Assistant Manager

Koel Fresh is seeking motivated and committed individuals to join our team as Assistant Managers.

The selected candidates will play a crucial role in supporting the implementation and operations of cold room and agri-logistics projects across multiple districts in Odisha. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to impactful work in the social development sector while gaining hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture, rural infrastructure, and community engagement.

Each Assistant Manager will be primarily assigned to one or more districts or clusters of cold rooms, with responsibilities including day-to-day facility operations, coordination with SHGs and farmers, training and outreach activities, market linkage support, and data system management. Based on project needs and individual performance, candidates may also be involved in additional locations or verticals within the organization, offering broader exposure.

All selected candidates will work under the supervision of District Project Leads and receive ongoing mentorship and training from Koel Fresh’s experienced team to build their technical and leadership capacities.

No. of Positions:

Location: Districts - Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Balangir, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Ganjam, Khordha, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak

Responsibilities

1. Ensure cold rooms remain operational and accessible while overseeing daily workflows, hygiene standards, and cold chain compliance across all sites.
2. Design and facilitate phased operator training sessions and provide continuous mentorship to strengthen skills and ensure operational readiness.
3. Lead awareness programs at village and market levels, onboard farmers and vendors into the ecosystem, and manage feedback collection to enhance service delivery.
4. Conduct demand assessment surveys with SHGs, FPOs, and vendors; analyze findings to establish supply linkages with bulk buyers and explore revenue-generating opportunities.
5. Support piloting of value-added service ideas, production planning, and market-aligned strategies to improve cold room utilization and sustainability.
6. Implement and monitor digitized systems, including asset tracking, inventory, and workflow tools; ensure standard operating procedures (SoPs) are followed and operators are well-oriented.
7. Coordinate with technicians for preventive maintenance and timely resolution of infrastructure issues; identify and report gaps proactively.
8. Assist in district-level planning, coordination with PMUs, and engagement with NGOs and other stakeholders to strengthen governance and outreach.
9. Support the development of data-driven decision-making tools such as dashboards and reporting systems; oversee regular data collection on usage, revenue, and impact metrics.

Qualifications

1. Graduate/Postgraduate in Agriculture, Rural Development, Social Work, Development Studies, Economics, Agribusiness, Engineering, Management, or related fields.
2. Some work experience in rural project implementation, Agri-value chains, or cold chain logistics is preferred.
3. Prior experience working with SHGs, Farmer Producer Organisations, or government-linked initiatives preferred.

Key Skills Required

1. Excellent coordination and management skills.
2. Proficiency in MS Office or Google Sheets.
3. Fluency in Odia and working knowledge of English.