Business Development Officer

About Oorja

Oorja (www.oorjasolutions.org) is an award-winning social enterprise based in New Delhi. We are on a mission to empower 1 million farmers globally by 2035 with the agricultural solutions they need to sustainably increase their income and quality of life. Oorja is a Farming-as-a-Service company working at the intersection of solar energy and sustainable agriculture. Our focus is on powering beneficial appliances that help users to generate stable incomes, create jobs and mitigate carbon emissions. Despite urgent need, around 90% of marginal farmers cannot afford to invest in solar technology for their farms. Oorja wants to close this gap. We finance, install and maintain solar pumping systems for community use. Oorja sells affordable solar irrigation services on a Pay-Per-Use basis to smallholder farmers, without any upfront cost to them. We also offer offline and digital advisory services to strengthen climate resilience. We operate in rural areas of northern India where farmers are currently reliant on polluting and expensive diesel motors for their energy needs. Our core strengths are our inclusive, farmer-centric business model and a diverse and driven team with shared passion for sustainable development. Some of our funders and partners in this mission are:

Role Background

As a Business Development Officer, you will be based in Eastern UP or Western Bihar and travelling regularly among Oorja’s prospective rural sites and interacting with farmers on a daily basis. This is a 100% field role and candidates with an agricultural or rural background originating from UP or Bihar will be preferred. You will focus on finding new sites for expanding our solar-powered irrigation, and agronomy advisory services. Your responsibilities are to conduct surveys, mobilise farmers, collect membership fees, negotiate land lease agreements, and assist with other aspects of business development and project implementation. You should own a motorcycle or scooty and have a valid driver’s license. You will be joining a dynamic and international team working together to make a difference to farmers’ income and well-being.

Key Duties

● Identify and select new villages and sites for new solar projects

● Conduct site selection surveys (through structured questionnaires) with farmers

● Organise farmer focus groups and mobilise them to sign up for Oorja’s services

● Collect membership fees and issue receipts to farmers

● Collect and digitise customer data

● Negotiate, execute and notarise land lease agreements

Roles and Responsibilities

The Business Development Officer’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

● Identify promising sites for new projects and provision of agri-energy services including “Oonnati” irrigation, “Oodyam” services and all other services which are ongoing in the company.

● Handle incoming farmer calls and queries via phone; keep digital records of inbound requests to generate leads for new project sites

● Represent the company at current and future project sites; actively mobilise new customers to sign up for Oorja services; conduct door to door campaigns and organise focus group meetings to inform customers of service benefits and convince them to use Oorja’s services

● Distribute or display promotional and marketing materials

● Site selection surveys: conduct focus group and individual demand assessment surveys with farmers using standardised surveys; enter data on a digital platform (KoboToolbox) using a smartphone or tablet Form groups of interested farmers; collect membership and subscriber fees from interested farmers; collect information from new customers to enter into customer roster

● Negotiate, execute and notarise land lease agreements on stamp paper

● Complete the process for new customer sign-up; maintain customer records in Excel and CRM

● Coordinate with other members of the Business Development and Engineering teams to verify technical feasibility of sites

● Digitalise project data, documentation, transactions and payment collections data

● Impact surveys: collect baseline and periodic impact data using standardised surveys

● Provide progress reports to supervisor; participate actively in daily and weekly team meetings

● Provide the Management with insights regarding customers, challenges faced during operations and opportunities to improve business development and customer/land acquisition processes

● Support with any other operational tasks as required by supervisor

Qualifications & Abilities

● At least 6 months’ relevant field experience working with customers in rural locations

● Bachelor’s degree in a relevant area

● Ability to work in an outdoor environment

● Sales and mobilisation skills, or willingness to learn these on the job

● Attention to detail and record-keeping skills

● Ability to deliver and achieve targets under pressure and tight deadlines

● Fluency in Hindi or other local language is a must; basic written and spoken knowledge of English (preferred)

● Self-motivated, confident character with the ability to interact with sensitivity and respect with people from various backgrounds

● Good with computers, smartphones and/or tablets; knowledge of MS Office

● Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel 100% of the time and/or to relocate

What We Offer

● A highly enthusiastic, self-driven and international team

● A melting pot of diverse talents – development professionals, researchers, engineers, farmers, scientists and community mobilisers

● Competitive remuneration package

● Financial support for health and accident insurance

● One Saturday per month off

● Interesting field of work where you will build your understanding of solar technology and the development sector

● Close mentorship for career development

● A flat and open work culture and friendly work environment

● Experience and responsibility at an award-winning company in the renewable energy and agritech industries, among the fastest-growing segments of the Indian economy

● The chance to make a difference and to help improve people’s lives.

How to Apply

Even if you do not meet all the criteria, we still encourage you to apply. Please apply by filling the online application form here – www.oorjasolutions.org/apply-now.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: ₹18,853.32 - ₹20,874.09 per month

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Provident Fund

Work Location: In person