Sustainability Lead

About One Acre Fund

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund supplies 1 million smallholder farmers with the agricultural services they need to make their farms vastly more productive. Our 8,000+ team is drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. With operations across six core countries in Africa, we make farmers more prosperous by providing quality farm supplies on credit, delivered within walking distance of farmers’ homes, and agricultural training to improve harvests. On average, the farmers we serve harvest 50 percent more food after working with One Acre Fund. 

To learn more about our work, take a look at our Why Work Here blog for more information.

About the Role

The Impact division supports all One Acre Fund programs to generate more impact, wherever we work. We help the organization keep three core aspects of impact at the forefront of our work: 

1. Improve farmer livelihoods and profitability in the short term
2. Ensure long-term viability through sustainable agricultural practices (soil health, crop diversity, etc.)
3. Address non-agricultural needs of farming households (energy, nutrition, etc.)

The Sustainability Lead, a member of the Impact division, will lead sustainability assessments (emissions accounting, environmental & social impact assessments, etc.) and improvements (special projects addressing any deficiencies identified).  This body of work is not new to the organization, but this position's dedicated attention and effort will be new.  We are looking for an organized project leader and a strong collaborator to fill this function. The sustainability lead will report to the Impact Director.

Responsibilities

Lead Annual Emissions Calculations

• Gather, clean, and share data and inputs for footprint accounting.
• Build tools to help us understand our emissions hot spots and mitigation opportunities.
• Set and track progress against global and program-specific emissions reduction targets.

Lead key strategic projects to reduce emissions in hot-spot areas.  

• Prioritize mitigation opportunities based on size and feasibility of potential reduction.
• Collaborate with teams across the organization to reduce emissions in their scope of work.  This will require learning about the specific emissions hotspot and potential solutions, evaluating options with program teams, and implementing agreed-upon actions.  

Manage our Environmental & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) process for all products and services offered by OAF.

• Ensure that the program adheres to ESIA processes, including evaluating potential new products and services and implementing any mitigating actions required.  

Lead Innovation & Improvement

• Research and propose improvements to sustainability in One Acre Fund’s operations across the board.  
• If approved, and if there is not already a clear owner, lead these innovations and improvements.

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:

Technical capacity for improving sustainability

• University (or higher) degree in Environmental Studies or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience identifying, developing, and implementing projects that improve organizational sustainability.
• Ability to calculate environmental impacts including emissions footprints, LCAs, etc.

Passion for sustainability

• Genuine passion for continually, sustainably, improving farmer livelihoods.
• An accomplished collaborator who can bring others on our side and help them make necessary changes to their operations.  

Communication & Collaboration

• Strong verbal and written communication across a wide range of audiences - from non-technically-trained colleagues to external experts.  
• English required.  Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, or French a plus.

Productivity

• Strong organizational skills and ability to keep dozens of diverse tasks and initiatives on track.

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Kigali, Rwanda (flexible within our countries of operation depending on work authorization)

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Eligibility

One Acre Fund can support a work permit for this role. However, nationals of (or those with an extensive professional background and work history in) our countries of operation are preferred.

Application Deadline

31 July 2024

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 (globalhotline@oneacrefund.org), 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.