We are an insuretech firm that provides agriculture insurance design and execution services, specialising in index based insurance and are backed by top tier VC investors who have invested more than $25 million in the business. Since 2015 we have provided climate insurance to 15.4 million smallholder farmers, 41% of which were women across 19 markets in Africa and Asia who pay an average of $6.8 per season to insure their crops. So far we’ve unlocked over $2.22 billion of capital from local and international insurance markets for climate risks since we started in 2015 and paid out $40.8 million to our client farmers.
Pula is a fast-paced space, constantly adapting to new opportunities and challenges and we are made up of a high-performance, multi-cultural team. We expect our team to value performance, results and professionalism.
At Pula, our values are:
Obsessed with results: We are responsible for our future and therefore we get things done!
Connect the Dots: We continuously identify different customer needs & business problems and build solutions that deliver value.
Have a Can do Attitude! We dare to do things differently to make things work.
We have each others’ back: We look out for each other & we share high quality, timely feedback that makes us better.
According to the UN’s InterGovernmental Panel for Climate Change more than 3.3 billion people globally live in hotspots with high vulnerability to climate change and are now already feeling the impact of climate change through increased temperatures and increasingly erratic rainfall.
Insurance is a tool for vulnerable households in these affected regions to adapt to the effects that climate change is already having today on these households. It is a tool that enables for compensation payment for losses and damages that these households had no part in causing. Insurance compensation enables these households to make adjustments to their day to day livelihoods and practices and therefore allows for an equitable and just transition.
At Pula, we are building the systems that enable farmers worldwide to access insurance, using technology to insure this previously uninsured worldwide. We work in over 17 countries across Africa and Asia, and by 2021, have facilitated crop insurance cover to over 6 million farmers, 30% of which are women, across Kenya, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Zambia, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi. We are a for profit, and have raised over $10 million from leading venture and institutional investors as well as developed philanthropic relationships with private foundations and bilateral donors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and German Insure Resilience Solutions Fund that have accelerated investments in our target markets.
Pula is proudly fast paced, constantly learning from the challenges we face and overcome. We are proudly culturally diverse but united in our ambition of continuous high-performance. By challenging ourselves we believe that we can overcome the hard problems we love solving.
At Pula, our culture is defined by our:
1.Obsessed with results: We are responsible for our future and therefore we get things done!
2. Ability to connect the Dots: We continuously identify different customer needs & business problems and build solutions that deliver value.
3. Our Can do Attitude! We dare to do things differently to make things work.
4. Ability to have each others’ back: We look out for each other & we share high quality, timely feedback that makes us better.
What you will be doing
We are seeking a dedicated and detail-oriented Operations Associate to join our team in Ethiopia. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in supporting the operations of Pula in Ethiopia, assisting the local team in various administrative, accounting, and operational tasks.
Who you are
Your background is only a bonus to what we are looking for. If you have a knack for helping leaders achieve sharp gains in productivity and impact, commitment to our mission and embrace a constantly changing portfolio of projects, then you will excel at this role!
Basic Responsibilities
Office Management: Office management involves ensuring a functional and well-equipped workspace by maintaining adequate stocks of office supplies, ensuring timely payment of utilities, and managing vendor relationships.
Administrative Support: Assist in managing daily administrative tasks for the team, including scheduling meetings, preparing high-quality documents such as market research reports, proposals, PowerPoint presentations, and letters with consistency and minimal guidance. Serve as a key point of contact for internal and external inquiries, ensuring they are directed to the appropriate team members as needed. Maintain accurate records and databases, prioritizing data integrity and confidentiality.
Travel Desk Operations: Coordinate travel arrangements for the team, including flight bookings, hotel accommodations, and transportation. Manage travel itineraries and ensure all travel-related documentation is in order. Provide support to team members during travel, addressing any issues or concerns that may arise.
Cross-functional teams support: support global and local cross-functional teams to ensure the smooth and efficient execution of commercial activities, including:
Finance and Accounting Support: Collaborate with the finance team to maintain effective bookkeeping practices in compliance with local regulations, including recording receivables, reconciling expenses, and managing documentation for receipts. Assist in financial reporting to relevant tax authorities as required.
HR Support: Support the HR team with employee contracting, maintaining accurate employee records, and preparing payroll.
Field Operations Support: Support the Field Operations department in coordinating logistics to ensure the smooth and efficient execution of activities.
Other Duties: Undertake any other tasks or responsibilities as assigned by the management team to support the overall success of Pula’s operations in Ethiopia.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
Demonstrates the ability to deliver high-quality work with minimal supervision, ensuring accuracy and attention to detail in a fast-paced, dynamic team environment.
Takes full ownership of tasks, consistently achieving excellent results while efficiently managing multiple responsibilities.
Strong expertise in creating compelling PowerPoint presentations and well-structured proposals.
Prior experience in administrative support, accounting, or operations roles preferred; a consulting background is a plus.
Understanding of the country’s accounting and tax requirements.
Effective written and verbal communication skills.
Fluency in English and Amharic; additional languages are a plus.
Women are highly encouraged to apply.
What Pula will bring to the table
Growth potential: At Pula, we are building the systems that enable farmers worldwide to access insurance, using technology to insure this previously uninsured worldwide. We work in over 19 countries across Africa and Asia, and by 2023, have facilitated crop insurance cover to over 5 million farmers, 40% of which are women. We are a for profit, and have raised over $25 million from leading venture and institutional investors as well as developed philanthropic relationships with private foundations and bilateral donors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and German Insure Resilience Solutions Fund that have accelerated investments in our target markets.
Market Leader: Not only is the opportunity massive, but Pula is by far the market leader in it’s category with 11m farmers insured as of 2023.
Solid: Pula has been funded by leading venture capital investors (Omidyar Network, ACCION, MercyCorps) and global philanthropic institutions (MasterCard Foundation, CGAP/World Bank as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). Pula closed an oversubscribed $20m series B funding despite the economic downturn.
Respected: Winner of the Singapore FinTech Festival 2019, Winner of The InsureTech of the Award, Africa. Featured on TED talks, The New York Times, The Economist.
Impact and creation: This is a high-impact role, that offers a unique opportunity to bring the company to the next level, whilst developing new strategies, approaches and ideas.
Leadership: The founders & CEO foster a culture of transparency, respect, high performance, pragmatism, execution and personal development.
Purpose: It is rare to find a professional opportunity that offers accelerated professional development and a life purpose. Pula is going through a second phase of accelerated growth that will naturally provide professional development, whilst contributing to the financial stability of small farmers in the emerging markets.
Remuneration: Competitive base salary accordingly with seniority and experience, commission on closed sales and an employee share option plan that offers an attractive equity upside.
To learn more about Pula you can visit
TED Talk: Crop Insurance, an Idea Worth Seeding
New York Times: He Grew up on a Farm. Now, He Helps Protect Them
The Economist: The Poor, Who Most Need Insurance, Are Least Likely to Have It