Burundi Government Relations Lead

One Acre Fund is a nonprofit organization that supplies smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa with the farm inputs, financing, training, and market access they need to grow more food and earn more income. Operating across nine countries including Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the organization works with millions of farming families who rely on small, rain-fed plots of land as their primary source of livelihood. By delivering quality seeds, fertilizer, and agricultural services directly to rural farmers, One Acre Fund reports helping clients achieve approximately 45% more farm income on the same land area. One Acre Fund's sustainability and climate mission is embedded throughout its programs. The organization focuses on climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, including agroforestry and tree-planting initiatives, financing and insurance products to help farmers weather climate-related shocks, and innovation in climate-resilient agricultural practices. These efforts are designed to strengthen the long-term resilience of smallholder farmers who are among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, while also contributing to carbon sequestration and reduced agricultural emissions across the continent. What distinguishes One Acre Fund is its last-mile delivery model, which brings bundled services directly to farmers in remote rural areas, combined with a rigorous impact measurement methodology including social return on investment analysis. The organization also prioritizes gender-smart agriculture, with women comprising more than 50% of its client base, and maintains a strong commitment to evidence-based programming and transparent reporting on outcomes.

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.

Our Burundi program, founded in 2011, operates under the local brand Tubura. 1662 staff serve close to 400,000 hard-working farmers. Our Burundi headquarters in Muramvya is supported by two regional offices in Gitega and Ngozi, and a small support office in Bujumbura. One Acre Fund works in the center and north of Burundi, in the provinces of Muramvya, Gitega, Ngozi, Kayanza, and Mwaro.

About the Role

The External Relations team works to build and maintain strong relationships between One Acre Fund–Tubura and key external stakeholders, including the Government of Burundi, private-sector partners, development partners and international institutions. The team helps create an enabling environment for Tubura to deliver its mission and maximize impact, while ensuring that the organization understands and complies with relevant Government policies, regulations and requirements.

As Government Relations Lead, you will serve as Tubura's senior interface with the Government of Burundi and a key advisor to the Country Director and leadership team on Government policy, stakeholder dynamics, external risks and opportunities, and strategies to build an enabling environment for Tubura's growth and impact.

Responsibilities

Vision Setting & Strategic Planning

• Set the vision and strategy for the Government Relations function, working with the relevant leads to develop annual priorities and goals. 
• Support the leadership team in navigating an increasingly complex operating environment and integrate Government and external trends into organizational strategy.

Government Relations & Representation

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with senior Government officials and key public institutions at national, provincial and local levels. 
• Represent the Country Director and Tubura in high-level Government meetings, policy discussions and strategic forums.

Policy & Advocacy

• Monitor and interpret Government policies, regulations and priorities relevant to Tubura; develop proactive advocacy and engagement strategies; and advise leadership on their implications, risks and opportunities.

Partnerships & Stakeholder Management

• Develop and oversee strategies for strategic partnerships, Government champions and other priority stakeholders, including private-sector, development and institutional partners.
  Identify opportunities to strengthen Tubura’s external relationships and access to decision-makers

Government Enablement & External Risk Management

• Work cross-functionally to identify and address Government-related opportunities and constraints affecting program delivery, including agricultural input policy, fertilizer supply and procurement, importation and other strategic initiatives.
  Anticipate and manage Government, regulatory and reputational risks.

Communications & Compliance Oversight

• Work with the Communications and Compliance leads to ensure coordinated external positioning, effective institutional communications and adherence to relevant Government and regulatory requirements.

Team Leadership & Organizational Support

• Lead, coach and develop the Government Relations team while ensuring the function provides effective strategic support to departments across Tubura and actionable Government intelligence to the Country Director and leadership team.

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:

• A Bachelor's or Master's degree in international relations, public policy, political science, communications, development studies or another relevant field.
• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience, including 3+ years in a senior leadership or management role involving significant Government engagement, stakeholder management and strategic decision-making.
• Significant experience working with Government institutions, public agencies, development partners or other senior external stakeholders, preferably in Burundi or elsewhere in Africa.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing Government Relations, public policy, advocacy or stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Strong understanding of public-sector institutions and the ability to navigate complex institutional and stakeholder environments.
• Strong negotiation, influencing and relationship-management skills, with the ability to represent an organization effectively with senior stakeholders.
• Strong people-management skills, with experience developing and coaching high-performing teams.

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Muramvya, Burundi

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

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

10 January 2027. 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 ([email protected]), 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.