East Africa Government Relations Analyst

Salary: Starts very modest, but this is a career-track role.
Education: Bachelor (BA, BS, etc.)
Location: Kenya
Posted by: One Acre Fund
Job Category: Advocacy, Communications, Public Policy, Public relations
Sector: Nonprofit
Last day to apply: January 14, 2011
Last updated: November 15, 2010
Type: Full time
Language(s): English, French
Job posted on: November 15, 2010
Area of Focus: Economic Development, Farming and Agriculture, Microcredit, Poverty and Hunger, Rural Issues
Organization Description
One Acre Fund is a start-up initiative in Kenya and Rwanda which serves some of the hardest-working farm families in the world. Instead of giving handouts to families, One Acre invests in farmers to generate a permanent gain in farm income. Our "investment bundle" includes education, finance, farm inputs, and export market access. We target subsistence farmers, and help them to generate a lasting, 100%+ gain in farm income per acre.

We have been operating since January 2006, and we currently serve 30,000 farm families (120,000 children). Our target is to serve 55,000 families (200,000 children) within 12 more months, scaling at a 50-100% annual growth rate thereafter. One Acre Fund has achieved high validation as an innovative social start-up, winning grants from the highly competitive Echoing Green, Draper Richards and Skoll Foundations, and first place wins at the Stanford and Yale social venture competitions. Website: www.oneacrefund.org

Job Description
We are seeking exceptional professionals with 2+ years work experience, and a demonstrated long-term career interest in international development. They will serve in a career-track position that combines both field and management experience in Africa.

The work of One Acre Fund is increasingly of potential relevance to the policy of African governments. Our program work has started to earn us a seat at the policy table – we are generating high-quality results at scale. (For example in four years, 5% of Rwanda’s entire population will be in our program). Our close relationship with farmers is also giving us new insights into particular policy items that we would like to push with African governments. The overall goal of policy engagement is to find new ways to multiply our humanitarian impact, by helping as many farmers as possible.

We are looking for someone who will report mainly to our director of policy and outreach (who primarily lives in New York with frequent travel to East Africa), and partially to our Rwanda country director. This on-the-ground position will support One Acre Fund’s policy agenda:
- Relationship management: This position will be responsible for making new government contacts, and helping to maintain existing contacts. For example, in Kenya we have a desire to network with mid-level managers at a dozen different government agencies related to agriculture. This position will also help to manage some high-level contacts in limited cases.
- Country-level and regional policy agenda research: The East Africa government relations analyst will conduct research to support the creation of a well-informed policy agenda for our organization, for Kenya, Rwanda, and the greater region.
- Business development: This position will also be responsible for more general business development. This will include networking with bilateral organizations such as USAID/ DFID, and targeted networking with other NGOs that are relevant to our work.
- Policy publications: One Acre Fund increasingly is gaining traction with well-respected policy organizations. For example, we have recently had significant mentions in pieces by WorldWatch Institute and in Foreign Affairs. This position will be responsible for research supporting the promulgation of our work among well-regarded publishers.
- Communications: This position will provide some on-the-ground and writing support for communications work, such as gathering and writing of farmer profiles, writing of six-month report, some limited grant-writing work, etc.

Qualifications
We are looking for somebody truly extraordinary for this role. This is not a stint in Africa – this is an extremely competitive posting for a career-track role. Only 3% of applicants make it to a phone screen. Therefore, please do NOT respond unless you fit these criteria:

• Demonstrated experience and interest in international development work, including ideally at least one full year of living in a developing nation.
• Strong work experiences. Examples include a high-level professional work experience, or some kind of successful entrepreneurial experience (e.g. starting a field program in a developing country, leading a conference, starting a business, solid peace corps accomplishments)
• Relationship-building and communications skills. Our organization culture is not necessarily looking for a slick salesman. We want a likeable person who is able to strike an appropriate balance between humility and confidence, speak intelligently about our program, and systematically manage relationships
• Top-performing undergraduate background (include GPA and test scores on your resume)
• No ego or drama. We are all stable people who are fun to be around. We are looking for others that combine strong leadership skills with a humble approach to service
• Required: English and French bilingual
• Ability to cook/ laugh/ extraordinary patience – all desirable

Preferred Start Date: Flexible
Compensation: Starts very modest. However, this is a career-track role eventually paying a real and livable salary for a long-term placement in developing nations.
Benefits: Health cover, immunizations, flight, room and board. 2 annual home flights provided.
Career development: Quarterly management consulting-style career reviews, and significant investment in career development. Your manager will invest significant time in your career development.
Sponsor International Candidates: Yes

To Apply
Email cover letter and resume to careers@oneacrefund.org (Subject line: E Africa Gov Relations Analyst + name of the site that referred you)

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