Junior Technical Specialist

Scope – Based in India

Place of work: Bengaluru, India

About the Role

East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT) is seeking a Junior Technical Officer to support our goal of sharing knowledge on improved fresh vegetable production practices with smallholder farmers. This position will help to consolidate and strengthen extension activities by ensuring the quality of technical advice across EWS-KT’s work in India. 

EWS-KT is implementing programs in various states in India. State-level Technical Specialists support the local teams of Technical Field Officers in field-level technical support, monitor the demonstration plots on the farmers’ land, and train the local staff on technical aspects. 

The Junior Technical Officer will be the single point of contact for coordinating and ensuring quality of technical training at the field level, and implementing the technical training calendar in India. The Junior Technical Officer will be part of the EWS-KT Technical Support Hub, which provides technical support to all country teams, and will collaborate closely with EWS-KT Technical Specialists in India, elsewhere in Asia, and Africa.

Based in the India head office in Bengaluru, this position will report to the Head of EWS-KT India for all administrative work and will support the Deputy Technical Specialist based in Odisha.

Responsibilities

  • Visit the field locations frequently and monitor the quality of knowledge transfer activities implemented in the field by EWS-KT staff.
  • Observe, identify, and implement initiatives to improve the quality of training, demonstration plots, and Field Days, in collaboration with the Deputy Technical Specialist.
  • Work closely with Technical Field Officers in states and offer them technical support.
  • Prepare the technical training calendar for India in coordination with the Deputy Technical Specialist and organize and provide logistics support for conducting technical training in states.
  • Participate in and observe the technical training given to smallholder farmers and ensure that they have practical understanding of the concepts taught in the training; give feedback on the training.
  • In collaboration with state-level Technical Specialists, support the identification, training, and engagement of a group of Technical Field Officers who contribute to the work of the Technical Support Hub in their state.
  • Ensure that regular and accurate data from demos, training events, and Field Days is collected and entered into the CMS. Analyze the individual demo plot data against the set EWS-KT protocols, identify the gaps, and take steps to correct them through classroom and on-field training.
  • Identify best practices and create plans to replicate/adapt/pilot them in other locations.
  • Collaborate with the EWS-KT Technical Support Hub in developing technical extension materials and expanding knowledge. Update databases with the latest technical information and ensure that the updated information is used in all locations.
  • Prepare Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) based on the queries raised by farmers in various meetings, technical training, and Field Days and collaborate with Technical Specialists and Technical Field Officers to prepare the answers. Share the FAQs with field teams in local languages for effective communication and implementation.
  • Prepare monthly reports.
  • Liaise with partners, stakeholders, and government organizations to promote profitable vegetable production among smallholder farmers.
  • Identify, pilot, and support the implementation of techniques that are regenerative in nature and ensure that the recommendations given by the field team to the farmers help the farmers to be climate resilient.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in horticulture/agriculture or other relevant field
  • 2 years of professional experience as a technical advisor and trainer
  • A good trainer with experience in conducting Trainings of Trainers (ToTs)
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  • Good technical knowledge of vegetable production
  • Excellent organizational and analytical skills
  • Working knowledge of Excel
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
  • Proactive team player, ability to multitask and work in cross-functional environments
  • Ready to travel anywhere in the country and adaptable to field situations
  • Experience in working with NGOs is desirable
  • Knowledge of Hindi is desirable

Further Information:

EWS-KT is an equal opportunity employer, and both women and men are strongly encouraged to apply. To apply, please email your CV and a cover letter outlining your interest in the position to [email protected].

Due to the large number of applications we receive, only applicants who are shortlisted for further discussions will be contacted.