Rwanda Seed Business Entrepreneur

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, our farmers 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

• We're looking for a Rwandan Entrepreneur who can lead our fledgling seed business venture into an established seed company
• Your work will serve millions of farmers and create them billions of Rwandan francs of additional income in the next 5 years
• You will directly contribute to the Government of Rwanda's vision to create a privatized domestic seed production industry
• We are looking for a candidate who is willing to make it their life's mission to create the best quality seed for farmers and navigate any challenge this work throws at them with patience, positivity, and passion
• You will bring a wealth of experience and ambition from leading business ventures, working with complex and diverse team members, and a deep understanding of the Rwandan market and political landscape
• You will report to the Impact Ventures Director, manage a team of seed production, processing, and leadership experts and work with a vast range of departments across the organization including government relations, business development, finance, HR, logistics, and global sourcing

Responsibilities

• Guide the vision of our seed company and ensure its success:
• Build a vision of our place in the Rwandan seed market through gaining knowledge of the market and our clients
• Build a great team and hire for resources gaps
• Enhance our seed processing/production capacity to 5,000 MT of hybrid maize by 2023
• Lead an investment in the potato and bean seed markets
• Source funding to grow the venture
• Create or deepen partnerships to accelerate the success and outputs of the business
• Lead the vision and continued development of a seed product pipeline
• Create an export market for our seed within 3 years
• Set our long-term strategy and the short-term goals required to achieve this strategy
• Lead our existing seed production partnerships between a local seed production company and an international seed company
• Deepen our relationship with the Government of Rwanda and the associate regulatory bodies to advocate for the seed industry and promote policy and regulatory change to support its success
• Manage a team of experts with diverse backgrounds and skills
• Ensure the financial sustainability of the business

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:

• Experienced entrepreneur - successful business start-up and leadership in Rwanda or Africa
• Obsession/Passion for getting the highest quality products to customers in this case seed to farmers (this role will be a lot of work and we need someone intrinsically motivated to make it successful)
• This is a high-pressure position with a very high risk/reward. We need someone who will make it their life's mission to make this successful.
• Experience managing complex external partners to achieve results
• Someone who can translate technical information into understandable internal and external communications
• Experience with the Rwandan public and private sectors
• People management skills - you will manage a large team with multiple areas of expertise including seed production, seed processing, mechanical engineering, finance, and procurement.
• Fluency in reviewing financial reporting, accounting, and projections
• Awareness/working knowledge of the Rwandan legal system and labor laws
• Knowledge or background in the agricultural sector/industry would highly be regarded
• Kinyarwanda and English fluency is a must-have

Preferred Start Date

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, start dates can vary significantly by role. We are adapting rapidly to Covid-19 and most of our team is now working remotely. Given the changing environment, we will appreciate your flexibility in confirming a start date.

Job Location

Kigali, Rwanda

BENEFITS

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Sponsor International Candidates

No; Must have existing rights to work in Rwanda. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE

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.

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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