Research & Development Director at One Acre Fund

We are looking for a technical leader with a talent for operational execution to oversee our agriculture-focused research and development (R&D) function. This is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping and delivering our global R&D strategy, managing a growing team, planning and executing high-quality field research across multiple countries, and generating practical, scalable innovations for smallholder farmers. You will be a part of the Global Impact team and report directly to the Senior Director for R&D and Extension. This role is based in Kigali, Rwanda (being based in Nairobi, Kenya may also be an option for Kenyan nationals or exceptional candidates).

• Lead the development and execution of our global R&D strategy across early-stage discovery, field validation, and operational integration.
• Manage a team of global R&D managers and provide technical oversight to R&D staff across multiple country programs.
• Oversee the design and implementation of rigorous on-farm and on-station trials across thousands of farmers and diverse agroecological zones.
• Build and oversee detailed trial workplans, ensuring tight coordination of logistics such as farmer recruitment, input delivery, field team and farmer training, trial establishment.
• Establish and enforce data quality assurance systems—including spot-check protocols, audit trails, and real-time dashboards for monitoring trial health.
• Establish clear R&D pipeline governance, including prioritization, stage-gating, and quality assurance systems.
• Foster collaboration across agronomy, data science, human-centered design, and country operations to ensure farmer-centered research and fast iteration.
• Build external partnerships with universities, CGIAR centers, NARES, and others to amplify learning and sector impact.
• Ensure R&D data and insights are high-quality, FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), and shared openly where appropriate.

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