Rwanda Plant Nutrient Management Research & Lab Senior Specialist (Renewable)

About One Acre Fund

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.

About the Role

Lead end-to-end research on innovative plant nutrient management products, practices and services to drive measurable farmer impact. You will oversee soil and plant lab operations, manage a technical sub-team, and bridge the gap between high-confidence laboratory analysis and large-scale field implementation.

Responsibilities

Lead Applied Research in Plant Nutrient Management & Soil Health

• Design and lead multidisciplinary research, trials, and modelling to evaluate innovative plant nutrient management solutions (products, practices, services) for smallholder farmers.
• Assess feasibility, adoption potential, risks, and impact of products and practices through rigorous research and analysis.
• Develop scientifically robust methodologies, experimental designs, and impact models to support evidence-based decision-making.

Deliver High-Quality Trials, Data Analysis & Scalable Recommendations

• Oversee quality implementation of field and station trials, ensuring strong data integrity and research standards.
• Analyse and interpret complex datasets to generate actionable insights, technical reports, and decision-support recommendations.
• Translate research findings into scalable operational recommendations and farmer-facing solutions.
• Develop extension material based on well-evidenced products, practices and services.

Provide Technical Leadership for Soil & Plant Laboratory Operations

• Oversee laboratory and inventory operations, ensuring quality standards, SOP compliance, and operational efficiency.
• Guide laboratory resourcing, equipment planning, KPI tracking, and introduction of new analytical capabilities aligned with organisational priorities.
• Build technical capacity of laboratory and inventory staff through coaching, training, and performance support.

Build Research Partnerships & Drive Continuous Improvement

• Develop and manage collaborations with research institutions, government agencies, and industry stakeholders to strengthen technical capability and accelerate impact.
• Lead trainings, workshops, and process improvement initiatives to enhance departmental effectiveness.
• Represent the department in cross-functional and external technical engagements.
• Contribute to effective departmental coordination and administrative execution.

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.

Qualifications

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

• Relevant academic background in Agronomy, Soil Science, Plant Nutrition, Microbiology, Agroecology, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in agricultural research (e.g. experimental design, sampling methodologies, and bias minimisation techniques).
• Deep technical knowledge of soil science (biological, chemical and physical), plant nutrition, nutrient management options, soil food web theory, nutrient cycling, and soil health assessment options.
• Understanding of soil/plant laboratory operations management and soil chemical, biological and physical analysis techniques (e.g. dry chemistry, microbial enumeration).
• Familiarity with various fertiliser types (especially microbial biostimulants and synthetic fertilisers).
• Experience with data analysis tools.

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Rubengera, Rwanda

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Contract Duration

2 Years (Renewable)

Eligibility

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

Application Deadline

13 August 2026. 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.