DRC Rotational Senior Associate / Manager (Fixed-term)

About One Acre Fund

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips 5.5 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive. Across nine countries that together are home to two-thirds of Africa's farmers, we provide high-quality farm supplies, tree seedlings, accessible credit, modern agronomic training, and a wide range of other agricultural services. On average, this model enables any farmer to increase their income and assets on supported land by more than 35 percent, while permanently improving their resilience. This is all made possible by our team of 9,000+ full-time staff, drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. To learn more, please see our Why Work Here blog post.

It is estimated that 1.1 million hectares of forest land are being lost each year in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This pattern of deforestation, which has significant implications for the region, is primarily attributed to small-scale farming practices. One Acre Fund is working to address the root causes of deforestation, linked to poverty and low agricultural yields, by giving smallholder farmers the tools they need to shift their agricultural activities away from forest land and help them obtain bigger and healthier harvests. We train farmers in agroforestry, support the set-up and scale up of farmer-led entrepreneurial ventures, and operate along the seed value chain to ensure access to improved inputs for smallholder farmers.

About the Role

We are seeking dynamic and versatile professionals to drive high-impact cross-functional projects across internal systems, field operations, R&D (Innovations and MEL), donor/government relations, and people operations at One Acre Fund DRC. This opportunity is ideal for someone who excels at building solutions from the ground up and is eager to accelerate their growth across diverse workstreams. Fast-track into a permanent leadership role within 6–12 months. Based in Kinshasa or Kimpese with rural travel.

Responsibilities

Rotational Associates and Managers will be placed based on their strengths and alignment with these priority responsibilities.

Strategic Project Leadership & Cross-Functional Delivery

• Lead or support high-priority strategic initiatives assigned by senior leadership, coordinating across multiple teams and functions.
• Own project deliverables from scoping and planning through execution, monitoring progress, resolving bottlenecks, and adjusting course as needed.
• Provide short-term surge support to teams during capacity gaps, staff transitions, organisational pivots, or other priority periods.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships and contribute to organisational priorities with a high degree of initiative, accountability, and adaptability.

Research, Analysis & Strategic Insights

• Conduct rapid qualitative and quantitative research/analysis to inform programme strategy, operational improvements, and investment decisions.
• Assess new ventures and lead small program pilots
• Analyse programme, operational, and stakeholder data to identify trends, opportunities, risks, and actionable insights.
• Translate complex findings into clear recommendations, briefing notes, memos, presentations, and decision-support materials for senior leadership.
• Apply cost-benefit analysis, financial modelling, and budget/variance analysis to assess programme performance and support strategic decisions.

Operational Systems, Field Implementation & Innovation

• Identify operational inefficiencies and develop practical tools, workflows, and systems that improve collaboration, execution, and data use.
• Support field implementation through programme-area travel, data collection, program pilot execution, and operational research.
• Design, test, and document new interventions, systems, or processes, using field evidence and stakeholder feedback to recommend adaptation or scale-up.
• Onboard and coach field-facing teams on new tools, systems, and programmes while capturing lessons learned for institutional knowledge-sharing.

Partnerships, Business Development & Stakeholder Engagement

• Coordinate cross-functional inputs and contribute to high-quality proposals, concept notes, donor reports, and other external-facing materials.
• Liaise with DRC government counterparts and other strategic stakeholders on partnership priorities, ensuring effective internal coordination and follow-through.
• Facilitate workshops, learning sessions, and stakeholder meetings that strengthen collaboration, alignment, and shared ownership of priorities.

Rotational Development, Organisational Learning & Leadership

• Rotate across key departments during the first 6–12 months, contributing to functions such as supply chain, HR, finance, impact, and field operations.
• Develop a broad understanding of the DRC programme’s operating model, strategic priorities, and interdependencies across functions.

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:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Finance, International Development, Agriculture, Social Sciences, Engineering, or another relevant field; a Master’s degree is an advantage.
• We welcome applicants from a wide range of fields, including consulting, development, humanitarian work, finance, HR, impact, sales, innovation, and science.
• 3 years' experience in project management, strategy, research, programme operations, consulting, business development, finance, or development-sector roles; greater experience and demonstrated independent leadership expected at Manager level.
• Understanding of programme implementation, operational challenges, and field realities in rural or low-resource contexts; agriculture or development-sector experience is an advantage.
• Proven critical thinking and problem-solving ability, with a track record of navigating complexity and driving clarity in ambiguous or fast-moving contexts.
• Strong analytical skills, either quantitative (e.g., financial modelling, performance analysis) or qualitative (e.g., research, synthesis, strategic insights).
• Innovative and resourceful mindset, with demonstrated ability to design or adapt solutions to operational or strategic challenges.
• Familiarity with the DRC operating environment, development landscape, or relevant regional context is an advantage but not required.
• Demonstrated ability to work across functions and locations, with willingness to travel regularly to programme areas and take on assignments based on organisational priorities.
• Professional fluency in English required; Basic French is an advantage;  Lingala or other relevant local-language capability is an advantage.

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Kinshasa or Kimpese, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits.

Contract Duration

1 year, renewable with a high chance based on good performance.

Eligibility

This role is open to all applicants; however, candidates with citizenship or permanent residency in our Countries of Operations are strongly preferred.

Application Deadline

23 December 2026. Please note that we hire on a rolling basis, which means that applications are reviewed and processed on a continuous basis until a hire is made.

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.