[Remote] Agriculture Program Lead, The AI Access Initiative

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/.