Rwanda Multigrain Seed Adoption Senior Specialist (Fixed-Term)

About One Acre Fund

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund supplies 1 million smallholder farmers with the agricultural services they need to make their farms vastly more productive. Our 8,000+ team is drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. With operations across six core 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 harvest 50 percent more food after working with One Acre Fund. 

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

About the Role

You will help create and strengthen the connection between farmers, seed companies, and market outlets. You will need to catalyze and  promoting the adoption of improved seeds, beyond maize, while ensuring the sustained utilization of the Multigrain Seed Processing (MSP) facility. You will focus on cultivating relationships between seed companies and offtakes or  farmers, and establishing reliable market linkages for diverse crops, including beans, soybeans, wheat, sorghum, rice, peanuts... By creating a sustainable and predictable seed supply chain and market ecosystem, you will ensure that both all resources are used to meet the evolving needs of farmers and the market, enhancing agricultural productivity and food security.

You will report to the Multigrain Seed Processing Operations Senior Lead

Responsibilities

• Strategic Development for Multigrain Seed Adoption
• • Analyze Adoption Barriers: Conduct in-depth research to identify all the barriers to Multigrain seed adoption (financial, cultural, logistical etc…) and craft tailored solutions to overcome them.
  • Design Seed Adoption Strategies: Develop high-level strategies to increase the adoption of multigrain seeds among farmers, focusing on behavioural change, financial incentives, and market dynamics, and those that encourage seed companies to use the MSP plant’s services for processing multigrain seeds
  • Lead Policy and Advocacy Efforts: Collaborate with government and regulatory bodies to create policies that support seed adoption and create an enabling environment for improved seed usage.
  • Stakeholder alignment: Engage with senior leadership from seed companies, cooperatives, and agricultural NGOs to align strategies and ensure joint efforts toward widespread adoption and Build and sustain relationships with seed companies, positioning MSP’s value proposition
  • Oversee Adoption Campaigns: Provide strategic guidance to teams on the design and execution of campaigns that create farmer awareness and participation in using certified seeds.
  • Monitor and Evaluate Adoption Impact: Establish KPIs and metrics to evaluate the success of seed adoption initiatives and refine strategies based on performance data.
• High-Level Market Linkage Development
  • Develop and implement Market Expansion Strategies: You will implement strategies to create and expand new market channels for multigrain crops, including local, regional, and international markets.
  • Forge Strategic Partnerships with Buyers: you will maintain relationships with large-scale buyers, processors, and agro-dealers to secure long-term, premium markets for farmers' produce.
  • Policy Influence for Market Stability: Advocate for agricultural policies that promote price stability and market access for multigrain crops, ensuring more predictable demand and pricing structures.

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 (with 5+ years experience) or Masters degree (with 3+ years of experience) in: Agri-Business Management, Business Administration or Management, Public Policy or International Relations, Communication and Marketing, International and/ Rular (Sustainable) development
• 3+ years of experience working in agriculture development, market linkage, or seed adoption programs in multigrain crops.
• Strong understanding of seed systems and/ or agricultiure value chains, particularly in multigrain crops like beans, soybeans, wheat, sorghum, and rice.
• Proven track record in farmer training and extension services.
• Experience in market research and establishing market linkages for agricultural products.
• Ability to and work with diverse stakeholders (farmers, cooperatives, agro-dealers, seed companies, NGOs).
• Analytics with the ability to assess market trends, forecast supply and demand, and develop strategies to address market imbalances.
• Project management skills, initiatives, track progress, and report on outcomes.
• Flexibility to travel to rural areas and conduct field visits as needed.
• Good command of both written and verbal (preferably English and French)
• Expertise in managing large-scale, multiple partner projects with complex logistics and multiple moving parts.
• Knowledge of government agricultural plans, policies and regulations

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Kigali, Rwanda with 30% travel to field

Benefits

Health insurance, paid time off 

Contract Duration

2 years

Eligibility

This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Rwanda

Application Deadline

01 December 2024. Please note that we hire on a rolling basis which means that applications are reviewed and processed on a continuous basis until a hire is made.

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, color, 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.