Ethiopia Senior Tree Expansion Field Manager (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.

One Acre Fund has been working with farmers in the Amhara region of Ethiopia since 2014, with a specific focus on trees since 2018. The Ethiopia program expanded to South Ethiopia in 2024. Our aim with the tree program is to provide not only short-term income opportunities but also long-term benefits, such as soil health improvements and erosion control, so that farmers build resilience over time.

As the Trees Program expands its work in the Oromia Region, we are seeking a motivated and field-oriented professional to identify, assess, and recommend high-potential areas for future program expansion.

About the Role

The Senior Tree Expansion Field Manager will play a key role in identifying and assessing potential areas for the expansion of the Ethiopia Trees Program in Oromia Region.

You will spend most of your time in the field conducting scouting visits, assessing potential expansion areas, collecting primary data, interviewing farmers and stakeholders, engaging government offices, and validating the suitability of potential woredas and kebeles.

You will report to the Ethiopia Tree Expansion Senior Specialist.

Responsibilities

Field Scouting and Expansion Assessment

• Conduct field scouting visits to identify potential tree program expansion areas within the Oromia Region.

• Visit potential zones, woredas, and kebeles to assess their suitability for Trees Program expansion.

• Spend approximately 75% of working time on field-based scouting and assessment activities.

• Conduct structured field assessments using established Trees Program assessment criteria and tools.

• Assess agroforestry suitability, water availability, land availability, agroecological conditions, altitude, soil characteristics, crop and tree patterns, market potential, scale potential, clustering opportunities, road accessibility, security risks, government relationships, and the presence of similar programs.

• Assess the availability and reliability of water sources, recognizing water access as a critical factor for successful tree program implementation.

• Identify potential kebeles that meet the minimum requirements for program expansion.

• Identify key opportunities, constraints, risks, and operational challenges in potential expansion areas.

• Provide clear recommendations on whether potential woredas and kebeles should be considered, prioritized, or excluded for expansion.

• Conduct follow-up visits when additional verification is required.

Primary Data Collection and Field Research

• Collect reliable primary data through farmer interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, direct observations, and government consultations.

• Gather information on farming systems, tree-growing practices, farmer demand, water sources, land availability, nursery capacity, seedling availability, market access, and other factors relevant to tree program expansion.

• Interview relevant government officials, including regional, zonal, and woreda agriculture and natural resource offices.

• Validate information collected from different sources and identify inconsistencies requiring further verification.

• Use digital data collection tools to record field information accurately and consistently.

• Maintain high standards of data quality, completeness, and accuracy.

• Organize and summarize field data to support expansion decisions.

Government and Stakeholder Engagement

• Establish and maintain productive relationships with regional, zonal, and woreda government offices relevant to Trees Program expansion.

• Engage government stakeholders during field scouting and expansion assessments.

• Conduct consultations with agriculture, natural resource, water, and other relevant government offices.

• Gather government perspectives on agricultural potential, tree-growing opportunities, development priorities, infrastructure, water availability, and other relevant issues.

• Engage community leaders, farmers, Development Agents, nursery operators, and other local stakeholders.

• Explain the purpose of field assessments and represent One Acre Fund professionally during field activities.

• Identify potential government and stakeholder support that could facilitate future program expansion.

Field Planning and Coordination

• Plan field scouting schedules in coordination with the Ethiopia Trees expansion team.

• Coordinate appointments and field visits with relevant government offices and local stakeholders.

• Prepare field visit plans, assessment schedules, interview guides, and other required materials.

• Coordinate logistics required for field assessments.

• Ensure timely completion of assigned scouting activities.

• Communicate field-level challenges, logistical constraints, security concerns, and changes to field plans promptly.

• Manage multiple field assignments while maintaining high-quality outputs.

Field Data Analysis and Assessment

• Review and analyze data collected during field scouting activities.

• Compare potential expansion areas against agreed selection criteria and scoring frameworks.

• Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks associated with potential expansion areas.

• Combine field observations with relevant secondary information to strengthen assessment findings.

• Support the ranking and prioritization of potential woredas and kebeles.

• Identify information gaps and conduct additional field verification where necessary.

• Translate field findings into practical recommendations for expansion decision-making.

Reporting and Documentation

• Prepare clear and high-quality woreda and kebele assessment reports based on field findings.

• Document field observations, stakeholder feedback, data, opportunities, constraints, and recommendations.

• Prepare summaries and presentations for the Trees Program expansion team.

• Maintain accurate records of field visits, stakeholder contacts, assessments, and decisions.

• Ensure field data and assessment documentation are properly organized and accessible.

• Share key field findings and lessons learned with relevant team members.

• Provide regular updates on progress against assigned scouting activities.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of field assessment tools and processes.

Expansion Planning Support

• Support the Ethiopia Trees Program team in developing expansion plans based on field evidence.

• Provide practical recommendations on potential expansion areas, including priority woredas and kebeles.

• Support the identification of operational requirements for future expansion.

• Identify potential implementation challenges early and recommend practical mitigation measures.

• Support the team in understanding local conditions that may affect program implementation.

• Participate in expansion planning meetings and contribute field-based perspectives to decision-making.

Team Collaboration

• Work closely with the Ethiopia Tree Expansion Senior Specialist and other Trees Program team members.

• Coordinate with relevant program, operations, nursery, agriculture, and government relations teams when required.

• Share field knowledge and lessons learned with colleagues.

• Support other team members during major field assessments and expansion activities.

• Demonstrate strong ownership of assigned responsibilities and deliverables.

• Perform other field-related responsibilities as assigned to support the Trees Program's expansion objectives.

• Support the recruitment of field staff.

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:

• Bachelor's degree required.

• Candidates with academic backgrounds in Forestry, Agroforestry, Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science, Geography, Rural Development, Watershed Management, or related fields are preferred.

• 2 years or more of relevant professional experience in forestry, agroforestry, agriculture, natural resource management, landscape restoration, rural development, field innovation, government relations, or related fields.

• Demonstrated experience conducting field scouting, site assessments, field research, agricultural assessments, or similar field-based activities.

• Experience conducting farmer interviews, key informant interviews, stakeholder consultations, and primary data collection.

• Experience working directly with government institutions and rural communities.

• Experience in Oromia Region or familiarity with its agricultural, agroforestry, and rural development context is an advantage.

• Experience in forestry, agroforestry, tree planting, nursery development, natural resource management, or landscape restoration is an advantage.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently during extended field assignments.

• Willingness and ability to travel approximately 70% of the time within the Oromia Region.

• Willingness to spend extended periods in rural and remote field locations.

• Language requirements: Can communicate in English, Amharic, and Afaan Oromo.

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Jimma, Oromia, Ethiopia

Benefits

Health insurance, paid time off

Contract Duration

1 year

Eligibility

This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Ethiopia.

Application Deadline

16 December 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 @ 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.