Tupande Automation Engineering Lead (Fixed-term)

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 Kenya program, founded in 2006, operates under the local brand Tupande. Close to 500 staff in our Kakamega headquarters support 1,747 field staff and serve more than 1 million farmers. In Nairobi, around 50 staff support global functions like procurement, recruitment, government relations, and communications.

About the Role

Seeking an exceptional AI and automation engineering leader to build Tupande's automation capability, lead high-impact solutions, and help scale farmer impact through hands-on engineering, business partnership, and technical leadership.

Responsibilities

Set and drive Tupande's AI strategy, automation and engineering

• Partner with senior leadership to identify how automation, AI, engineering, and technology can accelerate Tupande's strategic priorities and farmer impact
• Translate business needs into a clear engineering and automation roadmap aligned to the organization's long-term vision
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend investments that improve customer experience, operational efficiency, scalability, and financial sustainability
• Act as a strategic thought partner to business leaders on opportunities, trade-offs, risks, and innovation priorities

Lead the design and delivery of scalable AI, automation, and business solutions

• Ensure automation, AI, enterprise systems, integrations, and software solutions are designed to solve real business problems and deliver measurable value
• Guide solution architecture and engineering decisions to balance speed, quality, sustainability, and scalability
• Personally contribute to the design, review, prototyping, and delivery of high-priority automation, AI, integration, and software initiatives
• Conduct architecture reviews, solution reviews, and technical quality assessments to ensure solutions remain reliable, maintainable, secure, and scalable
• Establish and oversee integration standards across enterprise systems, AI platforms, automation solutions, middleware, APIs, and third-party technologies
• Ensure business systems exchange information reliably and efficiently through well-designed integration patterns and architectures
• Oversee the successful delivery, adoption, and performance of Tupande’s automation and engineering portfolio

Build and strengthen Tupande's AI & automation engineering capability

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing engineering team, fostering a culture of ownership, innovation, and disciplined execution.
• Establish robust governance and performance standards (SOPs) to ensure consistent delivery excellence, reliability, and continuous improvement.
• Build long-term technical leadership and succession pipelines by mentoring specialists in AI, automation, and integration aligned with strategic goals.

Drive organizational transformation through automation and AI

• Champion the adoption of automation, AI, and modern engineering practices across the organization
• Identify opportunities to simplify processes, improve decision-making, reduce cost-to-serve, and enhance customer experience
• Ensure automation and AI initiatives are delivering measurable operational and business impact
• Position Tupande as a leader in the practical application of technology within agricultural operations

Provide stewardship of the AI & automation engineering portfolio

• Monitor the health, performance, value realization, and sustainability of engineering investments across the organization
• Proactively manage technical, operational, and delivery risks
• Balance immediate delivery priorities with long-term platform, capability, and organizational needs
• Ensure the engineering portfolio continues to support business growth, resilience, and future strategic ambitions

Maintain external awareness and organizational influence

• Stay informed on industry trends, emerging technologies, and leading engineering practices
• Build strong partnerships across One Acre Fund and external technology ecosystems
• Represent Tupande's engineering and automation priorities in strategic discussions and planning forums
• Continuously elevate the organization's understanding and effective use of technology

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:

Knowledge

• Master’s degree in a relevant technical field (Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Science, AI, Information Systems) or a Bachelor’s degree with relevant certifications.
• Comprehensive understanding of how AI, automation, and software engineering drive organizational strategy and business performance.
• Expert knowledge of enterprise systems, automation platforms, digital transformation, and organizational change management.
• Deep understanding of Tupande’s operating model, customer journeys, and long-term strategic ambitions.

Technical skills

• Demonstrated expertise building and deploying production-grade AI, automation, and software solutions, including complex enterprise system integrations (APIs, middleware, third-party platforms).
• Strong solution architecture and systems-thinking, with the ability to translate strategic business priorities into scalable technical roadmaps and identify practical applications for emerging technologies.
• Proven ability to guide technical decision-making, evaluate complex trade-offs, and conduct rigorous architecture and code reviews.
• Robust portfolio management and prioritization capabilities to ensure sustained, high-impact delivery.

Other

• Proven track record in hands-on delivery of production-grade technology solutions, balancing deep engineering contribution with effective leadership and capability building.
• Strategic leader with strong commercial and operational acumen, capable of influencing senior stakeholders and driving organizational change amidst ambiguity.
• Ownership-driven mindset, accountable for delivering measurable business outcomes and passionate about leveraging technology to maximize farmer impact

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Preferred office location: Nairobi, Kenya. Other office locations may be considered for the right candidate.

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Contract Duration

1 Year.

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

26 September 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 @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.