Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips 5.5 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive. Across nine countries that together are home to two-thirds of Africa’s farmers, we provide high-quality farm supplies, tree seedlings, accessible credit, modern agronomic training, and a wide range of other agricultural services. On average, this model enables any farmer to increase their income and assets on supported land by more than 35 percent, while permanently improving their resilience. This is all made possible by our team of 9,000+ full-time staff, drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. To learn more, please see our Why Work Here blog post.

Our Rwanda program, founded in 2007 is our largest and operates under the local brand Tubura. We have more than 3,000 staff across all four provinces of Rwanda, as well as in Kigali. Together, we served more than 2.8 million farmers in 2024. We work closely with the government to support national efforts to improve food security. Additionally, we help channel funding and resources to promising agri-SMEs, supporting farmers by providing a market for high-impact crops such as coffee, avocado, and chili.

Job Summary

Seeking 2 agronomic research professionals with 3-5+ years experience who will evaluate (microbial) plant nutrition products and soil health practices & assessment methods, build up our Soil & Plant Lab and design soil-improving cropping systems.

Responsibilities

Lead Applied Research & Innovation

• Design and deliver multidisciplinary research across cropping systems, soil health, and plant nutrient management to identify high-impact, scalable solutions for farmers.
• Assess feasibility, risk, and impact through trials, modelling, and comparative analysis.

Deliver Rigorous Trials & Actionable Insights

• Design scientifically robust trials and experimental methodologies, ensuring data quality, statistical validity, and clear reporting.
• Analyse and synthesise trial results into insights that inform products, practices, and strategic decisions.
• Design of agroforestry cropping systems or lead assessment of alternative (bio-) fertilisers, depending on specific role.

Translate Research into Scalable Farmer Solutions

• Convert research outputs into practical recommendations, decision-support tools (DSS), and operational products.
• Support smooth handover of validated interventions to commercial, extension, and operational teams; present findings to diverse stakeholders.

Provide Technical & People Leadership for Lab and Research Teams

• Oversee soil and plant laboratory operations, including methods, SOPs, KPIs, resourcing, and continuous improvement.
• Lead, mentor, and develop research and laboratory staff, aligning team performance with departmental goals.

Drive Strategy, Partnerships & Organisational Impact

• Contribute to and lead departmental strategies in research, soil health, laboratory services, and extension innovation.
• Build and manage strategic partnerships with research institutions, government, and industry to accelerate impact and scale.

Career Growth and Development

We have a strong culture of constant learning and we 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.

Minimum Qualifications Required

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Agronomy, Soil Science, Environmental Science, or a related field.
• Experience in nutrient management and cycling (Nitrogen, Carbon, Soil Food Web) and soil health/fertility assessment.
• Experience designing agroecologically sound cropping systems or working with biofertilisers, especially plant growth–promoting microbes (role dependent). 
• Experience applying experimental design and sampling best practices.
• Ability to analyse and model complex agronomic datasets using R, Excel, GIS, or related tools.
• Familiarity with soil and plant laboratory methods, with the capacity to supervise lab operations and quality standards.
• Strong communication skills, including technical reporting and presentations to diverse stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work independently with research partners and collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Rubengera, Rwanda

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Contract Duration

2 Years (Renewable)

Eligibility

One Acre Fund can support a work permit for this role. However, nationals of (or those with an extensive professional background and work history in) our countries of operation are preferred.

The post Rwanda Plant Nutrient & Soil Systems Research Senior Specialist / Associate (Fixed-Term) first appeared on Jobs in Rwanda.

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips 5.5 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive. Across nine countries that together are home to two-thirds of Africa’s farmers, we provide high-quality farm supplies, tree seedlings, accessible credit, modern agronomic training, and a wide range of other agricultural services. On average, this model enables any farmer to increase their income and assets on supported land by more than 35 percent, while permanently improving their resilience. This is all made possible by our team of 9,000+ full-time staff, drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. To learn more, please see our Why Work Here blog post.

Our Rwanda program, founded in 2007 is our largest and operates under the local brand Tubura. We have more than 3,000 staff across all four provinces of Rwanda, as well as in Kigali. Together, we served more than 2.8 million farmers in 2024. We work closely with the government to support national efforts to improve food security. Additionally, we help channel funding and resources to promising agri-SMEs, supporting farmers by providing a market for high-impact crops such as coffee, avocado, and chili.

Job Summary

Seeking a creative agricultural mechanization researcher to test and iterate on smallholder farming technologies, evaluate their impact on farmers in terms of productivity boosts and cost reductions and help improve the rigour and efficiency of trials at research stations.

Responsibilities

Lead Mechanisation Research & Feasibility Assessment

• Conduct phase 0 research to identify high-impact smallholder mechanisation opportunities through market scans, feasibility studies, adoption analysis, and financial modelling.
• Assess risks, scalability, and farmer adoption potential to prioritise mechanisation research investments.

Design, Adapt & Validate Mechanisation Solutions

• Select, adapt, and refine mechanisation technologies (e.g. planters, weeders, harvest and post-harvest tools, irrigation devices) based on farmer needs and contextual constraints.
• Design and oversee rigorous trials to creatively evaluate and iterate on machine performance, usability, efficiency, and cost reduction potential.
• Develop robust impact models assessing financial, environmental, and health outcomes.

