Job Opportunity for Chief Agronomist at The Nudge Institute in Bengaluru

About our Organization

The/Nudge is an action institute working towards a poverty-free India, within our lifetime. We partner with governments, markets, and civil society to build resilient livelihoods for all. We are a collective of some of India’s best leaders and entrepreneurs from across the industry, academia, government, and development sectors.

About the New Direct Impact Agriculture program

Agriculture is the backbone of India’s economy, with small farmers playing a crucial role. The agricultural and allied sector employs 45% of the total workforce. Small and Marginal farmers form 86% of total farmers in India and a substantial number of them are below poverty line and are struggling to secure adequate income for basic sustenance. The New Direct Implementation Agriculture program will focus on building a scalable, sustainable, climate resilient model to increase smallholder farmer income.

The position/ designation: *Contractual position for 2 years (1 year with 1 year of extension)
Join our dynamic team as an Agricultural Field Officer, where your passion for agriculture meets the world of research, farmer engagement and on-ground implementation. If you have a strong agricultural background, love working in the field, and excel at interacting with farmers, this is the role for you.

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Chief Agronomist to lead the Agronomy and Implementation work on the ground of our Agri Direct Program aimed at increasing small farmer income through sustainable, diversified regenerative farming practices. If you have a deep understanding of natural farming, regenerative agriculture, and possess a minimum of 5-6 years of hands-on experience in the agricultural sector and you have the zeal to positively impact small farmers’ lives, then you are the ideal candidate for this position.

Location of posting

Rural regions in Karnataka or Telangana, including districts in the respective States.

What will you do?

This is a purely field-based job and requires at least 18-20 days of field visits to different blocks and villages without dependency on any agency/organization/ individual. The role requires a high level of community engagement skills, especially with small and marginal farmers in households. You will be the Chief Implementation officer and advisor of the Program on the field and must demonstrate a high level of empathy, integrity, flexibility, transparency, accountability and commitment. You will report directly to the related Project Officer.

You will be responsible for:

● Leading the implementation of the Direct Impact Program on the ground in collaboration with cross-functional teams.

● Ensuring the day-by-day implementation of agricultural project activities and follow up with the users and progress of the activities.

● Develop educational materials to support farmer learning and adoption of best practices.

● Conduct surveys and interviews with farmers to understand their needs, challenges, and preferences.

● Design and execute strategies to increase small farmer income through the adoption of sustainable and regenerative farming practices.

● Implement on-field trials and demonstrations of regenerative farming techniques.

● Providing guidance to farmers related to package of practices, good farming practices, pest management practices, Organic and natural farming practices.

● Monitor and report on crop health, pest infestations, and other factors affecting agricultural productivity.

● Providing customized technical support to the users throughout the project life cycle, helping them to apply techniques promoted in the training, problem-solving during the implementation.

● Organize training sessions and workshops for farmers on farming techniques, sustainable practices, and project specific practices.

● Collaborate with local communities to understand their agricultural needs and concerns.

● Collaborate with external partners, agricultural experts, and organizations to enhance program effectiveness.

● Build strong relationships with local agricultural communities, extension services, and relevant stakeholders.

● Collect and analyze data to measure the impact of these techniques on small farmer income.

● Ensuring project activities are completed in a timely manner, with delivery of quality outputs, and achievement of outcomes with maximum impact.

● Performing any other tasks related to the project when assigned by the supervisor(s).

Who are we looking for in this role?

● A Post Graduate or a Graduate BSc in Agriculture or Horticulture is a must. BSc Horticulture and experience in regenerative or natural farming will be given preference.

● A minimum of 6-7 years of experience in agricultural roles, with a focus on sustainable and regenerative farming.

● Proven experience in agriculture, with a strong understanding of crop management, soil health, and pest control.

● Flexibility and ability to multi-task under pressure and be solution-oriented

● In depth knowledge of Organic, natural farming practices.

● Good interpersonal skills and a high degree of self-discipline, commitment and motivation.

● Good knowledge of common computer programs, particularly MS Office. Proficient in using digital tools for data collection and analysis.

● Able to work independently and with remote supervision.

● Comfortable working in diverse and challenging agricultural environments.

● Knowledge of Kannada and/or Telugu is a must, and other local languages is preferred