Value Chain Strategy Lead

About the Role

One Acre Fund serves more than one million smallholder farm families across East and West Africa by delivering farm inputs, training, and market access on credit. The Value Chain Strategy Lead will design and oversee crop-specific market linkage strategies to ensure farmers receive competitive prices for their harvests.

This is a fixed-term, full-time position based in Nairobi, with regular travel to field sites in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and partner countries. Compensation is competitive within the East African development sector and includes medical cover, paid annual leave, and a relocation allowance for non-Kenyan hires.

Responsibilities

• Map and analyse agricultural value chains for maize, bean, soybean, and other priority crops
• Identify and negotiate offtake agreements with buyers, processors, and cooperatives
• Design and pilot new market linkage models, then scale those showing measurable income gains for farmers
• Manage a team of five to eight market officers across multiple regions
• Produce quarterly strategy reports for senior leadership and donor partners
• Represent One Acre Fund in national and regional agricultural policy forums

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in agribusiness, economics, business administration, or a related field (Masters degree preferred)
• At least five years of professional experience in agricultural value chains, commodity trading, or market systems development in sub-Saharan Africa
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate commercial agreements with private sector buyers
• Advanced proficiency with Excel or Google Sheets; experience with Stata or R is a plus
• Fluent in English; Kiswahili is a significant advantage
• Eligible to work in Kenya or able to obtain the required work permit

Nice to Have

• Experience with smallholder or last-mile distribution models
• Familiarity with impact measurement frameworks for market linkage programmes
• Prior management of field-based teams across multiple regions

How to Apply

Apply through the One Acre Fund careers portal at oneacrefund.org by 10 June 2026. Complete the online application form and submit a CV and a short motivation statement (max 400 words) describing your most relevant experience. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for a structured telephone interview.