About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled and passionate Senior Agronomist with in-depth expertise and at least 6 years of experience in Conservation Agriculture and deploying farmer training in these practices in the field.

Responsibilities

Conservation Agriculture Strategy & Extension Development

• Develop and continuously improve scalable conservation agriculture advisory models in collaboration with farmer advisory and field teams.
• Design practical extension materials, training manuals, visual guides, and digital tools tailored to diverse farmer needs and contexts.
• Translate technical concepts including cover cropping, minimum tillage, agroforestry, and integrated pest management into practical field-based curricula.
• Adapt advisory approaches and materials based on climate, soil, socioeconomic conditions, farmer feedback, and field learning.

Farmer Training, Field Deployment & Adoption

• Provide hands-on technical guidance to field teams delivering farmer trainings, workshops, Farmer Field Schools, and demonstration plots.
• Build the capacity of field staff and local extension agents to effectively promote and support conservation agriculture adoption.
• Provide timely agronomic troubleshooting to farmers and field teams addressing crop, soil, pest, and climate-related challenges.
• Work with MEL and field teams to develop and implement systems that track adoption, farmer outcomes, and opportunities for scaling.

Agronomic Research, Practice Optimization & Impact

• Evaluate and refine conservation agriculture practices to improve soil health, water retention, biodiversity, productivity, and farmer profitability.
• Collaborate with R&D teams to design and oversee field assessments of soil health, crop performance, and environmental outcomes.
• Analyze field evidence and farmer feedback to identify high-impact practices and recommend improvements to conservation agriculture programming.
• Translate research findings and field learning into practical recommendations, extension content, and scalable implementation models.

Partnership & Cross-Functional Project Leadership

• Build and manage strategic relationships with public, private, NGO, academic, and other technical partners supporting conservation agriculture initiatives.
• Coordinate project plans, timelines, deliverables, reporting, and data sharing across internal teams and external consortium partners.
• Represent the conservation agriculture program in technical discussions and ensure strong alignment between farmer needs, organizational priorities, and partner objectives.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and resource mobilization that strengthen program quality, scale, and long-term impact.

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:

• Master’s degree in Agronomy, Agroecology, Crop Science, Soil Science, or a closely related agricultural field.
• Minimum 6 years of relevant professional experience in agronomy, conservation agriculture, regenerative agriculture, or agroecological farming systems.
• Proven experience developing agricultural extension materials and leading farmer-facing training, capacity building, or advisory programs.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multi-stakeholder projects involving government, NGOs, research institutions, academia, or private-sector partners.
• Strong hands-on experience working directly with smallholder farmers and field teams, with willingness to travel extensively and spend significant time in rural settings.
• Proficiency in English is required; additional regional or international languages are an advantage.

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Kigali, Rwanda

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Contract Duration

2 years, renewable with a high chance based on good performance.

Eligibility

This role is open to all applicants; however, candidates with citizenship or permanent residency in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, or Burundi are strongly preferred.

• Develop and continuously improve scalable conservation agriculture advisory models in collaboration with farmer advisory and field teams.
• Design practical extension materials, training manuals, visual guides, and digital tools tailored to diverse farmer needs and contexts.
• Translate technical concepts including cover cropping, minimum tillage, agroforestry, and integrated pest management into practical field-based curricula.
• Adapt advisory approaches and materials based on climate, soil, socioeconomic conditions, farmer feedback, and field learning.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance to field teams delivering farmer trainings, workshops, Farmer Field Schools, and demonstration plots.
• Build the capacity of field staff and local extension agents to effectively promote and support conservation agriculture adoption.
• Provide timely agronomic troubleshooting to farmers and field teams addressing crop, soil, pest, and climate-related challenges.
• Work with MEL and field teams to develop and implement systems that track adoption, farmer outcomes, and opportunities for scaling.
• Evaluate and refine conservation agriculture practices to improve soil health, water retention, biodiversity, productivity, and farmer profitability.
• Collaborate with R&D teams to design and oversee field assessments of soil health, crop performance, and environmental outcomes.
• Analyze field evidence and farmer feedback to identify high-impact practices and recommend improvements to conservation agriculture programming.
• Translate research findings and field learning into practical recommendations, extension content, and scalable implementation models.
• Build and manage strategic relationships with public, private, NGO, academic, and other technical partners supporting conservation agriculture initiatives.
• Coordinate project plans, timelines, deliverables, reporting, and data sharing across internal teams and external consortium partners.
• Represent the conservation agriculture program in technical discussions and ensure strong alignment between farmer needs, organizational priorities, and partner objectives.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and resource mobilization that strengthen program quality, scale, and long-term impact.

• Conservation Agriculture
• Farmer Training
• Extension Development
• Agronomy
• Agroecology
• Crop Science
• Soil Science
• Project Coordination
• Stakeholder Management
• Communication (English)

• Master’s degree in Agronomy, Agroecology, Crop Science, Soil Science, or a closely related agricultural field.
• Minimum 6 years of relevant professional experience in agronomy, conservation agriculture, regenerative agriculture, or agroecological farming systems.
• Proven experience developing agricultural extension materials and leading farmer-facing training, capacity building, or advisory programs.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multi-stakeholder projects involving government, NGOs, research institutions, academia, or private-sector partners.
• Strong hands-on experience working directly with smallholder farmers and field teams, with willingness to travel extensively and spend significant time in rural settings.
• Proficiency in English is required; additional regional or international languages are an advantage.