Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Evidence Action is launching The AI Access Initiative, focusing on scaling AI-enabled innovations to benefit people in low- and middle-income countries. The Agriculture Program Lead will design and execute the Agriculture portfolio, specifically AI-enabled weather forecasting and advisory services for smallholder farmers, while building partnerships with governments and delivery partners to ensure impactful program delivery.
Responsibilities
- Own and lead the Agriculture program strategy: Set the multi-year vision and annual workplan to reach tens of millions of smallholder farmers with high-quality, AI-enabled forecasts and advisory services
- Drive state and national government partnerships: Build trusted relationships with ministries of agriculture, state-level governments, and meteorological agencies to enable forecast dissemination at scale, with a focus on institutionalization over time
- Manage delivery partner relationships: Coordinate with implementing partners and research collaborators to ensure forecasts are delivered cost-effectively and at high quality
- Design and oversee scaling pilots: Launch and evaluate work across new dissemination channels (SMS, WhatsApp, radio, telco partnerships) and new forecast types (e.g., dryspell, short-run), with rigorous learning agendas
- Translate across stakeholders: Serve as an effective bridge among forecasting researchers, AI labs, NGOs, funders, and government counterparts; communicate technical concepts crisply to non-technical audiences
- Build and lead the agriculture team: Recruit, coach, and manage country leads, state-level staff, and partner teams; cultivate a high-performance, high-accountability culture
- Drive learning and quality: Embed measurement, feedback loops, and cost-effectiveness analysis into the program; partner with M&E researchers to build the evidence base over time
- Operate in ambiguity: Chart paths forward in new geographies and problem spaces with urgency, rigor, and pragmatism
Skills
- 5+ years' experience as a builder in international development, with a strong preference for direct experience in agriculture, weather forecasting, smallholder advisory services, agricultural extension, value chain interventions, or rural last-mile delivery
- A proven track record of significantly scaling organizations and/or programs to deliver last-mile impact at the farmer level
- Training or early career experience in a high-rigor environment (e.g., top-tier management consulting, high-growth NGO program leadership, strategy/econ research) and the ability to rapidly get up to speed in new technical areas including AI/ML forecasting concepts
- Demonstrated success leading agriculture or rural development programs from idea to scaled delivery, including managing multi-stakeholder coalitions with governments, research institutions, NGO implementers, and private sector partners
- A track record as a strong people manager and builder: able to set clear standards, empower others, and cultivate a high-performance culture across distributed and field-based teams
- Experience working with Asian and/or African governments to drive large-scale change, with a strong preference for direct experience working with Indian state governments, ministries of agriculture, or national meteorological agencies
- High EQ and the ability to influence across diverse partners, from AI/forecasting researchers to frontline delivery staff to senior government officials
- Strong fluency with AI tools, and eager to experiment, learn, and adapt to emerging technologies
- Comfort with ambiguity and fast iteration; can define and test hypotheses, adapt quickly, and maintain focus on impact
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to synthesize complex technical ideas into crisp narratives for different audiences
- Willingness and ability to travel extensively internationally (:20-40%), with significant time expected in India and other priority geographies
- Passion for the mission of ensuring that the benefits of frontier AI reach the world's poorest populations, while mitigating its downside risks
Benefits
- Comprehensive benefits including international health care
- HSA/FSA options
- Life insurance
- Disability coverage
- Retirement plans with a matching component
- Generous and flexible leave options
- Other employee perks on a reimbursement basis
Company Overview
Evidence Action reducing poverty and spurring growth in developing countries. It was founded in 2012, and is headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia, USA, with a workforce of 501-1000 employees. Its website is https://www.evidenceaction.org/.