Nigeria State Expansion Specialist

Nigeria State Expansion Specialist

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. Headquartered in Bungoma, Kenya, the organization works with farmers in rural villages throughout Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and recently Malawi.

Using a market-based ap...

Nigeria State Expansion Specialist

• Job Type Full Time
• Qualification BA/BSc/HND
• Experience 5 years
• Location Gombe , Jigawa , Kano
• Job Field NGO/Non-Profit

About the Role

• Seeking an entrepreneurial field operations leader to launch and run OAF's newest expansion state, leading site selection, team-building, and a full season across credit, Cash, Trees, and Extension to prove the model before it scales.

Responsibilities

State Entry & Launch:

• Lead community mapping and site selection within the assigned state, building on the state-level approvals and Security Risk Assessment (SRA) completed by the Expansion Senior Specialist.
• Establish the operational footprint, including districts, wards, and Points of Delivery (PODs), based on farmers' potential, accessibility, and operational viability.
• Recruit, onboard and prepare the in-state team before programme activities begin, ensuring staffing meets operational needs and organisational diversity targets.

Programme & Commercial Operations:

• Lead the successful delivery of all programme activities across Credit, Cash Sales, Trees, Extension and Market Access throughout the first season.
• Develop and execute the state's operational calendar, ensuring activities such as recruitment, enrollment, training, seedling production, repayment and aggregation are well coordinated.
• Own delivery of the state's Season 1 operational, enrollment, revenue and P&L targets.

People Leadership:

• Lead and develop the in-state leadership team, providing direction, coaching and performance management to Coordinators and frontline managers.
• Build a high-performing culture by strengthening capability, addressing underperformance, resolving resource conflicts and implementing strategies to improve frontline staff retention.

Community & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build trusted relationships with community leaders and local stakeholders to support programme delivery and farmer participation.
• Lead local trust-building efforts, particularly around Credit enrollment and the 15% prepayment requirement.

Performance, Risk & Continuous Improvement:

• Monitor programme performance across districts, using data to identify risks, improve execution and recommend corrective actions.
• Manage operational, financial and credit risks within the state, escalating significant issues where required.
• Provide evidence-based recommendations on state performance and readiness for scale to support leadership decisions beyond the first season.

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:

• A Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Business, Economics, Social Sciences or a related field is required
• 5 years of relevant experience, including 3 years leading fiel