Manager Agronomy and Training - Cotton Value chain

The Manager / Senior Manager (Technical Expert Cotton) will be the technical expert with a key role in crop management, crop quality and productivity, disease and pest management, conduct field trails and pilots and demonstrate high level of sustainable and organic practices in the Cotton value chain.

He/She will be part of the Project Monitoring Unit. The PMU will aim to increase the operational efficiency of the organic cotton program implemented by a supplier for a global brand in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Odisha. The position can be based out of Rajkot, Gujarat or Pune, Maharastra with required project travel.

The operational geography of the program includes Rajkot, Surendranagar, Morbi and Kutch in Gujarat, and Akola in Maharashtra.

The main objective of this program is to leverage our expertise to design an extension model for organic cotton, establish program governance systems, set up program management and monitoring systems, and ensure the implementation aligns with decent work principles and promotes social, environmental and economic sustainability. TechnoServe will assist in creating a model that builds the capacity of producers and suppliers, enhances the capacities of actors at all levels of the supply chain, and improves systems and processes to achieve desired results. Our goal is to ensure that the organic cotton produced meets high-quality standards and that the yield is increased significantly

Role & responsibilities

- Develop strategies to enrich and enhance the area under cotton production in accordance with
program requirement.
- Design, monitor & develop the production guidelines on the crop management procedures for cotton growers in Gujarat and Maharashtra
- Conducting field experiments and pilot studies, data collection, analyze and utilize data for large scale program implementation
- Monitor the Implementation and maintenance of Quality Management Systems
- Provide technical inputs and training to the field implementation teams on disease and pest
management, knowledge on quality seed and cotton production
- Focus on inclusion and increase womens participation across the project area.
- Focus on advanced agricultural techniques that improve organic cotton yield and quality, preparing trainers to disseminate this knowledge effectively through field demonstrations
- Monitor the performance of stakeholders in the value chain, from trainers to farmers with the help of data management and data collection systems
- Implement Governance and Accountability systems on-ground monitoring practices using key
performance indicators (KPIs) to regularly collect data on the effectiveness of training and the overall Cotton value chain
- Promote sustainability principles and processes with integration and implementation of Decent Work across the project locations to ensure labour rights are protected.
- Promote environmental sustainability through training on water conservation techniques, organic farming methods, and reduced use of harmful chemicals
- Conduct ground studies before and after program implementation to assess the quality of the organic cotton produced and the program's impact on the local economy and environment
- Provide data to the Program Lead for assessment and continuous refinement of the training
modules, ensuring the program remains responsive to the needs of the community in achieving its long-term goals

Preferred candidate profile

- Must have a Masters Degree or PhD equivalent in Agriculture, Plant Physiology or related fields.

- 13-18 years of experience in cotton value chain technical and production or cotton seed field

production

- Experience in executing large program focused on decent work or fair trade

- Experience working in sustainable or organic cotton programs will be added advantage

- Strong teamwork, project reporting, report analysis, documentation, and presentation skills.

- Proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

- Flare for travel as the job profile requires travel to project location in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Perks and benefits