One Acre Fund is a nonprofit organization that supplies smallholder farmers in East Africa with asset-based financing and agriculture training services to reduce hunger and poverty. Headquartered in Bungoma, Kenya, the organization works with farmers in rural villages throughout Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and recently Malawi. Using a market-based approach, One Acre Fund facilitates activities and transactions at various levels of the farming value chain, including seed sourcing and market support. In 2013, farmers who worked with One Acre Fund realized a 180% return on their investment and significantly increased farm income on every planted acre.
- Experience 4 – 10 years
- Location Niger
- Job Field NGO/Non-Profit
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Government Relations Associate will manage strategic relationships with government and other external partners including potential donors to create opportunities to better serve farmers and support our efforts to grow the Nigeria pilot. You will also meaningfully contribute to de-risking the country program through risk tracking and compliance management and ensuring that business operations run without regulatory infractions.
The Government Relations Associate will report to the Nigeria Country Lead and provide insights to support decision-making based on analysis of the socio-political and economic environment.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop external relations strategy and lead the development of complex streams of work, including establishing relationships with essential players in the agricultural sector such as Ministries of Agriculture, NGOs, local authorities, research institutes and others to unlock opportunities.
- Fulfill regulatory and organizational compliance requirements, and complete other partner engagement tasks and requirements. Ensure that the program is compliant with relevant policies and regulations.
- Drive organizational risk management on essential issues related to political and regulatory trends.
- Build expertise on agriculture related, non-profit, social enterprise and microfinance policy issues (i.e. subsidy programs, extension, market access) that are relevant to One Acre Fund Nigeria’s operations, and design strategies to respond to both opportunities and future risk.
- Produce communications materials to engage essential contacts and keep them informed of our work, including reports, briefing notes and official written correspondence.
- Guide participation in agricultural shows and other external events. Ensure government protocols are observed at all events.
- Build a pipeline of institutional donors, both domestically and globally to raise funds necessary to support One Acre Fund Nigeria’s growth goals.
- Support program expansion through relationship management with relevant authorities in new or targeted areas of operation.
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:
- 4+ years experience working with governments on behalf of organizations or policy projects with experience managing people.
- Strong educational background – a Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s added advantage. Degrees in Public Policy, Political Science, Public Administration, Law, International Development, or Business
- Experience analyzing policies, legislation, and regulatory frameworks to produce meaningful, relevant briefing materials for senior management.
- Advocacy, communication and negotiation skills : We are looking for someone who can access important partners and foster collaboration among different partners to pursue our mission
- Experience managing a multi-year public or private partnership from ideation to implementation.
- Strong collaborator and project manager with demonstrated experience providing structured, support across different departments
- A record of success working with multiple external partners to achieve positive change in the agriculture and development sectors in Africa. Partners include government institutions, research institutes or other government agencies focused on agriculture and development in Africa.
- Languages: English
PREFERRED START DATE
As soon as possible
JOB LOCATION
Minna, Nigeria
BENEFITS
Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits
ELIGIBILITY
Method of Application
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 ([email protected]), 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.Interested and qualified? Go to One Acre Fund on oneacrefund.org to apply
