Openings – Krishikalpa Foundation

Krishikalpa Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to empowering farmer producers by cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, thereby enhancing their income opportunities. We specialize in delivering vital entrepreneurship development training and fostering partnerships with agricultural start-ups and processing industries to supply agricultural and horticultural commodities. Our primary focus is on accelerating the growth of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), collaborating closely to elevate their income and establish exemplary FPO models in Karnataka.

Vision: Krishikalpa Foundation aspires to be the foremost and most esteemed organization dedicated to uplifting farmers’ livelihoods and driving sustainable rural transformation through the reinforcement of agricultural value chains.

Mission: Our mission is to empower farming communities through comprehensive support, innovative solutions, and sustainable practices. We strive to build resilient agricultural value chains, foster entrepreneurship among farmers, and create a flourishing ecosystem that ensures prosperity and well-being in rural areas.

We invite dedicated individuals passionate about the agricultural and horticultural sectors to join us in our mission to create a lasting impact and elevate farmers’ incomes. If you are eager to contribute and help establish exemplary FPO models in Karnataka, we encourage you to apply and be part of this transformative journey.

Job Description

1.Executive, Quality Assurance, 8 position

Position description

The Executive plays a vital role in maintaining and improving crop quality within FPOs. By establishing standards, conducting assessments, and providing guidance, this team ensures that the crops meet market expectations and customer demands. Their efforts are directed toward enhancing the quality management processes, providing necessary education, and assisting FPOs in delivering products that align with industry standards.

Location Multiple location in Karnataka

Experience 1 to 2 years

• on-site Quality Verification: Conduct on-site visits to farms, verifying crop quality based on predetermined parameters and industry standards.
• Logistics Guidance: Provide guidance to FPOs on logistics and maintenance processes essential for preserving crop quality during transportation and storage.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

• Quality Standards Development: Develop and implement robust quality standards and processes for FPO operations to ensure consistent quality.
• Quality Assurance Management: Manage and ensure strict adherence to quality standards within FPOs, maintaining quality at every stage of production.
• Customer Expectation Management: Understand customer preferences and expectations related to products and services to align quality standards accordingly.
• Quality Evaluation: Evaluate the quality of crops, ensuring they meet customer demands and standards before delivery.
• Collaborative Recommendations: Collaborate with FPOs, offering recommendations and solutions to improve crop quality based on assessments.
• Training Sessions: Deliver comprehensive training sessions to FPOs on quality parameters and specifications in line with market demands.
• Educational Support: Educate FPOs about standard quality parameters and industry benchmarks to ensure compliance and meet market expectations.

Key Competency and skills

• Quality Management: Demonstrated expertise in establishing and managing quality standards within agricultural settings, specifically working with FPOs. Proficient in training FPOs and farmers on quality parameters, creating awareness among board members regarding buyer requirements, and facilitating compliance.
• Industry Standards: In-depth comprehension of agricultural industry quality standards and the capacity to align FPO practices to these standards. Experience in working closely with FPOs, farmers, and agri-horticultural processing industries, understanding varied quality parameters across different companies.
• Training and Education: Skilled in conducting impactful training sessions and offering educational support to enhance compliance with quality standards. Proficient in mapping and bridging the gap between FPOs and buyer requirements. Providing training to grade first, second, and third-quality produce and understanding diverse buyer patterns.
• Analytical Skills: Proficiency in evaluating crop quality, pinpointing areas for enhancement, and proposing effective solutions. Ability to analyze different buyer preferences and requirements, matching them with available quality produce from specific locations.
• Reporting and Documentation: Capable of documenting and maintaining detailed records of crop availability and quality parameters for various buyers, industries, and processing units. Proficiency in generating reports regarding the availability of crops and their quality, facilitating informed decision-making for FPOs and their interaction with different industries.

Education & salary

• Any degree with a keen interest in the agriculture sector
• salary will be decided based on the experience

2. Manager, FPO training & development 2 position

Position description

The role of the Resource at FPOs is instrumental in providing essential support to newly onboarded agriculture and horticulture FPOs, fostering their growth, and enhancing operational efficiency. This role involves offering tailored guidance, training, and mentorship aimed at cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset within the FPOs. Additionally, it involves facilitating SWOT analysis sessions to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, thereby enabling informed decision-making.

Furthermore, the Resource assists in constructing comprehensive Business Model Canvases, which serve as effective strategic blueprints for the FPOs. These canvases help delineate key partnerships, value propositions, revenue streams, cost structures, and customer segments, fostering a clear understanding of the FPOs’ operational dynamics.

