Country Manager Kahawatu

Key responsibilities

1) Shape and deliver Kahawatu’s vision for Burundi

• Work with the Burundi and international teams of Kahawatu and SUCAFINA to develop an ambitious roadmap for the next decade.
• Translate that vision into practical, scalable programs that strengthen coffee production, farmer incomes and household resilience.
• Identify new opportunities based on field realities, evidence and the evolving needs of coffee-growing communities.

2) Lead programs that deliver lasting impact

• Oversee the design and execution of high-quality field programs centered on coffee productivity, quality and regenerative agriculture.
• Integrate climate adaptation, income diversification, gender, youth and household resilience where these strengthen the future of coffee-growing communities.
• Maintain a strong field presence and ensure solutions are practical, locally relevant and capable of being adopted at scale.

3) Build evidence and demonstrate results

• Define meaningful indicators covering coffee production, farmer income, resilience and the adoption of improved practices.
• Use data and learning to improve programs, guide decisions and demonstrate credible impact over multiple seasons.
• Turn results and field insights into compelling evidence for partners, funders and the wider coffee sector.

4) Mobilise partnerships, visibility and funding

• Build relationships with government, donors, development organisations and actors across the international coffee industry.
• Help design and secure funding for programs that can contribute to sector-wide change.
• Lead/support communication, partnership and fundraising campaigns that mobilise international support for Burundi’s coffee future.
• Represent Kahawatu Burundi credibly in national and international forums.

5) Lead and develop a nimble local team

• Provide clear direction to agronomy, field, monitoring and evaluation, and administrative colleagues.
• Build a collaborative, motivated and accountable culture in which people can grow and take initiative.
• Strengthen coordination between field delivery, learning, communications and reporting.

6) Ensure sound and responsible operations

• Oversee budgets, reporting, compliance and the effective use of resources.
• Ensure Kahawatu meets local legal and regulatory requirements and maintains high standards of transparency and integrity.
• Establish proportionate systems that support effective delivery without losing the agility of a small foundation.

You may be ready for this managerial role if you have built strong experience in agriculture, coffee or rural development and are now looking for the opportunity to take on broader leadership responsibility. You will need to be comfortable moving between strategy and hands-on delivery: working with farming communities and technical teams, building relationships with senior partners, and representing an ambitious organisation.

We are interested not only in what you have already done, but also in the scale of responsibility you are ready to take on next.

Must-haves

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in agriculture, coffee, rural development or a related field
• Experience designing and delivering agriculture-based programs and achieving measurable results
• A practical understanding of agricultural production and the realities facing smallholder farming communities
• Proven experience in leading multi-cultural teams, projects or significant areas of responsibility, together with the potential and ambition to step into broader organisational leadership
• The ability to build trusted relationships across communities, government, funders and private-sector partners
• Strong communication skills and the ability to turn ideas and evidence into persuasive proposals, presentations and partnerships
• Sound judgement, resilience, cultural sensitivity and a willingness to work hands-on in a complex operating environment
• Fluency in French and a basic command of English; speaking Kirundi or Swahili is a plus
• A commitment to living in Burundi and travelling regularly to coffee-growing communities

Nice to have

We do not expect one candidate to bring everything on this list. Any combination of the following would be an advantage:

• Experience in coffee and regenerative agriculture or perennial crops
• Experience in Burundi, the Great Lakes region or another comparable operating environment
• Experience developing donor-funded programs or public-private partnerships
• Exposure to fundraising, proposal development, campaigning or strategic commu