One Acre Fund

About One Acre Fund

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips 5.5 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive. Across nine countries that together are home to two-thirds of Africa's farmers, we provide high-quality farm supplies, tree seedlings, accessible credit, modern agronomic training, and a wide range of other agricultural services. On average, this model enables any farmer to increase their income and assets on supported land by more than 35 percent, while permanently improving their resilience. This is all made possible by our team of 9,000+ full-time staff, drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. To learn more, please see our Why Work Here blog post.

It is estimated that 1.1 million hectares of forest land are being lost each year in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This pattern of deforestation, which has significant implications for the region, is primarily attributed to small-scale farming practices. One Acre Fund is working to address the root causes of deforestation, linked to poverty and low agricultural yields, by giving smallholder farmers the tools they need to shift their agricultural activities away from forest land and help them obtain bigger and healthier harvests. We train farmers in agroforestry, support the set-up and scale up of farmer-led ventures, and operate along the seed value chain to ensure access to improved inputs for smallholder farmers.

About the Role

We are looking for an inspired Field Operations Lead to lead our program scale-up in Kongo Central. Over the next 3 years, we aim to expand exponentially, reaching more farmers with greater impact. The Field Operations Lead will ensure we hit these targets through planning, execution, and people management.

Responsibilities

Lead Program Scale & Execution

• Maintain critical deliverables for regional scale-up.
• Coordinate across support teams to ensure delivery of resources (staff, budget, materials).
• Oversee implementation of main field activities: expansion, enrollment, input distribution, farmer training, and impact delivery.

Build Field Teams

• Directly manage main field staff and ensure a pyramidal management structure.
• Design and improve staffing structures to enhance operational delivery and staff satisfaction.
• Develop career growth plans for team members and support succession planning.

Drive Process & Impact Improvements

• Implement cost-effective, scalable improvements.
• Expand the program's value to farmers through new products and services (e.g., tree planting).
• Improve operations to create greater dollar impact per farmer.

Budget & Risk Management

• Oversee a growing operational budget.
• Implement controls to mitigate fraud and manage material, incentive, and staff-related spend wisely.

People Management

• Supervise a range of leadership roles, including JL5–JL8 level managers.
• Ensure team alignment with strategic goals and One Acre Fund values.

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 degree in relevant field
• 3 to 5 years experience in team management
• Project management skills and can operate with autonomy.
• Leadership, with the ability to manage operation of large field teams.
• Data analysis expertise, for evidence-based decision-making.
• Experience working directly with or for farmers (frequent field visits required).
• Proficiency in French and English.
• A passion for people development and team success.
• Values alignment with OAF.

Decision-Making & Strategic Scope

• Policy and strategy decision-making authority
• Medium-to-high risk management responsibilities
• High impact and visibility across the DRC country program

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Contract Duration

1 Year

Eligibility

This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zambia, Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Application Deadline

09 September 2025. 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.

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