One Acre Fund is a nonprofit organization that supplies smallholder farmers in East Africa with asset-based financing and agriculture training services to reduce hunger and poverty.
The Role: Tupande Cash Crop Production Manager
This role offers an exciting opportunity to directly shape the next frontier of Tupande’s impact by launching and managing new, end-to-end value chains — from seed to market. You will work closely with the New Cash Crops team to lead the day-to-day operations of cash crop pilot projects, supporting the design, implementation, and scale-up of high-potential crops that diversify farmer income beyond traditional staples — driving both profitability and sustainability for farming communities.
Responsibilities
1. Farmer Trial Operations:
- Coordinate setup and implementation of crop trials (e.g., chili, rosemary, lemongrass, essential oils).
- Manage the procurement and logistics for trial materials (seedlings, inputs, tools) and ensure timely delivery to field sites.
- Support data collection, field monitoring, and feedback loops to evaluate trial performance.
- Collaborate with agronomy and training teams to ensure the team and farmers receive the right technical support.
2. Aggregation Coordinations:
- Work with aggregation and logistics teams to plan and execute efficient collection, quality check, storage, and transport of produce.
- Liaise with Soko and Asili teams to strengthen the link between farmer production and market aggregation.
- Track volumes, timelines, and performance indicators to ensure aggregation targets are met.
3. Quality Assurance:
- Implement quality-control standards at trial, aggregation, and post-harvest stages.
- Support testing, grading, and documentation to meet buyer and export requirements.
- Identify and troubleshoot quality issues early, coordinating corrective action with relevant teams.
Career Growth and Development
We have a strong culture of constant learning and 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 and Experience
For this role specifically, you will have:
- 5+ years of relevant experience in agricultural field operations, value chain development, export business or agribusiness execution.
- Proven ability to work in rural field environments, manage field staff or agents, and oversee implementation across multiple sites.
- Proficiency with digital tools such as Google Suite and Microsoft Office (especially Sheets/Excel).
- Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Operations Management, or a related field is required.
- A post-graduate degree is preferred.
- Strong operational and project management skills, with experience coordinating activities across various teams such as field, logistics, aggregation, and sourcing.