Moreover, this position actively collaborates with financial institutions, aiding FPOs in establishing connections for acquiring working capital support. By integrating efficient processes and creating growth opportunities in the agricultural landscape, this role significantly contributes to elevating the FPOs’ overall performance and success es, and fostering growth opportunities within the agricultural landscape

Location Multiple location at Karnataka

Experience 4 to 5 years

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

• Supporting newly onboarded agriculture & horticulture FPOs by offering hands-on guidance to ensure seamless knowledge transfer and rapid acceleration.
• Showcasing success stories from other FPOs to inspire and motivate the newly established ones.
• Maintaining ongoing relationships with FPOs, addressing their immediate needs and concerns.
• Organizing and conducting Krishi-Utkarsh training programs aimed at skill development.
• Arranging mentorship sessions with industry experts to aid in the growth of FPOs.
• Facilitating entrepreneurship training and mentorship sessions to amplify FPOs’ overall performance.
• Monitoring and evaluating FPOs’ progress through regular baseline assessments and site visits.
• Assisting FPOs in designing crop calendars, conducting SWOT analyses, and developing business plans.
• Instilling an entrepreneurial mindset among FPOs through expert-led training sessions.
• Organizing marketing events and providing exposure opportunities to widen FPOs’ market reach.
• Promoting good governance, implementing best practices, and fostering a visionary approach within FPOs and among board members.
• Supporting the development of essential systems and processes to streamline output business operations.
• Conducting regular review meetings with FPOs to assess progress and fine-tune plans.
• Assisting in proposal development and strategic planning to foster FPOs’ growth.
• Collaborating with FPOs to enhance their skills and capabilities for effective implementation.
• Establishing connections with MFIs, banks, NABKISAN, and SAMMUNATI to secure working capital support for FPOs.
• Assisting in creating comprehensive reports to track and showcase the growth of FPOs over time.
• Organizing and conducting meetings with government district teams to align efforts and ensure support for FPO initiatives.
• Planning and executing events such as buyers’ meets to facilitate connections between FPOs and potential buyers.
• Collaborating with local institutes to leverage resources, expertise, and knowledge to benefit FPOs and their development initiatives.

Key Competency and skills

• FPO Support and Growth: Demonstrated experience in supporting FPOs to enhance their operational efficiency and drive growth within the agricultural sector.
• Training and Mentorship: Proficiency in organizing and conducting training programs, mentorship sessions, and workshops aimed at developing entrepreneurship skills among FPO members.
• Strategic Planning: Ability to assist FPOs in strategic planning, including SWOT analysis, proposal development, and formulating business plans tailored to their needs.
• Stakeholder Management: Skilled in managing relationships with diverse stakeholders such as NGOs, buyers, banks, startups, processing industries, exporters, local government officers, and other key entities
  involved in FPO development.
• Reporting and Analysis: Capability to create comprehensive reports, analyze FPO growth metrics, identify areas for improvement, and devise strategies to overcome challenges.
• Risk Management: Capable of identifying potential risks faced by FPOs and devising risk mitigation strategies while engaging stakeholders effectively to navigate challenges.
• Empathy and Relationship Building: Possesses strong empathy skills, fostering a culture of trust and collaboration with FPOs, understanding their challenges, and providing supportive solutions while managing relationships effectively.

Education & salary ● Any post graduation & degree with a keen interest in the agriculture sector, Based on experience salary will be discussed

3. Manager, Marketing linkage 2 position

Position description

The Manager position is pivotal in expanding FPO networks, cultivating strong relationships with agri startups, and identifying opportunities in the secondary market for agricultural and horticultural crops. Responsibilities
include guiding FPOs on post-harvest marketing linkages, logistics management, crop grading, and exporting A-grade crops, while also exploring markets for B and C-grade crops. Additionally, the role involves market analysis, linking with agri-processing industries, and building collaborations with local industry associations, start-ups, and institutions to foster rapport and drive sustained growth for FPOs. This position necessitates a strategic mindset, adept market analysis, team leadership, and effective collaboration skills to ensure the FPOs’ success.

