Rotational Senior Associate / Manager (Fixed-term)

About

One Acre Fund seeks a rotational Senior Associate / Manager to drive cross-functional projects spanning internal systems, field operations, R&D, donor/government relations and people operations in the DRC. The one-year renewable role is based in Kinshasa or Kimpese with rural travel and is intended to fast-track into a permanent leadership role within 6–12 months. Terms of service: Fixed-term. Duty station: Kinshasa or Kimpese, Democratic Republic of Congo. Contract duration: 1 year, renewable with a high chance based on good performance.

How to apply

Apply online through the official advert page on One Acre Fund Careers using the “Apply now” route.

Responsibilities

• Lead or support high-priority strategic initiatives assigned by senior leadership, coordinating across multiple teams and functions.
• Own project deliverables from scoping and planning through execution, monitoring progress, resolving bottlenecks, and adjusting course as needed.
• Provide short-term surge support to teams during capacity gaps, staff transitions, organisational pivots, or other priority periods.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships and contribute to organisational priorities with a high degree of initiative, accountability, and adaptability.
• Conduct rapid qualitative and quantitative research/analysis to inform programme strategy, operational improvements, and investment decisions.
• Assess new ventures and lead small program pilots.
• Analyse programme, operational, and stakeholder data to identify trends, opportunities, risks, and actionable insights.
• Translate complex findings into clear recommendations, briefing notes, memos, presentations, and decision-support materials for senior leadership.
• Apply cost-benefit analysis, financial modelling, and budget/variance analysis to assess programme performance and support strategic decisions.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and develop practical tools, workflows, and systems that improve collaboration, execution, and data use.
• Support field implementation through programme-area travel, data collection, program pilot execution, and operational research.
• Design, test, and document new interventions, systems, or processes, using field evidence and stakeholder feedback to recommend adaptation or scale-up.
• Onboard and coach field-facing teams on new tools, systems, and programmes while capturing lessons learned for institutional knowledge-sharing.
• Coordinate cross-functional inputs and contribute to high-quality proposals, concept notes, donor reports, and other external-facing materials.
• Liaise with DRC government counterparts and other strategic stakeholders on partnership priorities, ensuring effective internal coordination and follow-through.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Finance, International Development, Agriculture, Social Sciences, Engineering, or another relevant field; a Master’s degree is an advantage.
• We welcome applicants from a wide range of fields, including consulting, development, humanitarian work, finance, HR, impact, sales, innovation, and science.
• 3 years' experience in project management, strategy, research, programme operations, consulting, business development, finance, or development-sector roles; greater experience and demonstrated independent leadership expected at Manager level.
• Understanding of programme implementation, operational challenges, and field realities in rural or low-resource contexts; agriculture or development-sector experience is an advantage.
• Proven critical thinking and problem-solving ability, with a track record of navigating complexity and driving clarity in ambiguous or fast-moving contexts.
• Strong analytical skills, either quantitative (e.g., financial modelling, performance analysis) or qualitative (e.g., research, synthesis, strategic insights).
• Innovative and resourceful mindset, with demonstrated ability to design or adapt solutions to operational or strategic challenges.
• Familiarity with the DRC operating environment, development landscape, or relevant regional context is an advantage but not required.
• Demonstrated ability to work across functions and locations, with willingness to travel regularly to programme areas and take on assignments based on organisational priorities.
• Professional fluency in English required; Basic French is an advantage; Lingala or other relevant local-language capability is an advantage.