Chief of Staff to the Managing Director

About One Acre Fund

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund directly supplies 1.5 million smallholder farmers with the agricultural services they need to make their farms vastly more productive and resilient. Our 8,000+ team is drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. With operations across nine 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 generate 40 percent more profits and assets on land enrolled.

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

About the Role

One Acre Fund is looking for a management professional to work alongside and eventually grow into the U.S. Managing Director's role, with primary responsibility for U.S. fundraising / partnerships, US / Europe office leadership, management of the organization's governing boards, and thought leadership. This role affords a truly unparalleled window into the leadership and management of one of the planet's fastest-growing and highest-impact nonprofits, with the ability to play a central role in the achievement of One Acre Fund's 2030 goals to deliver $1Bn in new profits and assets annually to 10 million farmers and their families.

Responsibilities

• Strategy, partnerships, and fundraising. Increasingly, One Acre Fund's funding arrangements are strategic partnerships with the world's major institutional and high-net-worth funders, crafted around goals that align with One Acre Fund's long-term strategy. You will help to source, design, and implement these strategic funding agreements. This includes grant origination (partnering with the Managing Director to source and convert a pipeline of high-value donors, with a primary focus on North American foundation, corporate, and high-net-worth donors) and grant stewardship (co-managing existing donor relationships). The Chief of Staff must speak the language of business, present with confidence, and be a consummate relationship and partnership builder.
• Board management: You will work closely with the Office of the CEO and Board Chair to manage One Acre Fund’s Global Governing Board and two European Boards, which are comprised of some of the most experienced and respected leaders in the private and social sector. You will set strategic meeting agendas, oversee materials development, and manage board recruitment.
• Office leadership: You will have primary responsibility for the satisfaction, professional development, culture, and retention of One Acre Fund's ~50 staff located across the U.S. and Europe
• Thought leadership / spokesperson for farmers. One Acre Fund contributes at the very highest levels to global dialogues on topics such as hunger, climate change, women's economic empowerment, scaling social enterprises, and social return on investment. You will be a spokesperson for our organization, presenting at conferences, leading case study discussions, writing blogs and white papers for top publications, etc.
• Team development. You will supervise and develop at least two individuals across the responsibilities above, and over time you will hire and manage a larger team to create an Office of the Managing Director.

Career Growth and Development

We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You will 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 will 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:

• Seeking a long-term career. This role is intended to grow into the organization's Managing Director. We are therefore seeking candidates prepared to make a many-year commitment to the farmers we serve.
• Minimum 8+ years of relevant professional experience. Management consultants (especially with a concentration in the social sector) are especially encouraged to apply. Other relevant experiences include leadership of a globally-focused social enterprise or nonprofit, grant or debt-raising for the same, impact investing or philanthropy in the global development sector, and work experience of any kind in Africa and/or in agriculture.
• Graduate degree in a relevant field; MBA or MPA/MPP
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, especially managing a large scope with high attention to detail
• Strong technical skills in areas of finance/accounting, financial modeling, and powerpoint presentations
• Charismatic, but humble communicator.
• Ability to travel. You will have 40-60 nights per year of travel, roughly evenly split between domestic and international. Specific dates of travel are flexible.
• Genuine commitment to rural communities. You are passionate about providing opportunity to the hardest-working farmers on the planet.
• Language: English
• Candidates with heritage or work experience in Africa strongly encouraged to apply

Job Location

US East Coast major city

Benefits

Health insurance, 401K with retirement bonus, child benefit, generous leave, and more

Eligibility

This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of the United States of America