Zambia Research Agronomist (Fixed-Term), Kabwe, Zambia

Job Description

The Research Agronomist will shape which products and practices reach smallholder farmers in Zambia. Through hands-on research, you will identify, test, and validate interventions that improve soil health, increase yields, and boost farm profitability at scale. You will lead the full research lifecycle, from discovery and field trials to recommendations that inform country strategy. Based in Kabwe with regular field visits, the role offers strong learning opportunities in rigorous trial design, practical problem-solving, cross-department collaboration, and field team capacity building, contributing to One Acre Fund's evidence-based impact across Africa.

Responsibilities

• Research & Trials:
• Identify and prioritise new products or practices through market research, estimating farmer profitability, and risk assessment to ensure they align with organisational goals.
• Build rigorous, statistically sound experimental designs that are operationally feasible to execute in a rural field setting, and manage processes to assure data quality
• End-to-End Logistics: Manage the entire inputs supply chain for trials, ensuring inputs arrive on time to meet strict seasonal planting windows.
• Agile Troubleshooting: Act as the primary lead for on-the-ground execution, adapting protocols to real-world challenges without losing data integrity.
• Field Agronomy & Support:
• Practical Translation: Convert complex technical research into simple, actionable advice that works for field officers and smallholder farmers
• Contextual Problem Solving: Provide evidence-based solutions for soil health and crop yields that account for local realities rather than just "textbook theory."
• Empowerment: Train field staff to troubleshoot independently, focusing on practical skill application rather than just theory.
• Farmer-Centric Quality Assurance: Monitor field compliance to understand why deviations occur, using those insights to make research protocols more user-friendly.
• Project Management: You'll maintain ownership of critical-path timelines and cross-departmental coordination (Logistics, MEL, Field Ops).
• Survey & Data Leadership: You'll design high-quality agronomic surveys, validate incoming field data, and conduct rigorous analysis to determine project success.
• Strategic Reporting: You'll translate data findings into clear, "smallholder-focused" recommendations that drive country-level strategy and evidence-based decision-making.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in agricultural project management, with a proven track record of managing field trials, coordinating logistics, and delivering results on time and within budget.
• 3-5+ years of experience in agricultural research and field implementation, with demonstrated ability to balance research rigor with practical application, and are operationally feasible.
• Excellent communication and training skills, with the ability to translate complex technical findings into clear, practical guidance for field staff and farmers
• Experience in smallholder farmer contexts, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, is highly valued
• Excellent stakeholder coordination and communication skills, with the ability to work across teams (procurement, operations, field staff, MEL) to execute complex activities.
• Bachelor's degree in Agronomy, Agriculture, or related field required; Master's degree preferred
• Self-motivated with strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail; able to manage multiple competing priorities and deadlines effectively
• Proven experience in agricultural trial design and implementation. Strong quantitative skills with experience in data analysis (proficiency in R, Python, or similar statistical software preferred) will be considered an advantage