Sustainable Agriculture Innovation Lead

About the role

The Sustainable Agriculture Innovation Lead will drive One Acre Fund’s transition from imported synthetic fertilizers to locally sourced, sustainable crop nutrition solutions for smallholder farmers in Sub‑Saharan Africa. Reporting to the Impact and R&D Division, the role works closely with Supply Chain, Government Relations and Field Operations to accelerate research, testing and adoption of innovative inputs.

Key responsibilities

• Build and maintain a comprehensive database of alternatives to synthetic fertilizers.
• Conduct wide‑scale desk research, key‑informant interviews, and supplier consultations to identify promising input and practice alternatives.
• Perform regular market scans and update the database with new performance data.
• Create a prioritisation framework to evaluate alternatives against impact, cost, scalability and suitability for smallholders.
• Accelerate research and field trials on selected technologies.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams and external stakeholders to improve access to sustainable nutrition solutions for farmers.

Required profile

• Strong understanding of smallholder farming systems in Sub‑Saharan Africa.
• Nuanced appreciation of the factors enabling a regenerative agricultural transition.
• Innovative, proactive leadership capable of overcoming technical, logistical or behavioural challenges.

Required skills