s other teams on the ground to execute a smooth customer experience in the simplest way possible.
One Acre Fund-Burundi has deep operational experience running rural field programs with a large full-time staff. Program Associates benefit from this past experience, quickly building their skill-set through immersion in our operating environment. At the same time, the main role of Program Associates is to accelerate growth and to constantly stretch and improve our operations. This presents an excellent career opportunity to both learn from One Acre Fund’s accumulated experience and constantly improve the program growth per year.
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.
REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS
We are seeking professionals with 2+ years of work experience, and a demonstrated long-term passion for our mission. Candidates who fit the following criteria are strongly encouraged to apply:
Must hold a Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree considered a plus
Mastering the Microsoft Office standard suite (Excel, Word, Powerpoint) highly preferred.
Experience launching and managing trials, including data management and analysis, is preferred.
Leadership experience at work, or outside of work.
A willingness to commit to living in rural areas of East Africa for at least two years – this is a long-term, career-track role.
The ideal candidate will have at least one year demonstrated experience working in the developing world or will be from one of our countries of operation.
Language: English (required). French (highly recommended for Burundi placement). Kirundi (desirable).
Burundians are highly encouraged to apply, but the position is also open to other candidates.
Ability to set goals and reach them
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively
Ability to solve problems independently
Ability to manage work and develop others
Autonomous, honest and humble
Structured and very attentive to details
Passion to serve Burundian farmers
PREFERRED START DATE
As soon as possible. The application is continuous but candidates would preferably submit their applications as soon as possible.
COMPENSATION
Commensurate with experience
BENEFITS
Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits
SPONSOR INTERNATIONAL CANDIDATES
Yes. Burundian candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
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.
Note: The Job posting has no deadline. Position is open until the vacancy has been filled.
Tagged as: Burundi, One Acre Fund, Operations
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