Local Government Officer Job Vacancy at One Acre Fund
One Acre Fund is an agricultural non-profit organization supplying smallholder farmers in Eastern and Southern Africa with the financing and training to reduce hunger and poverty. Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund has designed a new solution for Africa’s smallholder farmers.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Local Government Officer
Location: Niger
Background
Through a complete set of services offered on credit - agricultural inputs, delivery, training, and market facilitation - we enable farmers to significantly increase their productivity and begin a permanent pathway out of hunger and poverty. We currently operate in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi, where we serve over 500,000 smallholder farmer. One Acre Fund launched pilot operations in Nigeria in 2018, and aims to bring this program to scale over the next few years starting in Niger State.
One Acre Fund invests in building management and leadership capacity. We provide constant, actionable feedback delivered through weekly meetings and regular career reviews. We also have regular one-on-one meetings where we listen to and discuss career goals, and work collaboratively to craft roles that each person can be passionate about.
Job Description
- In this role, you will report to the Nigeria Government Relation Lead and to the Nigeria Country Director.
- The successful applicant will demonstrate a strong understanding of traditional and local government structures, have an interest in agriculture, be prepared to travel regularly and be adept in written and verbal communication.
- The successful candidate will grow professional with the organisation as we scale the program to states beyond Niger.
- One Acre Fund is a rapidly growing organization; increasing the number of clients we serve in each year and the number of countries in which we operate. One Acre Fund is seeking a Local Government Officer (LGO) to be based in our headquarters in Minna, Niger State.
- In this role, you will serve as the primary point of contact with traditional authorities (District & Village Heads), State and local government officials as we continue to establish our program in Nigeria.
Primary Duties
- Engage stakeholders and local government officials of all levels with a view to deepening and broadening One Acre Fund’s local government network in Nigeria.
- Assist program expansion through relationship management with relevant authorities in new or targeted areas of operation.
- Track and renew licenses and permits required for our operations.
- Research and analyse policies, regulations, programs and political developments relevant to field operations.
- Continually en
- Produce communications materials to engage key contacts and keep them informed of our work, including quarterly reports, briefing notes and official written correspondence.
- Provide trainings to One Acre Fund staff on best practices for working with government officials, and other capacity building support, as needed.
- Track and manage risks and issues from local government affecting field operations.
- Track and manage One Acre Fund’s database of key contacts and interactions in Nigeria.
- Host key stakeholder events (e.g. field visits) and oversee participation in agricultural shows and other external events. Ensure proper government protocols are observed at all hosted events.
- gage field leadership to remain informed of the latest developments with our program and trials, through:
- Regular attendance at Field Officer /Field Leader Meetings
- Monthly meetings with Field Team and Innovations leads
Qualifications
- We are seeking professionals with a minimum two (2) years work experience.
- They will demonstrate passion for agricultural development and be familiar with the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Nigeria.
- We are looking for extraordinary candidates that are organized and proactive; please only apply if you fit these criteria:
- Undergraduate degree from a recognized academic institution. Candidates with graduate studies and degrees will be given additional consideration.
- Work experience in a demanding professional environment such as government, business or NGO
- Demonstrated computer skills in email, internet usage, and Microsoft Office
- Strong written and oral communication skills with good attention to detail
- A willingness to commit to living and working in and around Minna for a long-term position
- Leadership and management experience at work or outside of work
- Proven ability to set and meet targets
- Fluent in English is a requirement. Hausa and other local dialects are bonuses.
- Passionate about serving and working for smallholder farmers
Please highlight the following skills if you have them:
- Experience working in agriculture and/or rural development
- Background in dealing with government officials at local, state and or federal level – a bonus
- Capacity to produce neat and timely written work for internal and external audiences
- Ability to communicate across internal departments, coordinate meetings, and make recommendations
- Experience managing staff or a team.
Compensation/Benefit
- Competitive salary and benefits package, commensurate with experience.
- Career Development: Bi-annual career reviews and regular professional feedback.
Timeline
- Interviews will be conducted during the months of July and August 2018, with a projected start date of September/October 2018.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV's and Cover Letters to:
[email protected] Using the subject "Nigeria Local Government Officer".
Application Deadline 27th July, 2018.
Note: Applicants that pass initial screening will be contacted within two weeks of closing to schedule an interview.