Local Government Officer at One Acre Fund

One Acre Fund works to make African smallholder farmers more prosperous. We supply everything farmers need to grow more food and earn more income. We deliver quality farm supplies on credit, deep in rural areas, and trainings to improve farmers’ harvests. We currently serve 600,000 clients in six countries across Eastern and Southern Africa, and we aim to reach 1 million farm families by 2020.

Job Description

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Build and manage relationships with government officials and stakeholders to deepen and broaden One Acre Fund’s Local Government network in Central Province.
• This will also include developing and executing risk management and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Develop, execute and manage a process of building local government champions for One Acre Fund. This shall include but not be limited to District Commissioners, Mayors/Council Chairs and Chiefs.
• Produce communications materials to engage key contacts and keep them informed of our work.
• Provide expansion support to the field team as they expand to new geographies and jurisdictions. Manage Government Relations support for program expansion through relationship building with relevant traditional authorities in new or targeted areas of operation.
• Provide training to ALL One Acre Fund staff on best practices for working with government officials, best practices for warehouse staff and other capacity building trainings as need arises
• Manage the Local Government Assistant, including successful management of their portfolio and their professional development; be prepared to take on additional people management roles as the team grows.

As the Sub-National Government Relations Lead:

• Use the contact database to track and manage One Acre Funds key contacts and interactions at Sub-National level
• Oversee participation in agricultural shows and other external events. Ensure proper government protocols are observed at all hosted events. Advice team and country leadership on the utility of attending shows and events
• Track and (as needed) renew licenses and permits required for our operations. This also includes reminding other teams of licenses and renewals that they own.

Continually engage field leadership to remain informed of latest developments with our program and trials through:

• Facilitation of Local Government Relations fortnightly Department Meetings
• Collaborate with Local Government Assistant on strategy development for Government Relations support to the field team
• Onboard all new One Acre Fund Zambia members of staff on Government Relations roles and responsibilities
• Other duties as assigned

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

Specific qualifications include, but are not limited to:

• Undergraduate degree from a recognized academic institution. Candidates with graduate studies and degrees will be given additional consideration.
• Experience working in a demanding, fast-paced professional environment such as government, business or NGO. Demonstrated computer skills in email, internet usage, and Microsoft Office
• Experience in government and external relations, customer and stakeholder engagement.
• Knowledge of and experience with regulatory analysis and assessment highly preferred.
• Knowledge of and familiarity with local government systems and politics (including traditional authorities) is required.
• Strong written and oral communication skills with good attention to detail
• A self-starter who can thrive in a fast-paced work environment with a remote manager
• A willingness to commit to living in Kabwe for a long-term position
• Leadership and management experience at work or outside of work
• Proven ability to independently set and meet targets
• Fluent in English, Nyanja and Bemba
• Passionate about serving smallholder farmers in Zambia.
• Ability to build teams and collaborate with colleagues from diverse backgrounds. Humility is essential to success in this role.
• Experience working in agriculture and/or rural development
• Background in dealing with government officials at local and national levels
• Capacity to produce neat and timely written work for internal and external audiences
• Ability to communicate across teams, coordinate meetings, and make recommendations
• Experience managing people

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