Agricultural Partnership and Project Specialist

The Program Officer will support multi-disciplinary science and research initiatives on climate smart dairy in India. The role will focus on enhancing scientific and technical collaboration and research, and partner engagement. The ideal candidate will thrive in a cross-functional environment, balancing scientific insights with action research to achieve wins for people and planet.

Employment : Term hire – 2 years

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Cross-functional collaboration

• Support multi-disciplinary research and implementation projects across livestock and dairy in India, enhancing technical, scientific and operational capacity.
• Act as a liaison between KIA and partners, ensuring alignment on science and research priorities.
• Support and contribute to knowledge exchange between India-based and international teams.

Technical Capacity Building

• Provide technical and scientific support to implementation partners.
• Contribute to landscape assessments of livestock and dairy sector challenges in target geographies to support problem and solution identification
• Provide insights and analysis to inform decision-making on collaborative agriculture, water and food projects.

Partner Engagement

• Build and maintain relationships with local partners, dairy companies, milk cooperatives, technical and scientific research institutions, stakeholders, and governmental agencies and support on development of strategic vision for agriculture, water, and food programming
• Represent KIA and partners at in-person meetings and events across India.

Project Management

• Help document progress and prepare reports to update key stakeholders regularly.

Time Zone Coordination

• Participate in cross-time-zone meetings, including USA-friendly hours.
• Balance real-time and asynchronous communication effectively.

Communications

• Contribute to white papers, blog posts, and other written materials for internal and external audiences
• Support fundraising and grant writing

Equity and inclusion

• We welcome candidates of all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to any protected characteristics

COMPETENCIES & SOFT SKILLS

Communication :

• The incumbent should be adept at navigating relationships in a cross-cultural context, and a strong capacity for working within a coalition of partners.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong communication skills donor reporting, project tracking, and budget execution
• Fluency in English and knowledge of Marathi language will be beneficial for this position.

Interpersonal skills :

• Strong relationships building and management skills.
• Demonstrates self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Management skills :

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team in a dynamic and entrepreneurial environment.

Ability to multitask and prioritize work based on evolving requirements and timelines.

Why Join Us?

Be part of a passionate team committed to driving social impact through meaningful, well-executed projects. At SDS, your skills and expertise will help create sustainable development at the grassroots level.