One Acre Fund is inviting applications for the position of Manager Development Lead (Fixed-Term). This is an excellent opportunity for experienced professionals in leadership and organizational development to contribute to a transformative mission that uplifts millions of smallholder farmers across Africa.
Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund has grown into a leading agricultural organization that serves over 5.5 million smallholder farmers across nine African countries. The organization’s approach integrates access to farm inputs, financing, agronomic training, and sustainability initiatives to enhance food security and rural livelihoods. Through its holistic model, farmers working with One Acre Fund increase their incomes and resilience by an average of 35% on supported land.
The organization operates with a vision to serve 10 million farmers by 2030. Achieving this vision requires continuous investment in its people—particularly in building a strong and skilled leadership pipeline. The Manager Development Lead will play a critical role in ensuring that the organization’s mid-level managers are equipped with the knowledge, leadership skills, and mindset to lead teams effectively and deliver meaningful impact.
About the Role
The Manager Development Lead will be responsible for designing and implementing comprehensive leadership development programs that serve approximately 400 mid-level managers across the organization’s operations in Africa. The role will report directly to the Global Learning and Development (L&D) Lead and will collaborate with associates, specialists, and coordinators within the L&D department.
This position requires a professional who can balance strategic program design with hands-on implementation, working closely with both regional and global teams to ensure the effective delivery of manager development initiatives.
The successful candidate will be expected to lead the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of training programs that foster a high-performance management culture across multiple countries.
Key Responsibilities
1. Deliver and Facilitate Manager Training Programs
The Manager Development Lead will plan, coordinate, and execute a wide range of training programs designed to strengthen managerial capabilities. These include onboarding programs, bootcamps, workshops, and ongoing coaching sessions. The role requires ensuring that all programs are practical, relevant, and aligned with the realities of day-to-day management at One Acre Fund.
The incumbent will facilitate sessions directly, working with internal trainers and external experts to create an engaging learning experience that enhances leadership effectiveness and drives measurable improvements in team management and performance outcomes.
2. Develop and Refine Data-Driven Learning Strategies
A core aspect of this role involves applying a data-driven approach to assess training needs, evaluate program effectiveness, and inform continuous improvement. The Manager Development Lead will gather and analyze information from manager surveys, performance reviews, and participant feedback to identify key development areas.
Through this analysis, the role will support the organization in refining learning strategies and aligning them with broader organizational goals. The ability to translate data insights into actionable learning interventions will be central to ensuring measurable progress in management capability and organizational performance.
3. Design and Manage a Comprehensive Development Roadmap
The role includes the responsibility of building and maintaining a clear, structured roadmap for manager development. This roadmap should support both immediate capacity needs and long-term leadership pipeline objectives.
The Manager Development Lead will balance near-term delivery of training sessions with the strategic goal of building an internal leadership pipeline that enhances retention and prepares managers for higher responsibilities. The roadmap will serve as a strategic guide for sustained growth, identifying critical milestones and progress indicators.
4. Innovate Learning Approaches and Methods
To maintain the effectiveness and relevance of One Acre Fund’s leadership programs, the Manager Development Lead will continuously explore new learning approaches. This includes integrating modern learning technologies, digital platforms, blended learning models, and virtual facilitation tools.
The incumbent will research global best practices in leadership and organizational learning, adapting them to fit One Acre Fund’s diverse operational environments. Emphasis will be placed on ensuring that learning programs are inclusive, accessible, and responsive to the unique challenges faced by managers across the organization’s African operations.
5. Collaborate with Stakeholders and Subject Matter Experts
The role will involve close collaboration with internal stakeholders, such as department heads, country directors, and functional leads, to ensure training initiatives are aligned with both global and country-specific priorities.
Additionally, the Manager Development Lead will engage with external consultants and experts to enrich the program’s content and methodology, ensuring that it reflects current trends in leadership and organizational development.
The collaboration will also extend to other HR functions—such as performance management, talent acquisition, and employee engagement—to promote a cohesive approach to people development.
6. Build and Sustain Strong Relationships Across the Organization
To ensure that the learning programs have practical relevance and impact, the Manager Development Lead will cultivate strong relationships with managers, team leaders, and staff at all levels.
Through active engagement, feedback collection, and continuous consultation, the incumbent will ensure that the training programs remain responsive to real-world challenges and that participants find tangible value in applying the concepts learned.
7. Support Organizational Growth and Cultural Integration
Beyond training delivery, the Manager Development Lead will play a role in embedding learning and development into One Acre Fund’s organizational culture.
This involves integrating manager development practices into performance reviews, succession planning, and broader strategic initiatives. By fostering a culture of continuous learning, the role will contribute directly to One Acre Fund’s long-term organizational health and sustainability.
Contract Details
- Position: Manager Development Lead (Fixed-Term)
- Location: Nairobi, Kenya or Kigali, Rwanda
- Contract Duration: 2 Years
- Preferred Start Date: As soon as possible
- Benefits: Health insurance, housing, and a comprehensive benefits package
- Eligibility: Open to citizens or permanent residents of Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Malawi, Zambia, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo
Reporting Structure
The Manager Development Lead will report directly to the Global Learning and Development Lead. The position will also interact regularly with regional HR teams, functional heads, and senior management to align leadership programs with overall business strategy.
Organizational Values and Commitment
One Acre Fund is deeply committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within its workforce. The organization recognizes that its impact is amplified by the diversity of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences that each team member brings.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), and anti-racism are integral to One Acre Fund’s mission and operational philosophy. The organization strives to maintain a workplace culture in which every staff member feels respected, represented, and empowered to thrive.
One Acre Fund is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and organizational needs—without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, ancestry, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation.
Important Application Information
Applicants should note that One Acre Fund does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. Candidates are advised to verify the authenticity of communication and ensure that all official correspondence originates from an email address ending in @oneacrefund.org.
Any suspicious communication should be reported to [email protected]. However, applicants should not send job applications or supporting documents to this reporting email address.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, meaning that One Acre Fund may fill the position before the official deadline if a suitable candidate is identified. Interested applicants are therefore encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Summary
The Manager Development Lead position at One Acre Fund represents an opportunity to shape the leadership culture of one of Africa’s most impactful agricultural organizations. Through strategic leadership development and innovative training approaches, the successful candidate will directly contribute to One Acre Fund’s goal of empowering millions of smallholder farmers to achieve sustainable prosperity.
This role calls for an individual who is passionate about people development, adept at program design, and driven by measurable outcomes. Working in a dynamic, multicultural environment, the Manager Development Lead will play a pivotal part in equipping leaders to guide teams effectively, uphold organizational values, and drive transformative results for farming communities across Africa.