Location Multiple location in Karnataka

Experience 5 to 6 years above

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

• Networking Expansion: Establish and expand networks with diverse buyer communities, including Agri startups, processing centers, exporters, and marketing agencies to establish robust market linkages.
• Marketing Leads Generation: Generate targeted marketing leads for specific FPOs based on their crop calendars and market requirements, categorizing produce grades for appropriate marketing strategies.
• Relationship Building: Collaborate with FPOs to cultivate strong relationships, provide supply chain expertise, and ensure adherence to quality standards in product offerings. Conduct training sessions for FPOs on quality parameters and marketing aspects to enhance their knowledge.
• Government Partnership Facilitation: Facilitate partnerships with government entities to support FPOs in marketing linkages and compliance with regulatory standards. Organize stalls and buyer meetings with FPOs.
• FPO engagement: Specialize in assisting FPOs to identify and qualify potential customers, working closely with Sales and Market Linkage teams to ensure alignment with organizational goals. Resolve issues between FPOs and buyers to market available crops effectively.
• Annual Plan Preparation: Contribute to the preparation of annual plans in conjunction with FPOs, aligning strategies with market demands and growth objectives. Develop secondary processing units and value addition based on demand.
• Quality Specification Communication: Effectively communicate quality specifications to the ground team and ensure compliance with set standards. Onboard FPOs based on company requirements.
• Logistics and Operations Support: Provide assistance in local logistics and operations, optimizing processes for efficient market linkage execution. Help FPOs connect and link crop availability with logistic linkages.
• Collaborative Coordination: Collaborate with private and government officials, FPOs, start-ups, and processing industries for effective coordination at the ground level for seamless operations.
• Data-Driven Strategies: Utilize available data to strategize, analyze target markets, and develop innovative approaches to attract customers effectively.
• Team Leadership: Lead and guide the sales team to maximize market linkages, enhance revenue streams, and achieve set objectives.
• Team Collaboration: Work collaboratively within the team to devise comprehensive plans for market connections and ensure smooth operations involving various stakeholders.
• Output Linkages Strategy: Assist FPOs in understanding market requirements, strategizing for improved output linkages, and aligning offerings with market demand. Develop offline and online marketing linkage programs, social media presence, and various channels (B2C and B2B) to enhance FPO business growth.

Key Competency and skills

• Leadership Functions: Demonstrated ability to provide visionary leadership, mentorship, and guidance to teams and stakeholders, ensuring the attainment of organizational objectives.
• Project Management: Proficiency in managing and executing projects effectively, handling resources, timelines, and deliverables efficiently.
• Marketing Linkage: Strong expertise in establishing and enhancing marketing linkages, specifically in the agricultural sector, facilitating connections between producers and potential buyers.
• Post-Harvest Marketing: Experience and knowledge in optimizing post-harvest processes and marketing strategies to maximize product value and minimize losses.
• Partnerships with Government and Other Supportive Entities: Proven capability in fostering partnerships with government agencies, export organizations, marketing startups, and processing industries to facilitate and support agricultural activities.
• Facilitating Producers’ Organizations: Skilled in supporting and empowering producer organizations to enhance their operational efficiency and growth.
• Training and Capacity Building on Marketing: Proficient in organizing and conducting training programs to enhance marketing skills and capabilities among stakeholders, particularly in the agriculture sector.
• Research, Reporting, and Documentation: Competency in conducting research, preparing comprehensive reports, and maintaining accurate documentation for organizational strategies and activities
• Communication: Proficiency in English and Kannada (reading and writing).
• Adopting Good Governance Practices: Ability to implement and promote ethical and transparent governance practices within the organization.
• Mobilizing Linkages and Leverages: Expertise in mobilizing resources, building connections, and leveraging networks for the benefit of the organization and its stakeholders.

Education & salary

• Post-Graduation in Rural Development (MSW), MBA, and Engineering with a keen interest in pursuing a marketing career within the agriculture sector.
• Based on experience and will be discussed in the interview

4. Marketing Officer – Secondary Market Specialist 6 position

Position description

The Marketing Executive – Secondary Market Specialist plays a vital role in identifying and establishing connections within secondary markets for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). This position involves crafting
customized marketing strategies, cultivating partnerships, and segmenting produce to effectively meet consumer demands, thereby augmenting sales within secondary markets. The role necessitates a comprehensive understanding of marketing principles and market dynamics to optimize
sales opportunities for FPOs.

Location Multiple local in Karnataka

Experience 1 to 3 years

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

• Lead Generation: Identify and generate leads for secondary and tertiary produce markets, facilitating FPO sales expansion.
• Local Market Connections: Establish connections within local markets, collaborating closely with processing units, startups, and relevant stakeholders.
• Product Segregation: Assist FPOs in the effective segregation of produce into various grades to align with consumer preferences, maximizing profitability.
• Partnerships and Collaborations: Form strategic partnerships with processing units, associations, and institutes to broaden the FPOs’ market reach.
• Organize Events: Organize and actively participate in conferences, seminars, and exhibitions, fostering invaluable marketing connections for FPOs.
• Buyer Database Management: Maintain and regularly update databases containing potential buyers’ information across various produce categories.
• Market Surveys and Connections: Conduct market surveys and establish connections for surplus produce, ensuring expanded market access for FPOs.
• Tailored Marketing Campaigns: Design and execute product-specific marketing campaigns tailored precisely to meet the needs of FPOs.
• Customized Marketing Strategies: Develop and refine marketing strategies unique to different products and crops in the secondary market segment.
• Market Research and Analysis: Conduct in-depth market research and analyze trends, customer behaviour, and demands for B-grade crops, value-added produce, and consistent supplies to secondary production units.

