Hiring for: Agri Science Expert (PMU) 1 position

Location: Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra, India (On-site)

A little bit about who we are

Established in 1993, WOTR is a nationally recognized development organization working at the intersection of climate resilience, natural resource management, sustainable agriculture, livelihoods, women’s empowerment, and institutional development. WOTR collaborates with communities, government agencies, research institutions, civil society organizations, and private-sector partners to enhance the resilience and prosperity of vulnerable rural communities. Over the past three decades, WOTR has implemented and supported large-scale development programmes across India, contributing significantly to climate adaptation, watershed development, farmer institution strengthening, and sustainable livelihood enhancement.

ProRISE Phase II is a strategic initiative focused on strengthening Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) as climate-resilient, market-oriented agribusiness enterprises that enhance farmer incomes, promote sustainable agriculture, empower women, and strengthen rural economies.

Who are we looking for?

WOTR seeks a highly motivated and experienced agriculture professional to provide strategic and technical leadership for strengthening Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) through climate-resilient, market-oriented, and sustainable agricultural systems. The role will support FPCs in improving farm productivity, quality, certification readiness, traceability, value-chain integration, and market competitiveness while promoting regenerative and climate-smart agricultural practices.

Position:

The Lead Agriculture Expert will serve as the principal technical resource for agricultural development within WOTR’s FPC ecosystem. The position will lead the design, implementation, and scaling of market-oriented, climate-resilient, and certification-compliant production systems that improve farmer incomes and strengthen the competitiveness of farmer-owned enterprises.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Agriculture & Crop Planning

- Lead development of demand-driven and market-oriented crop planning strategies for FPCs.
- Align production systems with market demand, buyer requirements, processing capacities, and value chain opportunities.
- Develop commodity-specific production protocols for cereals, pulses, oilseeds, horticulture crops, spices, and specialty crops.
- Guide FPCs in seed production planning, cluster-based cultivation, and aggregation strategies.

Sustainable & Climate-Resilient Agriculture

- Design and promote regenerative agriculture, natural resource management, climate-smart farming,



and ecosystem-based production systems.
- Develop frameworks for soil health improvement, climate-smart agriculture, water-use efficiency, biodiversity enhancement, and resilient cropping systems.
- Support adoption of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and Positive Agricultural Practices (GAP).

Certification & Quality Assurance

- Lead certification initiatives across FPCs, including:

- PGS (Participatory Guarantee System)

- NPOP Organic Certification

- India GAP / Global GAP

- Fair Trade and other market-linked certifications

- Traceability and quality assurance systems

- Coordinate with certification agencies, auditors, inspection bodies, and accreditation organizations.
- Develop and implement certification roadmaps, Internal Control Systems (ICS), documentation protocols, and compliance frameworks.
- Ensure successful on-ground implementation, farmer mobilization, record maintenance, and audit preparedness.
- Facilitate market readiness of certified producer groups through quality assurance, traceability systems, and buyer compliance mechanisms.

Input Systems & Production Technologies

- Provide technical guidance on:

- Chemical fertilizers and nutrient management

- Biofertilizers and microbial consortia

- Bio stimulants

- Biological crop protection solutions

- Chemical pesticides and responsible usage

- Seed production and seed quality systems

- Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend economically viable solutions for FPC member farmers.

Agritech & Digital Agriculture

- Track and integrate emerging AgriTech innovations into FPC operations.
- Assess, pilot, and scale appropriate AgriTech innovations relevant to smallholder farmers and FPC business models.
- Evaluate and promote solutions related to:
- - Precision agriculture

- Remote sensing and satellite-based crop monitoring

- Farm advisory platforms

- IoT-based agriculture systems

- Traceability platforms

- Digital farm records

- AI-driven crop advisory tools

- Weather and risk management solutions

- Support FPCs in leveraging technology for productivity enhancement, quality improvement, and market access.

Capacity Building & Knowledge Management

- Develop technical manuals, SOPs, crop advisories, and training modules.




- Strengthen technical capacities of FPC Boards, CEOs, business teams, extension personnel, and lead farmers.
- Conduct Training of Trainers (ToT), field demonstrations, exposure visits, and farmer learning programmes.
- Document best practices, success stories, innovations, and impact evidence.

Stakeholder Engagement

- Build partnerships with:

- Agricultural universities

- Certification agencies

- Agri-input companies, AgriTech startups, Buyers and processors

- Government departments and Development partners

- Financial institutions, impact investors and agri-finance ecosystem partners.

- Represent WOTR in technical forums, industry platforms, and policy discussions related to sustainable agriculture and FPO development.

Desired Qualifications

- Master’s Degree or higher in Agronomy, Agriculture, Horticulture, Soil Science, Agricultural Extension, or related disciplines.
- Additional certifications or training in Organic Agriculture, Climate-Smart Agriculture, Regenerative Agriculture, GAP, or Quality Assurance will be preferred.
- Women candidate preferred.

Experience Required

- Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in agriculture, agribusiness, FPO development, sustainable agriculture or rural enterprise development.
- Proven experience working with Farmer Producer Organizations/Companies, producer collectives, or large-scale agriculture programmes.
- Demonstrated experience in certification processes such as PGS, NPOP, GAP, Organic Certification, and traceability systems.
- Strong understanding of agricultural markets, buyer requirements, and value chain development.
- Experience in implementing sustainable, regenerative, and climate-resilient agricultural practices at scale.
- Experience collaborating with certification bodies, research institutions, private sector players, and government agencies.

Essential Competencies

- Strategic thinking and programme leadership
- Deep agronomic expertise across multiple crop systems
- Market-oriented agricultural planning
- Certification and compliance management
- Strong understanding of agricultural input systems
- Knowledge of emerging AgriTech solutions
- Capacity building and facilitation skills
- Analytical and problem-solving abilities
- Excellent communication and documentation skills
- Willingness to travel extensively across project locations
- Results-based programme management
- Strategic partnership development

How to Apply:

Send your application to [email protected] with the subject line ‘Agri Science Expert (PMU)’ and fill the https://forms.gle/AKtnTQ1US8wZTzgDA

📌 Agri-Science Expert (PMU) -Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra (Bitkewadi)
🏢 Watershed Organisation Trust
📍 Bitkewadi