Government Relations Assistant at One Acre Fund Nigeria

One Acre Fund is one of the fastest-growing organizations in Africa and serves over 1.1 million farmers in 10 countries. One Acre Fund puts farmers first and prioritizes interventions that can generate meaningful positive impacts in the lives of our farmers. Leadership is the most sustainable way to generate growth, and we invest in careers more than any other organization.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Government Relations Assistant

Locations: Lapai, Bida - Niger and Ilorin, Kwara
Employment Type: Full Time
Job Type: 1 Year Fixed Term (Renewable)
Department: Government Relations Assistant
Industry: Non-profit / International Development / Agriculture

About the Role

• One Acre Fund works closely with state and national governments. Our principal focus is the Ministries of Agriculture in the countries where we operate, but we also pay close attention to other actors in the agricultural and agroforestry sectors. We aim to share information on what we do and build support among influential stakeholders. We also seek detailed insights into these sectors' strategic, regulatory, legal, and political issues.
• The Government Relations Assistant will build and maintain effective relations with local leaders, including government, community, and traditional leaders, to support field and program operations. The role will be based in our Lapai and Ilorin field offices.
• The successful candidate will be a clear and confident communicator who can present on behalf of OAF at local-level meetings while having a solid undaerstanding of the products and practices OAF supports.
• This role also requires strong time-keeping and organizational skills, as meeting and field visit logistics will be an important feature. Last, the role will involve regular trips to all sites across our areas of operation and potential travel to new districts. It will also require autonomy and structured work planning.
• We seek motivated employees with at least two years of work experience.
• S/he will demonstrate a long-term passion for agriculture in our districts and will be familiar with the challenges smallholder farmers face.
• We are looking for extraordinary candidates who are organized and proactive; please only apply if you fit these criteria:

Specific Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with local stakeholders—government, community leaders, traditional leaders, etc.—and keep them informed of our work. You will also manage this database, updating it regularly.
• Organize stakeholder engagement meetings like Meet & Greet and appreciation visits, taking charge of this from start to finish.
• Coordinate One Acre Fund field events like distribution flag-offs and harvest day, as well as involvement in other agricultural events on the field, providing support for all field logistics.
• Arrange collection and delivery of documents, reports, and invitations to officials and stakeholders.
• Provide compliance support for operations, ensuring all licenses and permits needed for field operations are secured at the right time.
• Support field operations activities like marketing, enrollment, input delivery, and repayments in line with GR operating procedures.
• Monitor and track risks impacting field and program operations and report to the appropriate stakeholders.

Qualifications

• A relevant university degree or HND.
• 1 - 2 years of relevant work experience working with government stakeholders or on community development projects.
• Ability to plan and execute field projects and events.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to negotiate and effectively advocate on behalf of an organization.
• Good organizational skills and exceptional multitasking
• Willing to live in Lapai or Ilorin with extensive travel across neighboring LGAs and communities.
• Conversant with Google or Microsoft suites.
• Fluent in English and local languages (Yoruba, Hausa, Gbagyi, Nupe).
• Demonstrated leadership experience at or outside of work, enthusiasm for learning, and openness to feedback.
• Strong communication (written and oral) and public speaking skills.

Compensation
In line with the job level:

• One Acre Fund provides employees with a percentage of their basic salaries for housing allowance and child support.
• Retirement savings: OAF contributes 10%, and you contribute 8% of your basic salary to your retirement savings account.
• One Acre Fund also provides monthly reimbursements to cover work-related costs for transport and airtime.
• Relocation support is not available for this position.
• Females are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Application Deadline 11th November, 2024.