Ethiopia Program Innovation Lead

About One Acre Fund

One Acre Fund works to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. In Ethiopia, we engage farmers in agroforestry and community-based seed multiplication to increase farmers' incomes and improve farming systems. Engaging with local actors at every step but bringing ideas from outside, we are making rural farming more market-friendly and environmentally sustainable. Our Ethiopian partner farmers have planted more than 45 million trees, produced over 2000 MT of improved teff seed and improved the futures of hundreds of thousands of their neighbours. In Ethiopia alone, our permanent team numbers over 150 with nearly 1000 rural seasonal staff supporting them. Our Ethiopia headquarters are in Addis Ababa and we have a large program office in Bahir Dar, plus several smaller field offices.

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

About the Role

The Ethiopia program is poised to serve over 230,000 farmers in 2023, growing 20 million trees and scaling the seed multiplication program. By 2025, we aim to serve 500,000 farmers and plant 100 million trees.

The Program Innovation Lead will be an essential part of our Agroforestry team, tasked with driving innovations in our Agroforestry Program to achieve these ambitious targets. You will report directly to the Deputy Country Director, and you will manage 2-4 technical agroforestry professionals and their field teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead short- and long-term strategic initiatives to support the Agroforestry Program achieve its annual and long-term goals.

• Initiate, pitch and lead the design and execution of trials and research projects for innovations in our Agroforestry program that have the potential to either increase program impact or reduce program costs.

  • Identify and pilot new products (e.g. new tree species) and/or business models which could (i) generate revenue for One Acre Fund farmers and/or (ii) have positive environmental effects.

  • Initiate, test and promote program improvements that help women benefit more from our agroforestry programs.

  • Lead and evaluate survey designs, and methodology and thoroughly review analysis results and provide actionable recommendations to the Leadership.

• Lead cost and program impact modelling to support your program design recommendations.

• Manage product scale-up of promising innovations and practices once proof-of-concept has been achieved. 

  • Collaborate with the Operations and Training Leads on product scale-up protocols.

  • Research and evaluate proper tree species seed management and quality control protocols for the species that will be scaled up in the Agroforestry Program, and participate in technical vendor selection panels.

• Produce high-quality reports and communication to One Acre Fund leadership based on the various research and trials your department carried out.

• Lead your team members’ development through coaching, delegation and regular performance evaluations.

• Lead department annual budgeting, cash forecast and monthly spending reporting using One Acre Fund's online tools.

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:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field (e.g. Economics, Finance, Natural Resource Management, Forestry, etc.); master's degree an added advantage.  

• 5+ years of professional work experience.

• Experience designing, conducting and managing research initiatives to identify customer needs and new products.

• Experience analysing and synthesizing quantitative and qualitative data, and communicating evidence-based recommendations with relevant stakeholders.

• Experience in direct management of at least 1 person.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office or Google software applications.

• A strong interest in agriculture, rural development and agroforestry is a must. Previous experience in these fields is an added advantage.

Preferred Start Date

April/May 2023

Job Location

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with field travel

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Eligibility

This role is open to Ethiopian citizens, permanent residents, and origin cardholders.

Application Deadline

04 May 2023

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 (globalhotline@oneacrefund.org), 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, colour, 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.