Country: Senegal
Closing date: 31 May 2017
Critical Requirement: Proficiency in French and English
Term: Minimum 2 year commitment
About myAgro
myAgro is an award-winning social enterprise working in Mali and Senegal, West Africa. Our North Star is to reach 1 million small-scale farmers and increase their income by $1.50 per day to move out of poverty. We’re doing that by using an innovative mobile-layaway platform that helps farmers save up for fertilizer, seed and training to increase the amount of money they earn from their farm. Small-scale farmers across the globe make up 70% of the world’s poor. Our model increases farm income, reduces food insecurity, and helps farmers move out of poverty. We’ve grown from 240 farmers to over 15,000 in the last 4 years and have plans to rapidly scale in the coming years.
We are proud to have received recognition for our work from Echoing Green, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, One Acre Fund, Mulago Foundation, The Salesforce Foundation and The Tech Museum, among others.
At myAgro, we don’t offer your average 9-5 job. We are a fast-paced, start up social enterprise looking for determined, creative problem-solvers who want to make a true difference. We take immense pride in our work, and we believe in our mission. Hear our founder talk about our innovative model or learn more about what it takes to be great fit.
Position Overview
At myAgro you will work harder and grow more than you dreamed possible. We are currently seeking entrepreneurial, passionate individuals seeking to support smallholder farmers across West Africa.
Program Associates are key members of myAgro’s team, focused on developing and managing our field and office programs and trials. A strong preference will be given to those who have operated in fast-growth environments with limited resources and/or in developing nations.
In this role, you will be charged with a range of diverse projects and responsibilities that will develop and hone your skills and abilities. You may work on 3-5 projects at a time, working iteratively with your manager to produce well thought-out, high quality work products.
The Program Associate, Agriculture role is critical to ensuring that we are delivering the highest quality of inputs and services possible to our farmers. With our ambitious plans to increase our impact with farmers, this is a crucial role to the team. For the right candidate, there are opportunities in the future to expand the role regionally. Responsibilities for the role include but are not limited to the following:
- Agriculture Programs: Use leading agronomic practices and human centered design to create recommendations and trainings the support the success of farmers and myAgro field teams
- Research and Development: Trial new crops and seed varieties, conduct agricultural research and create research reports for current and proposed agriculture activities
- External Partners: Maintain positive relationships with partners
- Team Management: Manage and develop the local agriculture field teams, including creating extensive training materials, developing work plans, and providing value-added feedback
Required Skills & Qualifications
- A passion for the mission, vision and values of myAgro
- At least 2 years work experience and prior management experience, with one year in a developing country. Note that the ability to work with the speed and flexibility of a start-up versus an academic environment is crucial to this role. Preference for experience with agriculture focused social enterprise
- French and English proficiency – Business in Mali and Senegal is conducted in French, so being proficient in French is a requirement at myAgro
- A masters or Ph.D. in an agronomy discipline preferred
- Excellent project management skills
- Creative and versatile approach to problem-solving; solution-oriented
- Detail-oriented and organized
- Strong communication skills and ability to work cross culturally
- As with any start up, flexibility, a sense of humor and an open mind are necessary for success
Benefits
- Compensation is modest, but will be competitive with other social enterprises
- Initial flight to West Africa, additional flight in year two
- Excellent emergency and global health benefits
- Four weeks of annual vacation, plus national holidays
- Stipend for local language lessons
- Tons of karmic good – you’ll be directly helping farming families move beyond subsistence farming!
How to apply:
Please submit your letter of interest and resume/cv here.