Agricultural Research and Extension Associate (Fixed-Term)

About the role

One Acre Fund's Kenya program, branded Tupande, is seeking an agronomy and research professional with 2+ years of experience to pilot innovative agricultural solutions, run scalable trials and improve farmer yields. The position is based in Kakamega and is open only to Kenyan citizens or permanent residents.

Key responsibilities

• Align trial and project objectives with Tupande's strategy and define what must be proven before scaling
• Provide agronomic support for high-value crops, including seasonal monitoring, and help trials raise farmer yield and quality
• Work with the trials, extension and high-value crop teams on training and adoption of agronomic practices
• Help design and trial automations that improve adoption of agronomic practices
• Design, manage and coordinate trials using human-centered design, statistical methods and detailed project plans, documenting each step
• Coordinate with in-country and global teams and regional and systems teams
• May manage junior staff and support their professional development
• Create budgets for trials and pilots with manager support and monitor monthly spending

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in agronomy, agriculture or related fields
• 2 years of experience managing complex projects and coordinating across teams
• Leadership and people management experience
• English required; Swahili strongly preferred
• Open to citizens or permanent residents of Kenya

Required skills

• Data analysis and experience setting up qualitative and quantitative trials
• Excel required; STATA or R a plus
• Crop protection and pesticide regulatory knowledge (PCPB, MRLs, PHIs) preferred
• Experience with high-value crops preferred
• Human-centered design and prototyping preferred

What we offer

• Weekly check-ins with the manager, mentorship and training programs, and career reviews every six months
• Health insurance, housing and comprehensive benefits
• Fixed-term contract of 3 years