One Acre Fund Job Vacancy in Kenya : Strategy and Research Director

One Acre Fund Job Vacancy in Kenya : Strategy and Research Director
February 26, 2015 Job Description

We are seeking a structured, strategic consulting manager for our Internal Consulting Team, based in Nairobi. This team improves internal operations and sharpens organizational strategy through rigorous research and analysis. Their projects directly shape the rapid growth of our start-up organization.

Projects generally fit into four categories:
Operational Improvement projects aim to make us more efficient and effective. For instance, analyzing farmer repayment data then devising novel strategies to increase repayment.
Strategic Growth projects critically evaluate and refine One Acre Fund’s growth strategy. For instance, determining which districts or new countries make sense for future expansion.
Flexible deploymentallows the team to support other functions within the organization. Internal Consulting Team staff have provided short-term support to Finance, Business Development, and Product Innovations on important projects.
New impact explorationprojects challenge us to explore novel ways that One Acre Fund can support smallholder farmers. For instance, research and trials in Ethiopia helped establish a new Government Services unit within One Acre Fund that now partners and collaborates with governments.



Project work in all categories is fast-paced, with a heavy emphasis upon analysis and research. Projects are conducted for all internal functions (e.g., Finance, Operations, Innovations) and impact all countries of operation (Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and pilot countries).



Our new Strategy & Research Director should, ideally, be a current consulting manager who can manage and lead the 10-person team that conducts this work. This involves:
Structuring & Scoping Projects: You will need to define project objectives, visualize the final work product, and direct team members to efficient execution.
Managing project work:At any point in time, the team may be working on 20 – 40 different projects, big and small. Your responsibility is to guide these to useful output and results, zooming in as needed.
Team leadership: Support, motivate, and guide the team in their efforts to serve famers in East Africa. Provide professional development to staff members on an on-going basis to improve the overall performance of the department.
Building a project pipeline: Internal clients at One Acre Fund will regularly submit projects for execution, however you will also need to originate and ‘sell’ project work.

Desired Skills and Experience


Qualifications

We are seeking an exceptional professional with 6+ years of work experience conducting analysis and research, managing client relationships, developing organizational strategy, and leading teams. Experience in entrepreneurial or unstructured environments is a plus.



We are looking for truly extraordinary candidates who will help take this team and the organization to the next levels of impact and scale. This is a competitive posting for a career-track role with minimum initial commitment of two years. Candidates who fit the following criteria are strongly encouraged to apply:
Strong, relevant work experiences: a former consultant manager would be ideal, but this is not a strict requirement.
Strong professional leadership experience with consulting-style project work
Minimum 1 year experience working and living in developing countries
Professional/technical skills: advanced proficiency in PowerPoint and Excel. Experience with other professional programs is a plus (e.g., Access, R).
Humility. We are looking for passionate professionals who combine strong leadership skills with good humor, patience, and a humble approach to service
A willingness to commit to living in East Africa for at least two years – this is a long–term, career–track role. The ideal candidate will have had experience working in the developing world, although this is not required.
Language: English required; French is a bonus



Career Growth and Development

One Acre Fund invests in building management and leadership skills. Your manager will invest significant time in your career development. We provide constant, actionable feedback delivered through mentorship and through regular management consulting-style career reviews. We also have regular one-on-one meetings, where we listen to and discuss career goals, and work collaboratively to craft roles that each person can be passionate about. Because of our rapid growth, we constantly have new high-level roles opening up and opportunities in many functions. This results in fast career growth for our staff.

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible



Compensation

This is a career–track role with fast raises for performance, paying a meaningful salary for long–term placement in developing nations

Benefits

Health insurance, immunizations, flight, room and board.

Sponsor International Candidates

Yes

How to Apply

Submit your CV and Application online : Click Here