Job Description

The Product Innovations Department conducts research which helps to estimate the impact of new agricultural products and methods for Rwandan farmers. Products span a range of themes from cereal/legume/root crop agronomy to cropping systems development, soil fertility, pest management and beyond. All projects begin with a careful scoping of available information, potential impact, and identifying the research questions and continue on to trials at our stations or on farmers' fields across Rwanda, and end up to scaling channel that take it to farmers exposure through extension program.

You will implement an alternative extension pilot utilizing micro-entrepreneurs (MEs) to facilitate the scaling of a variety of GAPs using a holistic farm approach; and conduct research to advise us on new products and practices that can generate "farmer impact". Success is defined as you will:

Hire and train a cohort of MEs;
Achieve high-quality model farms established following desired specifications;
Achieve set goals related to complementary promotional and business activities;
Develop validated strategy for farmer engagement;
Produce high-confidence analyses of products in an appropriate timeframe and supporting impactful products all the way to the scaling/implementation stage.

You will sit on a team of 6 research specialists; You will report to the Research and Phase 1 Senior Specialist.

Job Level

JL 7

Location

Rubengera, Rwanda

Expected Manager

Jean Honore Ndorimana

Will this position be managing others?

Yes

Key Job Responsibilities

Functions related to the extension pilot:

Facilitate, with guidance from supporting departments, the scaling of a novel extension mechanism utilizing micro-entrepreneurs (MEs) starting in 2024

Develop the planning for the smooth launch of a pilot
Develop all necessary training materials, including visual printed material; training manuals, posters, and videos
Conduct social behavior's change research
Develop and implement strategy to achieve minimum competencies in GAPs through both theoretical and practical competency-based training (CBT).
Develop and implement strategy for scaling both conservation agriculture promotional and business activities
Develop and implement strategy for how MEs will engage nearby farmers.
Report on behaviour change research, model farm quality, GAPs competency, training approaches, farmer engagement, and promotional & business activities.

On-the-ground pilot establishment with contracted MEs

Identify and recruit micro-entrepreneurs in selected districts
Oversee the creation of model farms that meet desired specifications and showcase a variety of annual and perennial cropping systems
Monitor the roll-out and execution of promotional and business activities of MEs against established performance indictors
Ensure correct quantities of inputs are delivered to ME model farms.
Oversee setup of model farms according to specifications; Provide on-site backstopping to improve the quality of model farms
Establish and implement a system for monitoring model farm quality
Conduct training workshops at training sites for groups of MEs at different times in the season

Function related to research needs of the Ag Innovations department:

Conduct phase 0 work to prioritize product or practice options based on theoretical impact
Plan and oversee implementation of own projects/trials
Recommend and ensure a smooth handover of new interventions to TUBURA channels
Support department goals, improvement and administrative issues

Top Skills and Qualifications

Articulate and demonstrate knowledge of agronomic concepts and have expertise in at least one thematic area; ISFM/IPM/cropping systems/SBC/crop-specific agronomy/crop management.
Articulate and demonstrate understanding of best practices in sampling and error/bias minimization
Independently facilitate meetings and focus group discussions; produce agendas; and report on outcomes
Frequently expected to produce written deliverables for both internal and external audiences with clear interpretations using tables/graphs
Give presentations to other departments or external partners
Independently analyze complex datasets; produce tables/graphs and interpret results using R, Excel (can maintain complex spreadsheets), Google Sheets
Independently build impact models and perform sensitivity analyses for optimization's/prioritization

Benefits

Health insurance, paid time off

Contract Duration

1 Year

Sponsor International Candidates

This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Rwanda

Application Deadline

20 February 2024. Applications after this date will be accepted on a rolling basis.

For more information reach out to jeanhonore.ndorimana@oneacrefund.org

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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Rwanda Extension Pilot Facilitation and Research Specialist (Fixed-Term)