Founder’s Associate – COO’s Office

Farmers for Forests; Pune District; On-site; INR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading environmental organization in India is seeking a full-time Founder’s Associate to support the COO in managing operations. The role involves coordinating across teams, addressing operational challenges, and tracking program metrics. Ideal candidates should have 1–4 years of relevant experience, strong analytical and communication skills, and an interest in ecological restoration. Competitive salary of 8 to 12 LPA offered, along with opportunities for field travel.

Qualifications

• 1–4 years of experience in operations, consulting, or program management.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Fluency in English and Hindi is required.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day operational management across F4F’s programs.
• Assist in coordinating across field teams and ensure smooth program implementation.
• Help track program performance and operational milestones.

Skills

Problem-solving

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Coordination skills

Communication skills

Job description

About Us

F4F is a Hybrid Social Enterprise working to protect and increase India’s biodiverse forest cover in close collaboration with rural communities. Founded in December 2019, F4F is one of the few organizations in India working in the forestry sector and using a payment-for-ecosystem services model for its environmental protection and restoration activities.

F4F was incubated at Mulago, Fast Forward, NSRCEL-IIMB, The Nudge Institute and Shakti - The Empathy Project. Our work has been supported by several organizations including Accenture, ACT Grants, Opus Software Solutions, Rainmatter Foundation and Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies.

We have also featured on DW TV and Scroll's Eco India series as well as DW Hindi. We have also been selected as one of India's top innovators working in the ecosystem restoration and conservation sector by the World Economic Forum.

Job Description

Farmers for Forests (F4F) is seeking a full-time employee for the Founder’s Associate – COO’s Office position.

The Founder’s Associate will work closely with F4F’s Chief Operations Officer (COO) to support the day-to-day management and scaling of the organization’s operations. This role offers a unique opportunity to gain a deep understanding of how large-scale agroforestry and ecosystem restoration programs are implemented on the ground.

The role involves working across teams, supporting strategic initiatives, solving operational challenges, and helping ensure that the organization’s programs run smoothly as F4F continues to expand its work across rural India.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Work closely with the COO to support day-to-day operational management across F4F’s programs.
• Assist in coordinating across field teams, research teams, data teams, and other departments to ensure smooth program implementation.
• Support the planning and execution of operational initiatives related to agroforestry, biochar, and ecosystem restoration programs.
• Help track program performance, key metrics, and operational milestones across projects.
• Assist in identifying operational bottlenecks and support the development of processes and systems to improve efficiency.
• Prepare internal reports, dashboards, and operational updates for leadership meetings.
• Conduct research and analysis to support program design, operational strategy, and decision-making.
• Coordinate with different teams to ensure that operational plans and timelines are executed effectively.
• Support the documentation of processes, field learnings, and best practices as programs scale.
• Travel to field locations periodically to understand on-ground implementation and support field teams where required.

Requirements

• Overall experience of 1–4 years in operations, consulting, program management, or startup environments.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to work on diverse operational challenges.
• Excellent organizational and coordination skills.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to work across teams and stakeholders.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced and evolving organizational environment.
• Interest in climate action, ecological restoration, rural development, or environmental conservation.
• Willingness to travel occasionally to field locations.
• Fluent in English and Hindi; fluency in Marathi will be a plus.

Benefits

Salary range: 8 to 12 LPA