Seeking an experienced extension professional to lead farmer-centred extension across our Core, Retail and Market Access programs, using HCD and SBC approaches to improve farmer adoption and impact in Malawi.
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 Malawi program, founded in 2016, provides more than 670,000 farmers with quality farm supplies and training. Our office in Malawi is located in Zomba, in the country’s south. One Acre Fund works in Malawi’s southern region, which has the highest concentration of smallholder farmers in the country.
About the Role
The Agronomy & Extension Lead will own the implementation of Malawi’s extension strategy, using HCD and SBC approaches to translate agronomic recommendations into simple, practical and adoptable support for farmers. The role will strengthen extension delivery, training and communication content, and use farmer feedback and impact data to continuously improve our approaches. They will work closely with Field Operations and Innovations to turn validated research into scalable farmer-facing solutions.
Job Summary
- Employer: One Acre Fund
- Job Type: Full-time
- Location: Zomba, Malawi
- Category: Agriculture
- Closing Date: 2026-12-16
Key Responsibilities
- Own Malawi’s agronomy and extension strategy
- Co-design and maintain a multi-year strategy aligned with Malawi’s impact priorities and farmers’ needs.
- Turn the strategy into annual OKRs, budgets, seasonal plans and clear ownership across teams.
- Embed extension in Field Operations execution
- Build agronomy and extension priorities into the Field Operations seasonal calendar, training cascade, field tools and performance routines.
- Strengthen the technical capability of Field Managers, Field Officers and other delivery partners through training-of-trainers, coaching and practical support.
- Create clear feedback and support channels so field teams receive timely technical answers and can share implementation challenges and farmer responses.
- Own the process of qualitative technical agronomic recommendations
- Use Human-Centred Design, farmer feedback and impact data to develop, test and refine agronomic recommendations.
- Work with Innovations, MEL and global technical teams to assess recommendations against local evidence, farmers’ realities and government guidance before they are scaled.
- Conduct formative research to understand farmers’ needs, behaviours and barriers to adoption.
- Design farmer-centered extension and behavior-change interventions
- Translate technical recommendations into simple, memorable and actionable guidance for field teams and farmers.
- Develop extension approaches that use the right mix of group training, demonstrations, coaching and digital channels.
- Use the findings to design, test and improve extension approaches and communication content.
- Apply adult-learning, behavior-change and human-centered design approaches to understand barriers to adoption and ensure content works for different farmer profiles.
- Monitor adoption, learning and impact
- Analyze results across farmer groups, locations and delivery channels to identify where recommendations or delivery approaches need to change.
- Lead seasonal learning reviews and maintain clear records of lessons and decisions to continue, adapt or stop interventions or crop offerings.
- Build and manage a high-performing team
- Set clear goals, roles and decision-making responsibilities, and hold the team accountable for timely, high-quality delivery.
- Coach direct reports, strengthen the team’s technical expertise and support staff to take on greater ownership.
Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Crop Science, Agricultural Systems, Agricultural Extension, Sociology, Anthropology, Design or a related field;
- Experience working in the agricultural sector, ideally with smallholder farmers, is strongly preferred.
- At least 5+ years of relevant professional experience in Agricultural Extension, Human-Centred Design, Social Behaviour Change Campaigns, or Rural Marketing, with experience applying these approaches in the agricultural sector
- Demonstrated experience developing, testing or scaling agronomic recommendations or rural extension interventions.
- Experience using adult-learning, instructional-design, SBCC or human-centered design approaches is strongly preferred
- Technical judgment: Able to assess agronomic evidence, identify limitations and translate it into responsible recommendations.
- Farmer-centered design: Able to understand farmer constraints and create practical interventions that improve understanding and adoption.
- Data and learning: Comfortable using qualitative and quantitative evidence to make decisions; strong Excel skills required, with R or Stata as an advantage.
- Strategy and project management: Able to prioritize, build critical paths and keep multiple seasonal workstreams on track.
- Communication: Able to make complex technical information simple and persuasive for field teams, farmers, leaders and external partners.
- Collaboration and influence: Able to work across Field Operations, Innovations, MEL and government-facing teams without relying solely on formal authority.
- People leadership: Able to set high standards, coach others and build a healthy, accountable team culture.
- Value Alignment: Deeply aligned with One Acre Fund values: Farmers First , Work Hard , Grow Through Feedback , and Own Your Results .
- Communication: Clear, compelling written and verbal style with a strong eye for data presentation and visual design (English required).
- Commitment: Willingness to relocate and commit to living in Africa (Malawi) for at least two years for a long-term career track.
How to Apply
To apply, please visit: oneacrefund.org
About the Company
One Acre Fund is a social enterprise that supplies smallholder farmers in East Africa with asset-based financing and agriculture training services to reduce hunger and poverty. Headquartered in Kakamega, Kenya, the organization works with farmers in rural villages throughout Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia, and Ethiopia.
Website: https://oneacrefund.org/what-we-do/countries-we-serve/malawi
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifications or education do I need to become a Farmer Behavior & Extension Design Lead in Malawi?
Most employers require a bachelor's degree in agriculture, rural development, or social sciences from a recognized Malawian university like LUANAR. Practical experience in agricultural extension or community development is highly valued. Additional certifications in participatory rural appraisal or adult education strengthen your application.
What are the typical day-to-day responsibilities in this role?
You will design and test extension materials and training approaches for smallholder farmers, often traveling to rural districts like Thyolo or Mchinji. Daily work includes facilitating farmer focus groups, analyzing adoption data, and collaborating with government extension officers. You also train field staff on behavior change techniques and monitor program quality.
How does the local work culture in Malawi affect this position?
Malawian workplaces emphasize respect for hierarchy and relationship-building before task execution, so patience in stakeholder engagement is essential. The agricultural calendar dictates intense field seasons from November to March, requiring flexibility and willingness to work irregular hours. Employers expect strong community integration and local language proficiency, particularly Chichewa.
What career progression opportunities exist for extension design professionals in Malawi?
With proven results, you can advance to regional or country-level program management roles within international NGOs or agricultural development organizations. Some professionals transition into policy advisory positions with the Ministry of Agriculture or become independent consultants serving multiple donors. Further specialization in digital agriculture or climate-smart practices opens additional pathways.
What benefits should I expect from employers in Malawi for this type of role?
Reputable organizations typically provide health insurance covering local and referral hospital access, paid annual leave of 20-25 days, and pension contributions compliant with Malawi's pension act. Field-based roles usually include transport allowances or vehicle access and per diems for rural travel. Maternity and paternity leave provisions vary by employer size and funding source.
How should I apply for this role, and what do Malawian employers prioritize in candidates?
Submit applications through advertised channels like newspaper postings, LinkedIn, or organization websites with a tailored CV highlighting field experience and measurable farmer impact. Employers prioritize demonstrated success in behavior change programming, fluency in local languages, and willingness to relocate to rural areas. Strong references from previous agricultural extension supervisors significantly improve your chances.