Latest Vacancies at One Acre Fund

Location: Minna, Niger
Start Date: As soon as possible

About the Role

• As a growing organization, we are constantly improving our internal operational processes. We are looking for an impact evaluator or field research professional to join our team as a MEL Associate in Minna, Nigeria.
• Overall, the MEL Associate will use data to improve our operations and impact our customers.
• You will use data to improve our operations, develop a deputy, and coordinate our research activities across multiple programs and teams.
• You will contribute to making informed decisions for our long-term strategy by working with leadership and the MEL team in Nigeria.
• The MEL department at One Acre Fund operates as an in-house research department and the results are used first and foremost to inform program decisions and to rigorously understand the impact.

Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities for this role would include:

• Data Analysis
• Oversee data collection through qualitative and quantitative methods and ensure efficient data collection and results.
• Conduct data analysis and write reports to draw both early and final conclusions and results.
• Infield management of high-level MEL activities, with an eye to "perfect" quality standards.
• Survey Management
• You will work with different team members, both from in-country departments and global OAF teams, to identify research goals and draft survey tools to collect information for our annual impact analysis and other strategic queries.
• Design research tools such as surveys and write analysis plans.
• You will lead MEL system and process development, create a framework, and draft procedures for MEL project activities.
• Work with the field teams to ensure MEL results and recommendations are understood and acted upon.
• People Management
• Manage in-country MEL staff including Data Coordinator and Field Supervisors which support a team of 20+ Enumerators. This will include the following responsibilities:
• Mentor field staff on best practices in MEL execution through career reviews, field visits, meetings, and training programs.
• Oversee the hiring and development of MEL staff by building capacity for data collection, analysis, and design.
• Manage any staff underperformance.
• Potentially support the New Country Expansion (NCE) Team to enter a new market, expanding our geographic footprint and increasing Impact at 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:

• Master's Degree in International Relations, Public Policy, Statistics, Economics or related field preferred, but not strictly required.
• 1- 5+ years of work experience, and a long-term passion for international development. We are looking for extraordinary candidates to help take our organization to the next levels of impact.
• Relevant work experiences, such as prior field-based M&E or data collection/research experience
• Data analysis skills using Excel (can perform complex functions), familiarity with R/Stata or other similar soft wares)
• Ability to synthesize large amounts of data and distil down to findings.
• Team leadership experience.
• Enthusiasm for personal growth and learning.
• Languages: English (required), Hausa an added advantage.

Eligibility:

• This role is only open to citizens of Nigeria.
• Women are encouraged to apply
• We are committed to gender equity in our staff operations, representation, and experience.
• In 2020, women made up 40% of our clients and 44% of our total staff. We have and will continue to intentionally grow these numbers."

Benefits

• Modest housing stipend, international health insurance, six weeks of annual leave and some travel benefits.
• In addition to paid maternity and paternity leave, we offer additional benefits to new parents.

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Location: Minna, Niger
Preferred Start Date: As soon as possible

About the Role

• One Acre Fund in Nigeria is growing, increasing the number of clients we serve each year and trialing innovations to boost our impact on farmers each year. We often work in remote environments where local dynamics may affect our ability to serve farmers well.
• We believe that linking our farmers to markets is one of the most important actions we can take to unlock profitability for our clients, promote the use of good agricultural practices and create employment within the value chain in general.
• In your role as the Commercialization Specialist, you will work with the Field Operations Lead and other departments in designing, piloting, evaluating and scaling up projects aimed at improving access to markets and cash crops for farmers.
• You will support strategy development of new services to sustainably improve our impact per farmer, while building a team, together with expertise and capabilities.

Responsibilities
Lead Strategy:

• With support of the Field Operations Lead, you will gather evidence and develop a multi-year roadmap detailing the integration of new crops and interventions to target.
• You will conduct primary and secondary research, data analysis on agronomy, value chains, market structures, potential fit within existing One Acre Fund activities for multiple crops and processed products
• You will create recommendations on best bets and possible pathways, and set up feedback loops with country leadership and other internal important partners to ensure agreement
• You will design and conduct pilots to try out new concepts in field conditions, and set up evaluation and learning to improve commercialization activities
• You will develop market access interventions or models for multiple agricultural products (Maize, Groundnut) across multiple states.
• You will conduct background studies, operational and financial estimates and create an impact model for the proposed interventions.
• You will collect data on grains, sales/volumes etc.to analyze markets and market opportunities, be knowledgeable about existing and potential market conditions.
• You will implement a technological innovation for monitoring and evaluation of the commercialization processes.

Lead Execution:

• You will coordinate grain purchases from thousands of smallholder farmers across multiple states.
• You will organize a seamless arrangement with off-takers to guarantee the smallholder farmers the best possible income and impact.
• You will train farmers on proper post-harvest handling, grain quality standards, and warehouse systems process.
• You will support other field operations' projects such as farmers' enrollment and compliance
• You will design Indicators and ensure targets are met

Relationship / Leadership:

• You will manage relationships with important partners to the success of commercialization projects.
• You will create strategy plans in collaboration with other departments, and gather feedback and build agreement from partners and field team members at all stages of the process
• You will support leaders across One Acre Fund in preparing for commercialization, e.g. by writing talking points to farmers
• You will coordinate with partners and buyers, such as the largest mobile money service provider in Nigeria, to ensure farmers are provided with the best service and opportunities
• You will initiate and manage collaborative projects with external partners, which includes drafting MoUs, periodic reporting and ensuring OAF policies are followed in all communication
• You may directly or indirectly manage staff and partners involved in projects, and the activities of the field staff involved in the market access projects.

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
For this role specifically, you will have:

• Educational background; Bachelor's Degree in Agribusiness Management, Business Administration, Environmental Economics and any related field.
• 4+ years of relevant work experience in a business setting involving sourcing, transformation and sales of agricultural produce
• Data analysis fluency
• Experience with design of multiple services targeting smallholder farmers
• Leadership experience at work, or outside of work, and enthusiasm for learning.
• Passion for team building and collaboration with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and through multiple media including remote work
• A willingness to commit to living in remote locations
• Women are encouraged to apply

Eligibility

• This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Nigeria. 

Perks

• The opportunity to expand into new focus areas or teams through an Internal Transfer Program
• Professional development opportunities including personalized trainings/ learning programs
• Connect and collaborate with engaging colleagues from diverse backgrounds
• Opportunity to build a diverse portfolio, working across innovation projects and specialist teams.

Benefits

• Health insurance, paid time off