Project Specialist – Agriculture Innovations – Jinja – One Acre Fund

About US:
Two thirds of Uganda’s population are poor farmers. One Acre Fund believes that the solution to ending poverty in Uganda lies in unlocking the potential of smallholder farmers. We offer our farmers financing, training, agricultural inputs, insurance, and market access so they can grow bigger harvests, increase their incomes and build better lives for themselves and their families. Our program is sustainable, scalable, and impactful – in 2014, One Acre Fund farmers harvested 300% more than control farmers.

One Acre Fund is an international organization, and we are growing quickly. In 2006, we began with 40 farmers in Kenya. Today, we serve nearly 300,000 farm families and employ over 2,000 full-time field staff in seven countries across East Africa. Product Innovations is one of the core pillars of One Acre Fund’s work continuously experimenting products and ideas to deliver highest impact to the smallholders.

Job Summary: The Project Specialist, Agriculture Innovations will steer the process of experimenting products and ideas to deliver highest impact to the smallholders.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:
· The incumbent will manage Agriculture Innovation Teams – Supervise a team of 15+ field staff at various levels, providing regular mentorship and monitoring performance;
· Manage Farmers Trainings – Preparation of training materials, on topics ranging from land management, crop cultivation and pre and post-harvest activities;
· Lead Agricultural Trials – Design and execute nursery and field trials for achieving a high-impact products for farmers;
· Data Analysis – the incumbent will take charge of the Innovations Database for trials and perform data analysis for report generation using SPSS, SAS, STATA or R.
· Liaise with Govt. Institutions – Build networks with public and private institutions to avail new germplasm for future experimental trials.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
· The ideal candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Related Field – Strong undergraduate background at top East African university or international university. Degrees in agriculture, agriculture economics, or related fields preferred.
· At least two to five years’ experience including project management, team management, or entrepreneurial experiences. Candidates with a background in agriculture, agriculture economics or related preferred.
· The ideal candidate for this position should be an ambitious young professional who is motivated by a passion to help poor Ugandans escape poverty and build better lives for their families.
· Analytical thinking with the ability to use data to make decisions, and capability to lead a large team.
· Hands-on approach with the ability to get your boots muddy if that’s what’s required to get the job done.
· Strong Leadership Skills – We are looking for candidates with demonstrated leadership experience at work, or outside of work. Examples of demonstrated leadership experience include managing a team or starting a business.
· Humility & Positive Attitude – We are looking for passionate professionals who combine strong leadership skills with good humor, patience, and a humble approach to service to join our growing family of leaders.
· Good computer literacy skills – Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint and statistics packages like SPSS, SAS, STATA or R.
· Rural Fit – A willingness to commit to living in rural areas of Uganda for at least two years.
· Language – English required. Knowledge of Luganda, Lusoga or other Ugandan languages strongly preferred.
· Ugandan national – This job is for Ugandan nationals exclusively.

Job Benefits: Housing, transportation, and airtime allowance.

How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested candidates are encouraged to Email their updated CVs and cover letters to ugandajobs@oneacrefund.org with “Project Specialist, Agriculture Innovations” and Your Name in the subject line of the email.