Partnerships and Innovation Associate

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.

It is estimated that 1.1 million hectares of forest land are being lost each year in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This pattern of deforestation, which has significant implications for the region, is primarily attributed to small-scale farming practices. One Acre Fund is working to address the root causes of deforestation, linked to poverty and low agricultural yields, by giving smallholder farmers the tools they need to shift their agricultural activities away from forest land and help them obtain bigger and healthier harvests. We train farmers in agroforestry, support the set-up and scale up of farmer-led entrepreneurial ventures, and operate along the seed value chain to ensure access to improved inputs for smallholder farmers.

About the Role

As Partnerships and Innovation Associate, you will help drive high-quality stewardship of a major donor partnership in DRC while shaping the program's long-term growth of the country program. You will combine grant management, donor engagement, strategic partnerships, and innovation for program development. You will be a part of the DRC team, reporting to the DRC country leadership team, with a dotted-line connection to the Business Development team. This role is based in Kinshasa and is expected to be onsite.

Responsibilities

• Grant Management
  
  • Lead donor communications and reporting for a major DRC-based funder
  • Coordinate across country and global teams to ensure timely, high-quality deliverables
  • Oversee grant administration, including documentation, finances, and donor visits
  • Support French-language materials through translation and content development
• Partnerships
  
  • Build and manage relationships with public donors and private sector actors in DRC
  • Co-develop joint initiatives and funding opportunities with partners
  • Represent One Acre Fund in key donor and sector coordination platforms
• Innovation
  
  • Research market access models and identify opportunities for smallholder inclusion
  • Collaborate with internal teams to develop new program components and proposals
  • Align innovation efforts with emerging donor priorities and country strategy

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:

• 5+ years of experience in donor relations, partnerships, or program development
• Proven ability to manage complex grants and build strategic relationships
• Strong writing and communication skills in French and English
• Solid project management skills and ability to juggle multiple priorities
• Experience in the development sector, ideally with public or institutional donors

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Contract Duration

1 year, 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.

Application Deadline

27 August 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.