Tupande Orchard Associate (Fixed Term)

About the role

Tupande Asili is launching the Tupande Matunda initiative, a fruit and nut supply network targeting 140,000 smallholder farmers and planting 5 million trees. The Tupande Orchard Associate develops and executes the business model: evaluating target zones, modelling unit economics, designing distribution, and aligning nursery, field, agronomy and commercial teams. The role is based in Kakamega or Nairobi, Kenya, on a 3-year fixed-term contract.

Key responsibilities

• Build multi-year business cases, growth strategies and financial models covering unit economics, tree survival and cost structures, and turn field data into strategic recommendations for leadership.
• Manage implementation roadmaps, budgets and standardised SOPs for seedling procurement, nursery quality control and distribution, and resolve operational bottlenecks.
• Design recruitment incentives and field workflows to build dense, high-retention farmer clusters, and work with R&D and nurseries on seedling quality, crop protection and tree traceability.
• Align yield forecasts and production clusters with market demand and aggregation logistics, maintain a registry of farmers, tree growth and planting cohorts, and run operational pilots to refine the model.

Required profile

• Background in strategy, operations, management consulting or commercial growth; agribusiness experience is a plus.
• Degree in Business, Economics, Engineering, Operations, Agriculture or equivalent practical experience.
• Fluent in English and Swahili, ready for frequent field travel.
• Open to start as soon as possible; only citizens or permanent residents of Kenya are eligible.

Required skills

• Financial modelling and unit economics analysis.
• Strong spreadsheet and data-management skills.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams and turn agronomic data into operational plans.

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.