Key Competency and skills

• Marketing Strategy Development: Proficient in developing comprehensive marketing strategies aligned with organizational goals and market demands.
• Secondary Produce Market Research and Analysis: Skilled in conducting thorough research and analysis within secondary produce markets to identify opportunities and trends.
• Networking and Relationship Building: Ability to establish and nurture networks and relationships, particularly with processing units, startups, associations, and other key stakeholders.
• Event Management and Coordination: Capable of planning and executing various marketing events, including offline events and post-media engagement, to connect with buyers and stakeholders.
• Database Management: Proficient in maintaining and updating databases of potential buyers, products, and market segments.
• Campaign Planning and Execution: Experience in planning and executing tailored marketing campaigns aimed at promoting FPO produce.
• Market Segmentation and Targeting: Understanding market segments and effectively targeting specific audiences to maximize marketing efforts.
• Consumer Behavior Analysis: Skilled in analyzing consumer behavior to tailor marketing strategies according to their preferences and needs.
• Communication: Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, to effectively convey marketing messages and liaise with different stakeholders.
• Problem Solving: Ability to identify issues and provide effective solutions, especially in the context of marketing strategies and execution.

Education ● Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration or related field.

5. Executive, Supply Chain Specialist position 4

Position description

The Supply Chain Executive plays a crucial role in establishing efficient connections between FPOs and buyers, requiring expertise in supply chain management, negotiation, logistics, and FPO motivation. Responsibilities
include sourcing quality products from FPOs, negotiating contracts, overseeing supply processes, maintaining records, ensuring quality adherence, guiding FPOs, fostering buyer-FPO connections, and managing risks associated with execution. Proficiency in agricultural and horticultural
quality parameters is essential.

Location Multiple location in karnataka

Experience 1 to 2 years’ experience

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

• Buyer Collaboration: Collaborate with buyers to identify FPO products meeting quality specifications, fostering suitable product selection for market demands.
• Contract Negotiation: Negotiate contracts between FPOs and buyers, ensuring mutually beneficial terms and conditions.
• Supply Oversight: Oversee supply and delivery processes, ensuring efficient and timely execution to meet buyer requirements.
• Logistical Strategies: Devise and execute logistical strategies to achieve set supply chain targets, optimizing operational efficiency.
• Performance Analysis: Maintain comprehensive records of supply chain processes, analyze performance metrics, and recommend improvements.
• Quality Adherence: Ensure adherence to quality standards, guiding FPOs in maintaining high-quality product offerings.
• FPO Management: Manage and motivate FPOs to meet output demands set by buyers, fostering a performance-driven approach.
• Knowledge Transfer: Impart supply chain knowledge to FPO teams, enhancing awareness and skill development among members.
• Buyer-FPO Connections: Establish and nurture connections between buyers and FPOs, fostering both new and existing relationships.
• Risk Management: Proactively manage and mitigate execution risks within the supply chain, ensuring smooth operations.
• Supply Optimization: Map sources and assist FPOs in optimizing supply to meet buyer demand effectively.
• Product Quality Expertise: Possess in-depth knowledge of agricultural and horticultural produce quality parameters, ensuring compliance with standards.

Key Competency and skills

• Supply Chain Management: Proficient in overseeing end-to-end supply chain processes in the agricultural sector.
• Negotiation Skills: Strong ability to negotiate advantageous contracts between FPOs and buyers.
• Logistics Expertise: Demonstrated capability in devising and executing effective logistical strategies to meet objectives.
• Quality Assurance: Commitment to upholding high-quality standards in agricultural produce throughout the supply chain.
• Motivation and Guidance: Ability to manage and motivate FPOs to meet market demands, imparting supply chain knowledge, and building awareness.
• Stakeholder Relationship Management: Building and fostering new and existing connections between buyers and FPOs.
• Risk Management: Proficiency in identifying and minimizing risks associated with execution processes.
• Product Expertise: Deep understanding of agricultural and horticultural quality parameters, enabling accurate sourcing and meeting market demand.

Education

• Any Bachelor’s degree and Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Agriculture, or a related field experience.

For additional details, please don’t hesitate to reach out to iranna@krishikalpa.com. If you have any inquiries, feel free to contact us at 8951867885. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews. Thank you for your interest!