Senior Manager, Partnerships and Government Relations

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

The role of the external relations team is to establish a close collaboration between the partners of One Acre Fund, including the government of Burundi, the private sector and international institutions, to jointly achieve our common goals in the agricultural sector. We also ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and policies in Burundi.

Specifically, the department is made up of two units: a Government Relations and Communications unit, and a compliance unit. These departments work together to manage the reputation of the organization in Burundi among various target partners.

Your role as Government Relations Senior Manager will be to set the vision for the department, and work with your direct reports (the Government Relations Lead and the Compliance Lead) to develop the goals and strategy to make that vision a reality. You would represent the CD to Government officials at the highest level to further increase access to leadership as we scale. You would manage a team of nine staff members.

Over time, the role may evolve to include involvement in internal communications and strategic planning, where the person who fills it would help the leadership team navigate the increasing complexity of the program as we scale by 1) maximizing the support of the Government Relations (GR) Department to other departments in the program, and 2) leading the annual strategy and goals process with the guidance of the leadership team.

Responsibilities

• Vision Setting. You will set the vision for the department, working with the two department leads to develop strategies to achieve this vision.
• Policy and Advocacy. You will build long-term strategies for policy and advocacy projects, including new, creative partnerships with the government and the private sector.
• Partnerships and Champion Oversight. You will develop partnership and champion strategies with your direct reports to ensure the health of our relationship with the Government of Burundi and other important external partners.
• Communications Oversight. You will develop an internal communications strategy with the GR and Communications lead.
• Compliance Oversight. Oversee and help implement a new procurement system with the Government of Burundi that allows us to access inputs and other products.
• Representation. You will represent the Country Director at Government strategy and planning meetings whenever necessary. Working with the Government/Communications lead, follow-up on essential partnerships and early stage opportunities.

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:

• Hold a Master's/Bachelor's degree in communication, international relations and other related fields. A Master's degree would be a plus.
• 8+ years of experience in total, 5+ years of experience in senior management roles that required significant coordination, communications and external partner engagement experience.
• Experience in communication and advocacy: we are looking for a person able to eloquently and intelligently represent and advocate for our program, and has the negotiation skills to advocate on our behalf.
• Experience working with the public sector including government institutions, research institutes or other public agencies focused on agriculture and rural development in Africa.
• You have powerful collaboration skills and are proficient at understanding motivations of different groups and teams and you support them to work together.
• A passion for One Acre Fund's program and the desire to promote our mission based on a genuine and commitment to serving farmers.
• Languages: French and English

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Nairobi with frequent travel to Burundi.

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Eligibility

One Acre Fund can support a work permit for this role. However, nationals of (or those with an extensive professional background and work history in) our countries of operation are preferred.

Application Deadline

30 June 2022

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.

Once a month, you'll receive a roundup of our latest news and job opportunities. 

Help us personalize your experience by telling us a little about yourself.