Program Rotation Manager at One Acre Fund

Locations: Burundi, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia
Location Type: Field
Career Level: Professionals
Preferred Start Date: As soon as possible
Duration: Full-time job
Team: Internal Consulting

Objective

• Take on a critical leadership role, collaborating with other executive leaders, to work on some of the most impactful and highest priority challenges facing the organization.

Job Description
As One Acre Fund evolves rapidly into a fully professionalized organization serving upwards of one million farmers, a crucial determinant of our success will be how flexibly the organization can respond to new challenges and fill gaps that would otherwise slow growth. We are seeking mid-career / leadership level candidates interested in a role designed to meet this strategic objective. The position is a way for world class management professionals to make immediate contributions to the highest-priority challenges facing the organization. In turn, the role offers superior professional growth by providing rapid exposure to the full breadth and depth of One Acre Fund’s functional leadership opportunities, preparing candidates for an eventual permanent executive leadership role in the organization.

Concretely speaking, a typical track would involve plugging into a progression of high-priority leadership roles, 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 management posts
• Subsequently: Permanently fill a role of particular interest for the candidate and priority for the organization

Program Rotation Managers/Directors will work closely with One Acre Fund’s leadership (especially the head of the internal consulting team) to collaboratively identify, prioritize, select, and scope rotations. Generally we will aim to do this with a fair amount of flexibility according to organizational need and the staffer’s goals. For example, rotations may be extended or truncated, or a rotational candidate may specialize within certain teams.

Examples of possible rotations include:

• Nigeria Country Director: Lead the promising Nigeria pilot into a phase of consolidation and growth and play a key role in shaping the future of the program in this high potential market. This person would also hire and mentor new staff to take on leadership roles in the coming years; set up systems and controls that can support rapid growth in the future; and ensure critical program metrics like adoption, impact and repayment remain strong year on year despite steady growth and changing market dynamics.
• New department standup: Rotation Managers can be tasked with developing new capacities for One Acre Fund, like standing up a new Global Field Operations team or organizing a global approach to a new impact stream like agroforestry.
• Program expansion: Lead a new program expansion, i.e. a new country or a new region, conducting initial pilot operations, recruitment, marketing, and setting up systems. Alternatively, launch a new business model or product offering in an existing market, like setting up an agrodealer operation.
• Department leadership: Shore up a mission-critical department during a period when it would benefit from enhanced strategic leadership. By definition this could include many One Acre Fund departments, but for illustrative examples consider our high-priority initiatives within Logistics and Field Operations.

We see the Program Rotation Manager/Director position as an opportunity to bolster One Acre Fund’s ranks of seasoned executives; staff who will be positioned to take on critical positions in the organization. Selected candidates will confront the full gamut of leadership challenges of a rapidly scaling social enterprise while receiving intensive professional development support from one of the organization’s senior leaders.

Career Growth and Development
A Program Rotation Manager will receive:

• An assigned mentor from One Acre Fund’s senior leadership who remains consistent from rotation to rotation in order to provide longer-term career growth and anchoring in the organization
• Projects that cut across geography and business units for a truly comprehensive work experience
• Challenging work assignments that target both critical organizational projects and your own leadership development goals

We have a strong organizational culture of constant learning and growth - put simply, we continually 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
We are seeking multiple exceptional professionals with exceptional professionals with 5+ years of relevant work experience and a demonstrated 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 initial rotations will be based.
• Demonstrated leadership experiences, enthusiasm for learning, and openness to feedback
• Track record of producing concrete business outcome at scale
• Experience managing large, cross-functional teams, especially sales, operational, and field teams
• Exceptional analytical skills, able to work with quantitative information, exercise judgment and make decisions in a context of uncertainty, and use data effectively to drive strategy
• Ability to build teams and collaborate with colleagues from diverse backgrounds
• Language: English required, French a plus in Rwanda and Burundi. Swahili-speakers are particularly encouraged to apply.

Compensation/Benefits
Commensurate with experience

Benefits:

• Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Sponsor International Candidates:

• No; Africans are strongly encouraged to apply.