Deliver High-Quality Trials & Actionable Insights

• Ensure scientifically sound trial design, data collection protocols, and quality control across station and field trials.
• Analyse and synthesise trial data into clear recommendations and decision-ready insights.
• Present findings to internal teams, partners, and external stakeholders.

Provide Technical & Operational Leadership for Research Stations

• Oversee research rigour, operational efficiency, performance management, and SLA adherence across research stations.
• Strengthen SOPs, data integrity, and communication flows between stations and trial owners.
• Manage station capacity, resources, and infrastructure to support high-quality trial execution.

Build Partnerships, Develop Teams & Drive Continuous Improvement

• Manage relationships with manufacturers, fabricators, academic institutions, and sector experts to co-develop and improve mechanisation solutions.
• Mentor and manage research staff, aligning performance and priorities with departmental goals.
• Lead process improvements, capacity-building initiatives, and cross-organisational collaboration to increase impact and efficiency.

Career Growth and Development

We have a strong culture of constant learning and we 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.

Minimum Qualifications Required

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Agricultural Engineering, Agronomy, Mechanisation, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in smallholder agricultural mechanisation  and interpreting machine design and specifications.
• Well-rounded agronomic foundation (e.g. cropping systems, IPM, ISFM) and strong grounding in agroecologically sound agriculture.Proven ability to design and manage field trials using robust experimental design and sampling best practices.
• Analytical skills, including statistical analysis and impact modelling using R, Excel, or similar tools.
• High level of independence, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration in applied research environments.
• Fabrication/welding skills is a plus.

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Rubengera, Rwanda

Contract Duration

2 years, transformable to permanent in the case of good performance

Benefits

Health insurance, paid time off 

Eligibility

This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Rwanda

The post Rwanda Mechanisation Research & Station Trials Senior Specialist (Fixed-Term) first appeared on Jobs in Rwanda.

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips 5.5 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive. Across nine countries that together are home to two-thirds of Africa’s farmers, we provide high-quality farm supplies, tree seedlings, accessible credit, modern agronomic training, and a wide range of other agricultural services. On average, this model enables any farmer to increase their income and assets on supported land by more than 35 percent, while permanently improving their resilience. This is all made possible by our team of 9,000+ full-time staff, drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions.

To learn more, please see our Why Work Here blog post.

Job Summary

We are looking for a technical leader with a talent for operational execution to oversee our agriculture-focused research and development (R&D) function. This is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping and delivering our global R&D strategy, managing a growing team, planning and executing high-quality field research across multiple countries, and generating practical, scalable innovations for smallholder farmers. You will be a part of the Global Impact team and report directly to the Senior Director for R&D and Extension. This role is based in Kigali, Rwanda (being based in Nairobi, Kenya may also be an option for Kenyan nationals or exceptional candidates).

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of our global R&D strategy across early-stage discovery, field validation, and operational integration.
• Manage a team of global R&D managers and provide technical oversight to R&D staff across multiple country programs.
• Oversee the design and implementation of rigorous on-farm and on-station trials across thousands of farmers and diverse agroecological zones.
• Build and oversee detailed trial workplans, ensuring tight coordination of logistics such as farmer recruitment, input delivery, field team and farmer training, trial establishment.
• Establish and enforce data quality assurance systems—including spot-check protocols, audit trails, and real-time dashboards for monitoring trial health.
• Establish clear R&D pipeline governance, including prioritization, stage-gating, and quality assurance systems.
• Foster collaboration across agronomy, data science, human-centered design, and country operations to ensure farmer-centered research and fast iteration.
• Build external partnerships with universities, CGIAR centers, NARES, and others to amplify learning and sector impact.
• Ensure R&D data and insights are high-quality, FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), and shared openly where appropriate.

Educational Qualifications, Skills, & Experience Required

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• 10+ years of experience in agricultural research and development, including at least 5 years managing complex, multi-country R&D portfolios or large trial operations.
• Deep technical expertise in agronomy, soil science, crop physiology, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience designing, executing, and analyzing on-farm and on-station trials, with proven ability to set up monitoring systems that catch protocol deviations, flag missing or inconsistent data, and hold teams accountable for corrective action.
• Ability to build systems that drive cost-efficiency, quality assurance, and knowledge sharing across geographies.
• A strong bias for implementation—you’re not just interested in what should happen, but in ensuring it does happen, on time and to spec.
• The ability to translate complex science into actionable guidance for internal teams, partners, and policymakers.
• Fluency in English required; French, Swahili, or other regional languages a plus.

Eligibility

One Acre Fund can support a work permit for this role. However, nationals of (or those with an extensive professional background and work history in) our countries of operation are preferred.

Application Deadline

03 November 2025.Please note that we hire on a rolling basis which means that applications are reviewed and processed on a continuous basis until a hire is made.

One Acre Fund never asks candidates to pay any money or pay for tests at any stage of the interview process. Official One Acre Fund emails will always arrive from an @oneacrefund.org address. Please report any suspicious communication here (globalhotline@oneacrefund.org), but do not send applications or application materials to this email address.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), and anti-racism are deeply connected to our organization’s mission and purpose. One Acre Fund aspires to build a culture where all staff feel consistently valued, represented, and connected – so that our team can thrive as professionals, and achieve exceptional impact for the farmers we serve.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

The post Research & Development Director first appeared on Jobs in Rwanda.