Nigeria Rural Retail Associate

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

One Acre Fund Nigeria is expanding the way that it serves farmers, providing them with multiple access points, payment options, and training channels, with the end vision to improve customer experience and increase the number of farmers we serve. We are looking for someone to lead the development and innovation of our rural retail business.

As the Rural Retail Associate, you will report to the Systems Lead. You will support departments in designing, piloting, evaluating and scaling up rural retail high-level projects aimed at improving access to markets, cash crops for farmers. You will design strategy of rural retail outlets and develop services to sustainably improve our impact per farmer, while building a team, together with expertise and capabilities.

Responsibilities

Lead Growth and Strategy

• You will gather evidence and develop a multi-year roadmap detailing the high-level strategy, interventions to target, input sales and customer service strategy. Set growth and sales strategy and targets
• Create recommendations on best bets and possible pathways, and set up feedback loops with country leadership and other internal important partners to ensure support
• Design and conduct pilots to try out new concepts, and set up evaluation and learning to improve rural retail activities
• Lead retail distribution projects
• You will conduct background studies, operational and financial estimates and create an impact model for the proposed interventions.
• Lead the annual budgeting process and manage financial performance;

Relationship/Leadership

• Manage relationships with important partners to the success of rural retail projects.
• Create strategy and execution plans in collaboration with other departments, and gather feedback and build support from partners and field team members at all stages of the process
• Support leaders across One Acre Fund in preparing for rural retail projects and high-level activities
• Coordinate with partners and buyers, such as the largest mobile money service provider in Nigeria, to ensure farmers are provided with the best service and opportunities
• You will initiate and manage collaborative projects with external partners, which includes drafting MoUs, periodic reporting and ensuring OAF policies are followed in all communication and results sharing
• You may directly or indirectly manage staff and partners involved in projects, and the activities of the field staff involved in the market access projects.

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:

• Bachelor's degree in Agribusiness Management, Business administration, Environmental economics and any related field.
• 4+ years of relevant work experience in a business setting involving sourcing, transformation and sales of agricultural produce
• Excellent data fluency;
• Experience setting strategic direction;
• Experience managing teams to success;
• Knowledge of agricultural products and practices;
• Excellent customer service skills;
• Ability to guide projects in a fast-paced environment
• Experience with research and design of products and services targeting smallholder farmers, including surveys and focus groups
• A willingness to commit to living in remote locations

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

Minna, Nigeria

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Eligibility

This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Nigeria.

Application Deadline

16 November 2021

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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