Job Tittle -Sr. VP – Agriculture Programme
Location: Mumbai (base) with extensive field travel across Maharashtra
Reports to: Founders
Works closely with: Water, Ecological Restoration, MEL, Partnerships, Finance, HR, Field Teams, Government & Donor Stakeholders
Role Purpose
The Head of Agriculture Programme will lead, operationalise, and scale Raah Foundation’s agriculture interventions across the Northern Western Ghats and adjoining regions. Reporting directly to the Founders, this role carries strategic, operational, and reputational responsibility for Raah’s agriculture portfolio.
The role demands deep regional grounding, long-cycle agricultural experience, and multi-stakeholder credibility—someone equally at ease in villages, with field teams, in government review meetings, and in donor or CSR boardrooms.
This is a senior leadership position, central to Raah Foundation’s integrated model of water security, agroecology, and ecological restoration.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategy & Programme Leadership
- Own the long-term vision, strategy, and annual plans for the agriculture programme, in close consultation with the Founders.
- Design climate-resilient, agroecological, income-stabilising interventions aligned with Raah’s landscape approach.
- Anchor programme design in the ecological, social, and institutional realities of the Northern Western Ghats.
- Ensure alignment with state and national agriculture, livelihoods, and climate priorities.
- Contribute to organisational risk registers, especially climate, reputational, financial, and partner risks.
- Own agriculture programme budgets, including forecasting, utilisation, and variance tracking.
- Work closely with Finance to ensure cost efficiency, value-for-money, and financial discipline across interventions.
- Decision-making authority on programme design, pilots, and scale-up thresholds, in alignment with donors.
- Clear escalation and review mechanisms for high-risk or high-investment interventions.
- Help prepare differentiated and compelling product ideas in climate resilient agriculture to attract and sustain donor funding
2. Programme Operations & Field Execution
- Lead end-to-end operations of the agriculture programme across multiple districts.
- Work closely with field teams to:
- Identify and onboard farmers
- Operationalise approved proposals
- Maintain quality, timelines, and outcomes
- Establish and enforce SOPs, field protocols, and accountability systems.
- Proactively manage risks related to monsoon variability, crop failure, and market volatility.
- Uphold safeguarding, ethical standards, and community consent protocols in programme design and delivery.
- Lead or support development of market-linked models, including aggregation, value chains, and buyer partnerships where relevant.
- Support procurements
3. Farmer Training & Capacity Building
- Design and oversee a seasonal, outcome-oriented training and exposure calendar.
- Identify, onboard, and manage:
- Subject-matter experts
- Trainers and master trainers
- KVKs, universities, and technical partners
- Ensure trainings are practical, field-based, and adoption-focused.
- Build long-term local leadership through CRPs, lead farmers, and women champions.
4. Crop Planning, Pilots & Innovation
- Lead crop and system selection with a clear lens on:
- Climate resilience
- Input economics
- Market volatility
- Nutrition and household security
- Design, implement, and rigorously evaluate pilot projects.
- Take clear, data-backed decisions on what scales, what adapts, and what stops.
5. Data, Impact Measurement & Learning
- Own agriculture-related data systems and dashboards.
- Work with MEL teams to define and track indicators on:
- Yields and productivity
- Farmer income stability
- Adoption and resilience outcomes
- Ensure baseline–midline–endline discipline.
- Use evidence to inform strategic decisions and scale-up pathways.
6. Proposal Writing, Donor Engagement & Reporting
- Support the Development Office in:
- Concept notes and detailed proposals
- Technical narratives and budgets
- Impact and donor reports
- Participate in donor interactions, field visits, and technical reviews, alongside the Founders when required.
- Ensure all agriculture-related claims are credible, conservative, and evidence-backed.
7. Scaling, Partnerships & External Engagement
- Develop a clear scale-up roadmap from pilots to district- and state-level programmes.
- Build and manage partnerships with:
- Maharashtra government departments (Agriculture, SRLM, Horticulture, etc.)
- KVKs, research institutions, and technical agencies
- NGOs and market-linked partners
- Represent Raah Foundation in high-level, multi-stakeholder forums.
8. Team Leadership & Internal Coordination
- Lead, mentor, and strengthen agriculture programme teams.
- Set KRAs, conduct reviews, and build second-line leadership.
- Work closely with Water, Restoration, Finance, HR, and Partnerships teams to ensure tight integration and delivery.
Essential Qualifications & Experience (Non-Negotiable)
- Minimum 15 - 20 years of professional experience in agriculture, agroecology, rural development, or allied fields.
- Postgraduate qualification in Agriculture, Agronomy, Agroecology, or related discipline.
- Fluency in English and Marathi (spoken and written).
- Based in Mumbai, with willingness to travel extensively across Maharashtra.
- Demonstrated experience working in rainfed, tribal, and climate-vulnerable landscapes.
- Proven track record of scaling agriculture programmes, not only pilots.
Preferred Experience
- Strong familiarity with the Northern Western Ghats—agro-ecology, monsoon patterns, soils, and tribal farming systems.
- A significant portion of career spent working in Maharashtra, especially in rural or semi-rural contexts.
- Experience engaging with state-level institutions and schemes in Maharashtra.
Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership Competencies
- Equally comfortable engaging with:
- Farmers and tribal communities
- Field teams and community resource persons
- Government officials and district administrations
- CSR leaders, foundations, and donors
- Ability to translate field realities into strategic, fundable, and policy-relevant narratives.
- High integrity, cultural sensitivity, and sound judgment.
What Success Looks Like
- A robust, credible agriculture programme rooted in Maharashtra’s realities.
- Strong farmer trust and field adoption.
- High-quality data, reporting, and donor confidence.
- Agriculture fully integrated with water security and ecological restoration.
- Clear pathways for district- and state-level scale.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: ₹900,000.00 - ₹1,000,000.00 per year
Education:
Work Location: In person
