Operations and Finance Associate - Country Lead

Wanted

Exceptional professional with 3+ years work experience to serve in a career–track position that combines financial and operational analysis with management experience in Africa.

Job Location
1 Position in Rural Burundi (English and French required), and 1 Position in Rural Tanzania (English required).

Duration

Minimum two year's commitment, full-time job.

Organization Description
Most of the world's poor are farmers, representing the largest and most uniform group of poor people in the world. One Acre Fund is a start–up non-profit in Kenya, Rwanda, and Burundi that is innovating a new way of helping farm families to achieve their full potential. Instead of giving handouts, One Acre invests in farmers to generate a permanent gain in farm income. We provide farmers with a "market bundle" that includes education, finance, seed and fertilizer, and market access. Our program is proven impactful – every year, we weigh thousands of harvests and measure more than 100% average gain in farm income per acre. We have laser–like focus on generating better lives for the people that we serve.

Job Description
We are looking for new staff members to manage the growth of the finance teams in Burundi and Tanzania (1 new staffer in each country). You will convert a team of 5+ bookkeepers working in an unstructured environment to a powerhouse team like the finance group in Kenya. This team currently includes 50+ staff members working in an efficiently designed and well-structured operation with clear roles and responsibilities, policies and procedures, and key performance indicators producing a results-driven finance operation.

As a young organization, we are ready to hand over significant responsibility for specific, well-defined strategic initiatives as well as day-to-day management of our financial systems and team-members.  Your primary task will be to manage the operations of the finance team in the country you work, through systems design, staff hiring, and leadership development.  You will increase the quality of service provided by the finance team to other departments and ultimately to the farmer.

We are seeking an exceptional professional with 3+ years work experience, and a long-term career interest in international development. They will serve in a career-track position that combines financial and operational analysis with management experience in Africa.

Typical tasks will include:

• Managing Financial Operations and Developing Staff. The Operations and Finance Associate will manage the team of bookkeepers who do data entry for our financial and client management systems. Managing and developing the talent of the finance team will be your most important role. You will also collaborate closely across with field operations to create tools and procedures, and will develop trainings that ensure financial procedures are efficiently integrated with operational processes. The Operations and Finance Associate will work closely with the Associate Controller to ensure the accuracy of monthly financial information.
• Financial Analysis and Driving to Sustainability. The Operations and Finance Associate is tasked with pushing the country towards sustainability; you will provide reports on district, country and organization wide budget performance, and will oversee the measurement of Financial KPI’s and ensure appropriate action.  The Associate will provide analysis and recommendations for improved efficiency and cost effectiveness.
• Internal Audit Processes. The Operations and Finance Associate will manage the local internal audit team. The role of the internal audit team is to monitor all of our systems to ensure compliance with operational processes, from farmer level repayment to procurement.  You will need to have an intimate knowledge of the field operations, and regularly monitor performance of your staff through field visits.

Qualifications
We are looking for truly extraordinary candidates that will help take our organization to the next levels of impact and scale. This is a competitive posting for a career-track role with minimum initial commitment of two years. Candidates who fit the following criteria are strongly encouraged to apply:

• 3+ years work experiences.  Examples include a demanding professional work experience in a finance or operations function (e.g. implementing a new procurement process, managing a logistics system, working as a business or finance analyst).
• Confidence with numbers.
• Ability and drive to work independently.
• Management and mentorship experience.
• Experience with process design and implementation.
• Leadership experience at work, or outside of work.
• Top-performing undergraduate background.
• A willingness to commit to living in rural areas of East Africa for at least two years – this is a long-term, career-track position with potential to grow into a US-based management role.
• The ideal candidate will have at least one year demonstrated experience working in the developing world, although this is not a strict requirement.
• Burundi - French required.
• Ability to cook/ laugh/ extraordinary patience – all desirable

Preferred Start Date
Flexible

Compensation
Modest starting salary + significant benefits. This is a career–track role with meaningful salary increases and long–term placement with One Acre Fund for high performers.

Benefits
Health cover, immunizations, flight, room and board.

Career Development
One Acre Fund will make significant ongoing investments in your career development through real–time mentoring, quarterly career reviews, and opportunity for increasing responsibilities that will challenge you and help you grow.

Sponsor International Candidates
Yes

To Apply

1. Complete this form.
2. Email cover letter and resume to jobs@oneacrefund.org (Subject line: "Operations and Finance Associate Search" + name of the site that referred you).
3. If you are a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV), please submit a copy of your Description of Service (DOS).