Job Description

One Acre Fund Product Development and Evaluation Specialist Job in Iringa, Tanzania 2019

One Acre Fund

Tanzania Product Development and Evaluation Specialist

Location: Iringa, Tanzania

Seeking an exceptional qualitative research professional with 3-5 years of experience who can drive actionable trial and scale recommendations for trial products

About One Acre Fund: Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund supplies smallholder farmers with the agricultural services they need to make their farms vastly more productive. We provide quality farm supplies on credit, delivered within walking distance of farmers’ homes, and agricultural training to improve harvests. We measure our success by our ability to make farmers more prosperous: On average, farmers harvest 50 percent more food after working with One Acre Fund.

We are growing quickly. We currently serve more than 800,000 farm families in Eastern and Southern Africa, with more than 7,500 full-time staff, and we aim to serve 1 million farm families by 2020.

Job Description: Product Innovations drives One Acre Fund towards continual growth by trailing trialing agricultural products, non-agricultural products, and training with high impact potential that solve the fundamental challenges that Tanzanian farmers face. The department also works to maximize adoption or adherence and minimize logistical complications in an effort to reach as many farmers as possible with high impact products.

The Product Development and Evaluation Project Specialist will work closely with Product Innovations (PI) leadership as a technical leader in product development and evaluation. Our trials involve measuring farmer impact, farmer adoption/adherence, and logistics challenges of a product when offered as a choice for purchase in a One Acre Fund loan. This role serves to test and evaluate products, materials, and/or training in order to provide actionable recommendations to the execution team to mitigate product risks.

In addition, this role will serve to identify and field test new products with high impact potential. The position requires at least 20% time observing and supervising field activities/farmers with the remaining time spent planning, calendaring, drafting surveys, and preparing reports or recommendations. This role will require the ability to manage many priorities at once and rapid progress on deliverable to meet deadlines.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Project Management: Manage simultaneous projects in line with One Acre Fund strategy while maintaining flexibility to challenges and feedback

• Calendar for activities, deadlines, and decision points for projects for 6+ months in the future o Represent Product Innovations within inter-department project management meetings


• Understand complex topics by synthesizing quantitative and qualitative data and communicating them in a simple and concise manner


• Draft professional analytical reports quickly (4-8 hours) with a focus on actionable recommendations and few grammatical/spelling errors


• Produce written deliverable with no revision necessary


• Problem solving: adjust plans and deliverable quickly to feedback and challenges


• Adopts an attitude of encouraging personal growth with humility and patience


• Proactively asks for feedback, and demonstrates ability to incorporate feedback


• Dissents in a constructive fashion and builds bridges to resolve conflicts

Lead product development and evaluation with moderate support: Simultaneously manage the execution of 1 to 2 high priority and high complexity projects. This includes:

• Coordination and execution of product demonstration days


• Field testing farmer facing training and materials such as planting cards prior to their delivery in the field


• Drafting field surveys and executing qualitative research to test key product assumptions as well as executing product needs assessments


• Evaluating agronomic practices and product needs in existing and new operating areas to provide product and/or training recommendations.


• Designing product behavior change and adoption campaigns.


• Assessing product or training failure and providing actionable recommendations for next steps.


• Draft and finalize reports to provide clear, succinct analysis and recommendations based on project objectives and next steps

Support product adoption and logistics trial design and planning, by:

• Identifying recommendations on procurement options, package iterations, and training to address major behavior change.


• Assessing farmer response to products and recommending adjustments to marketing/campaign messaging

Big Wins for Upcoming Seasons

2019

• Through qualitative and/or desk research:


• Execute a crop diversity assessment in all districts so that One Acre Fund identifies new impactiful products/services


• Evaluate current farm practice on pest management and design an integrated pest management training


• Through farmer demonstration days:


• Identify and recommend the preferred brand and bundle specifications of tin roofing sheets to trial in 1-2 districts for 2020-2021

2020

Through qualitative research:

• Identify and recommend 1-2 products or strategies that improve soil organic matter content.


• Identify farmer preferences and current practices with poultry so as to inform a farmer facing poultry trial in 2021-2022.


• Prepare

Through farmer demonstration days:

• Determine farmer preferred product

Through field testing:

• Draft and finalize training for soil organic matter content product.


• Design and finalize marketing materials and behavior change campaigns for Phase 3 2021-2022 trials.

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 mentor-ship 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

• Graduate of 4-year University (mandatory); Graduate degree (preferred)


• Personal or professional experience with agronomy and/or rural livelihoods (preferred)


• 3-5 years practical experience working on project management (mandatory), including preferred experience with:

1. Managing project calendars


2. Writing training for field-based staff


3. Drafting surveys for field data collection


4. Data analysis leading to specific recommendations


5. Report writing based on clear objectives


6. Creating Excel tools for clear communication and tracking of projects

• Proven ability to teach/mentor others


• Fluency in Microsoft Excel and Word


• Comfort and sensitivity working in a multicultural environment


• Excellent ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing


• Open to feedback, willing to admit mistakes and learn from them


• Typing speed needs minimal improvement, at least 25-30 words per minute


• Fluent Business Conversational English


• Ability to live and work in Iringa and/or Mbeya region

Preferred Start Date: 1 August 2019

Job Location: Iringa, Tanzania

Compensation: Commensurate with experience

Duration: Full time-Job

Benefits: Health insurance, paid time off

Sponsor International Candidates: No; Tanzania country nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application link: https://grnh.se/798638d71

Closing date: November 23, 2019

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.

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