Burundi Business Investigator and Farmer Protection Specialist

About One Acre Fund

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips 5.5 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive. Across nine countries that together are home to two-thirds of Africa's farmers, we provide high-quality farm supplies, tree seedlings, accessible credit, modern agronomic training, and a wide range of other agricultural services. On average, this model enables any farmer to increase their income and assets on supported land by more than 35 percent, while permanently improving their resilience. This is all made possible by our team of 9,000+ full-time staff, drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. To learn more, please see our Why Work Here blog post.

Our Burundi program, established in 2011, operates under the local brand Tubura. We are a rapidly growing organization with over 1,000 employees nationwide. As of 2024, we serve over 340,000 unique farmers in 7 provinces; Muramvya, Gitega, Kayanza, Mwaro, Ngozi, Muyinga, and Ruyigi. To learn more about our work, look at our Burundi program blog.

About the Role

As Business Investigator & Client Protection Specialist, you will be responsible for investigating financial and operational discrepancies and ensuring client protection principles are upheld throughout operations. You will address cases that impact farmers and clients - such as underpayments, overpayments, incorrect balances, misconduct, or inappropriate collection practices - and ensure fair, timely, and documented resolution. You will oversee two sub-departments: Case Investigation and Hotline.

Responsibilities

Investigation & Case Management

• Investigate discrepancies related to repayments, collections, distributions, inventory, and client accounts
• Handle cases involving client impact, including:
  • Under- or over-collection from farmers
  • Incorrect client balances or repayment records
  • Unauthorized charges or coercive collection practices
  • Staff or partner misconduct affecting clients
• Manage investigations end-to-end: case intake, analysis, field verification, documentation, and closure

Client Protection & Safeguarding

• Apply Client Protection Principles in all investigations
• Ensure fair treatment, transparency, confidentiality, and non-retaliation
• Prioritize cases with direct client harm
• Recommend and track remedial actions for affected clients (refunds, balance corrections, corrective communication)
• Escalate safeguarding or severe misconduct cases according to internal protocols

Data Review & Analysis

• Reconcile data from multiple systems (Mobile Money platforms, bank statements, Kobo, client databases)
• Identify patterns, anomalies, and recurring client-impact issues
• Conduct root-cause analysis to prevent recurrence

Field Investigations

• Conduct field visits to verify transactions and client experiences
• Interview staff, agents, and clients using ethical and client-centered approaches
• Collect and preserve evidence while respecting client dignity and confidentiality

Reporting & Documentation

• Prepare investigation reports including: findings and evidence, root causes, client impact assessment, financial implications, corrective and preventive actions
• Maintain a secure and confidential investigation tracker
• Provide periodic summaries to management on case status and trends

Controls & Prevention

• Recommend improvements to SOPs, controls, training, and communication
• Support the implementation of fraud detection and client protection controls
• Contribute to strengthening accountability and ethical standards across operations

Career Growth and Development

We have a strong culture of constant learning, and we invest in developing our people. You’ll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You’ll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.

Qualifications

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Social Sciences, or related field
• 3-5 years of experience in investigations, audit, compliance, finance operations, or risk management
• Experience handling client-impact or safeguarding-related cases is an advantage
• Field-based investigation experience preferred
• Strong analytical and investigation skills
• Solid understanding of Client Protection Principles
• High ethical standards and discretion
• Strong report-writing and communication skills
• Ability to manage sensitive cases professionally
• Proficiency in Excel; data analysis tools are an advantage

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Muramvya, Burundi

Benefits

Health insurance, paid time off 

Eligibility

This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Burundi.

Application Deadline

08 April 2026. Please note that we hire on a rolling basis which means that applications are reviewed and processed on a continuous basis until a hire is made.

One Acre Fund never asks candidates to pay any money or pay for tests at any stage of the interview process. Official One Acre Fund emails will always arrive from an @oneacrefund.org address. Please report any suspicious communication here ([email protected]), but do not send applications or application materials to this email address.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), and anti-racism are deeply connected to our organization’s mission and purpose. One Acre Fund aspires to build a culture where all staff feel consistently valued, represented, and connected – so that our team can thrive as professionals, and achieve exceptional impact for the farmers we serve.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.