CEO One Acre Fund Uganda

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

We are seeking an exceptional candidate to take over as CEO for our operations in Uganda. The CEO will directly manage all operations in the country, covering a team of over 70 staff in 2023, growing the programme from supporting 25,000 farmers in 2023 to over 100,000 farmers by 2026. The CEO will grow our existing programs and developing new opportunities to generate more impact for farm families, while also focusing on increasing the financial sustainability of the programme.

You will report directly to a senior director in the organization and liaise with top leaders across the organization.

Responsibilities

Build Vision and Oversee Operations to Serve 1 Million Farm Families by 2030

• You will work with senior global leaders and leaders across the Uganda team to develop and refine a long-term vision for how we can serve over 1 million farmers across the country by 2030.
• You will oversee all field programs and hit annual targets, revising our strategies and operations to achieve impact and financial results.
• You will also manage an innovations portfolio. You will guide the innovations team (which will be directly managed by one of your deputies) to identify opportunities, run high quality trials, and determine which investments to grow.

Develop and Scale Operational Foundation to Achieve Impact Goals

• You will also manage the growth of our support departments (People, Tech, Logistics, Government Relations and Finance). You will oversee the development and deployment of new processes to lower costs and improve execution.
• You will prioritize investments in our team and our team culture. You will oversee the creation of new development programs, cultivate a productive and positive working environment, and invest in deepening team cohesion. Your goal is to make our team one of the strongest in Uganda.

Develop a Team of Leaders and Build Relationships with Partners

• You will directly manage a team of 3-6 strong deputies. Each of these deputies will oversee several large programs or departments. You will invest in the development of these deputies and other rising leaders on the team.
• You will also supervise our external relationships across the country. You will manage our Partnership Lead and work with leaders across the team to deepen our strategic relationships and identify new partnerships to establish to help us achieve our goals.

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:

Leadership Experience

• You will have 10+ years of dynamic professional experience, ideally with considerable exposure to rural development
• You will have 7+ years experience managing senior staff
• You will bring a clear track record of producing results in multiple roles

Strong People Development, Management, and Communication Skills

• You have established experience developing other leaders
• You are a great collaborator and team member who can engage with many people, from rural farmers to high-level executives both across One Acre Fund and with leaders in other organizations

Leader with a Track Record of Success and Execution focus

• You bring a track record of launching new investments or building successful partnerships
• You demonstrate vision and ability to identify opportunities and the right partners to take advantage of those
• You translate strategies into understandable execution approaches for your teams

Other requirements

• University or advanced degree
• Business English required
• Role is currently based in Jinja, but with travel to Kampala on a monthly basis

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Jinja or Kampala, Uganda 

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

18 May 2023

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.