Zambia Actuarial & Risk Associate

Job description

Position Overview

Lead actuarial and data science work on index insurance for smallholder farmers in Zambia, model repayment risk, and serve as Interim Principal Officer of One Acre Fund’s new microinsurance entity once licensed. Based in Lusaka.

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.

One Acre Fund runs a pilot program in Zambia’s Central Province. Our Zambia pilot is exploring ways we can help farmers improve harvests on larger plots of land, which are common in the country. Our office in Zambia is located in Kabwe, the capital of the Central Province.

About the Role

The Actuarial & Risk Associate drives the actuarial and data science work behind One Acre Fund’s smallholder-farmer insurance products. This role designs and prices area yield and weather index products for Zambia, models repayment risk to protect our loan portfolio against climate shocks, and will serve as Interim Principal Officer of our newly licensed microinsurance aggregator entity. Over time, this position will help shape One Acre Fund’s long-term microinsurance strategy and market entry across the organization.

Responsibilities

Insurance Product Modelling & Actuarial Leadership

Design and price index insurance products that meet smallholder farmers' needs using R, Python, and Excel.

Support product modelling for other One Acre Fund countries during the off-season

General Risk & Scenario Analysis

Own the credit risk scoring model and lead repayment risk scenario analysis for OAF Zambia.

Evaluate how weather and yield shocks impact farmer repayment and portfolio performance.

Microinsurance Strategy & Market Entry

Contribute to market assessments and advise on farmer-centric financial protection products.

Help navigate initial partner conversations and shape long-term microinsurance strategy in Zambia.

Aggregator License & Entity Leadership

Support the microinsurance aggregator licensing process and serve as interim principal officer upon approval.

Ensure ongoing compliance with regulatory and market-conduct standards

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:

5+ years in actuarial science, data science, or modelling, including direct experience building area yield and weather index insurance products.

Demonstrated actuarial modelling experience with R or Python for pricing, statistical modelling, and portfolio analysis.

Direct experience with credit scoring models and repayment risk scenario analysis.

Ability to use remote sensing applications, such as QGIS, for spatial and weather-index analysis.

Strong project management skills with a proven ability to maintain clear documentation across complex multi-stakeholder workstreams.

Strong project management skills with a proven ability to maintain clear documentation across complex multi-stakeholder workstreams.

At least 3 years of experience in Zambia's insurance sector, Certificate of Competence in Insurance (required), and active membership with the Insurance Institute of Zambia (IIZ) (nice to have).

Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field.

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

Lusaka, Zambia

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and comprehensive benefits

Eligibility

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

Application Deadline

02 February 2027. 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 (globalhotline@oneacrefund.org), 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.