Extension Lead – Malawi

About the role

The Agronomy & Extension Lead will own the implementation of Malawi’s extension strategy, using Human‑Centred Design and Social Behaviour Change approaches to translate agronomic recommendations into simple, practical support for smallholder farmers. The role works closely with Field Operations and Innovations to turn validated research into scalable farmer‑facing solutions.

Key responsibilities

• Co‑design and maintain a multi‑year agronomy and extension strategy aligned with impact priorities.
• Embed extension priorities into Field Operations calendars, training cascades, tools and performance routines.
• Develop, test and refine agronomic recommendations using farmer feedback, impact data and Human‑Centred Design.
• Design farmer‑centered extension and behaviour‑change interventions across group training, demonstrations, coaching and digital channels.
• Monitor adoption, learning and impact, and lead seasonal learning reviews to adapt interventions.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Crop Science, Agricultural Extension, Sociology, Anthropology, Design or a related field.
• At least 5 + years of professional experience in Agricultural Extension, Human‑Centred Design, Social Behaviour Change campaigns or rural marketing.
• Demonstrated experience developing, testing or scaling agronomic recommendations or rural extension interventions.
• Strong alignment with One Acre Fund values and willingness to relocate to Malawi for at least two years.

Required skills

• Advanced Excel proficiency.
• Experience with statistical software such as R or Stata (advantage).
• Human‑Centred Design methodology.
• Social Behaviour Change communication techniques.
• Adult‑learning and instructional‑design approaches.

What we offer

• Health insurance.
• Housing assistance.
• Comprehensive benefits package.