Coordinator-Tea

WWF; Assam; On-site; INR 400,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

WWF in Assam seeks a Research Coordination & Package of Practices expert to develop and localize PoP for smallholder tea growers, emphasizing IPM and agronomic practices. You will coordinate with researchers, government and community actors, and support field trainings and certification processes across Assam.

You will work with partners to ensure food safety standards and effective market linkages while traveling across tea-growing regions as needed.

Qualifications

• Strong stakeholder coordination across research, govt, private sector, and community actors.
• Ability to design and facilitate farmer-level training (FFS experience a plus).
• Understanding of agri-supply chains and market linkage facilitation.
• Good planning, budgeting, and reporting discipline.
• Proficiency in Assamese and/or local dialects, plus working English/Hindi.
• Willingness to travel extensively in Assam within tea growing regions and beyond if required.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with research institutes to develop and localize PoP for smallholder tea growers.
• Ensure PoP content reflects nature-positive and wildlife-friendly principles aligned with elephant-conflict goals.
• Maintain relationships with research partners for technical validation and updates to PoP.
• Coordinate with subject-matter experts to design and run Farmer Field Schools for smallholder tea growers.
• Plan FFS scheduling, venues, and farmer mobilization with local partners.
• Track FFS attendance, outcomes, and practice adoption for M&E.
• Coordinate with certification bodies to support compliance and audits.
• Provide hands-on support to farmer groups for meeting certification standards and documentation.
• Track certification status, gaps, and renewal timelines.
• Coordinate with tea estates to include certified smallholders in formal supply chains.
• Support sourcing relationships and agreements for sustained demand for green leaf.
• Contribute to branding and market positioning of smallholder tea with WWF communications.
• Coordinate with Bought Leaf Factories to ensure food safety compliance.
• Support farmer-level compliance activities (pesticide residue management, hygienic handling).
• Ensure Outcome 3.3 activities are on schedule and within budgets; flag risks early.

Skills

Stakeholder coordination

Training design & facilitation

Agri-supply chains & market linkage

Planning, budgeting & reporting

Assamese/local languages

Willingness to travel in Assam

Job description

Research Coordination & Package of Practices

• Coordinate with research institute stakeholders like Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Assam Agricultural University, ICAR, and other relevant bodies to develop and localize a Package of Practices (PoP) for smallholder tea growers (STG), with particular emphasis on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and other agronomic practices relevant to small tea growers.
• Ensure Tea Garden Management content reflects nature positive and wildlife friendly principles consistent with the project's elephant-conflict mitigation goals.
• Maintain a working relationship with research partners for ongoing technical validation and updates to the PoP.

Farmer Field Schools (FFS)

• Coordinate with subject‑matter experts and research partners to design and run Farmer Field Schools for smallholder tea growers, using the food management practices and certification requirements as curriculum inputs.
• Plan FFS scheduling, venues, and farmer mobilization in coordination with local partners and community structures.
• Track FFS attendance, learning outcomes, and practice adoption as part of project M&E.

Certification & Compliance Support

• Coordinate with certification bodies (Rainforest Alliance and others as relevant) to support smallholders through the adherence of compliance and certification audit process.
• Provide or organize hands‑on support to farmer groups/estates for meeting and maintaining certification standards, including documentation and internal management system requirements.
• Track certification status, gaps, and renewal timelines across the smallholder base.

Market & Supply Chain Linkages

• Coordinate with tea estates: both domestically and export‑oriented/international brands to facilitate the inclusion of certified smallholder production into formal supply chains.
• Support the development of sourcing relationships and agreements that create sustained demand for smallholder green leaf.
• Contribute to branding and market positioning of smallholder‑produced tea, in coordination with WWF communications and relevant partners.

Food Safety & BLF Coordination

• Coordinate with Bought Leaf Factories (BLFs) to ensure smallholder production meets applicable FSSAI food safety standards.
• Support farmer‑level compliance activities (e.g., pesticide residue management, hygienic harvest/handling practices) required for BLF acceptance and food safety norms.

Project Management & Reporting

• Ensure all Outcome 3.3 activities are implemented on schedule and within allocated budgets, flagging risks/delays early to the Project Manager.
• Maintain accurate records of stakeholder engagement, farmer participation, certification progress, and expenditure against work plans.
• Contribute to donor and internal reporting as required.
• Undertake any other tasks assigned by the Project Manager/supervisor in support of project objectives.

Requirements

• Strong stakeholder coordination skills across research, government, private sector, and community actors.
• Ability to design and facilitate farmer‑level training (FFS experience a plus).
• Sound understanding of agri‑supply chains and market linkage facilitation.
• Good planning, budgeting, and reporting discipline.
• Proficiency in Assamese and/or local dialects, plus working English/Hindi.
• Willingness to travel extensively in Assam within the tea growing regions, conflict‑hotspot districts, and outside Assam if required.