Zambia Research Agronomist (Fixed-Term)

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.

About the Role

The Research Agronomist will shape which products and practices reach smallholder farmers in Zambia. Through hands-on research, you will identify, test, and validate interventions that improve soil health, increase yields, and boost farm profitability at scale. You will lead the full research lifecycle, from discovery and field trials to recommendations that inform country strategy. Based in Kabwe with regular field visits, the role offers strong learning opportunities in rigorous trial design, practical problem-solving, cross-department collaboration, and field team capacity building, contributing to One Acre Fund’s evidence-based impact across Africa.

Responsibilities

Research & Trials:

• Identify and prioritise new products or practices through market research, estimating farmer profitability, and risk assessment to ensure they align with organisational goals.
• Build rigorous, statistically sound experimental designs that are operationally feasible to execute in a rural field setting, and manage processes to assure data quality
• End-to-End Logistics: Manage the entire inputs supply chain for trials, ensuring inputs arrive on time to meet strict seasonal planting windows.
• Agile Troubleshooting: Act as the primary lead for on-the-ground execution, adapting protocols to real-world challenges without losing data integrity.

Field Agronomy & Support:

• Practical Translation: Convert complex technical research into simple, actionable advice that works for field officers and smallholder farmers
• Contextual Problem Solving: Provide evidence-based solutions for soil health and crop yields that account for local realities rather than just "textbook theory."
• Empowerment: Train field staff to troubleshoot independently, focusing on practical skill application rather than just theory.
• Farmer-Centric Quality Assurance: Monitor field compliance to understand why deviations occur, using those insights to make research protocols more user-friendly.

Project Management: You'llmaintain ownership of critical-path timelines and cross-departmental coordination (Logistics, MEL, Field Ops).

Survey & Data Leadership: You'lldesign high-quality agronomic surveys, validate incoming field data, and conduct rigorous analysis to determine project success.

Strategic Reporting: You'll translate data findings into clear, "smallholder-focused" recommendations that drive country-level strategy and evidence-based decision-making.

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 agricultural project management, with a proven track record of managing field trials, coordinating logistics, and delivering results on time and within budget.
• 3-5+ years of experience in agricultural research and field implementation, with demonstrated ability to balance research rigor with practical application, and are operationally feasible.
• Excellent communication and training skills, with the ability to translate complex technical findings into clear, practical guidance for field staff and farmers
• Experience in smallholder farmer contexts, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, is highly valued
• Excellent stakeholder coordination and communication skills, with the ability to work across teams (procurement, operations, field staff, MEL) to execute complex activities.
• Bachelor's degree in Agronomy, Agriculture, or related field required; Master's degree preferred
• Self-motivated with strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail; able to manage multiple competing priorities and deadlines effectively
• Proven experience in agricultural trial design and implementation. Strong quantitative skills with experience in data analysis (proficiency in R, Python, or similar statistical software preferred) will be considered an advantage

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Kabwe, Zambia

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Contract Duration

2 Years 

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

12 May 2026. 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.