Program Manager - Operations, Odisha

Mitti Labs Limited; Odisha; Hybrid; INR 1,800,000 - 2,600,000; Full time

Job summary

Mitti Labs Limited is expanding its climate-smart agriculture programs in Odisha. We seek a strong state lead to build operations from inception and oversee a field force of about 100 with a focus on meeting project milestones and carbon credit objectives.

You will coordinate external partners, train field teams, and drive end-to-end execution across rice-growing regions while collaborating with universities, government bodies, and NGOs to scale impact.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in agri-project management or field extension management.
• Experience coordinating multi-district or multi-state programs.
• Proven ability to build high-performance cultures and accountability systems.

Responsibilities

• Maintain strong relationships with implementation partners at managerial and execution levels.
• Strategise solutions with implementation partners to address problems.
• Continually update SOPs and systems to improve performance.
• Collaborate with local stakeholders including agri universities, government bodies, NGOs, and KVKs.

Skills

Agri project mgmt

People management

Communication

Travel willingness

Field operations

Odiya fluency

Strategic planning

Education

Agribusiness / Field extension / supply chain education

Tools

Notion

Google Workspace

Excel

Looker Studio

Job description

About Mitti Labs

Mitti Labs is a climate-tech startup dedicated to transforming the rice industry by supporting smallholder farmers in adopting sustainable practices. Our mission is to bring AI and satellite technology into traditional rice farming, reducing methane emissions while improving farmer livelihoods.

Backed by NASA-supported science and a strong ecosystem of partners, we work with global corporations to help them achieve their net-zero goals through verified, high-quality carbon credits. Our initiatives include building the world's most advanced dMRV for rice, launching a 40,000 farmers project in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and reducing air pollution from stubble burning in Punjab. We have built partnerships with the likes of Syngenta Foundation, Dr Reddy's Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and Ebro Foods.

Our customers - including Fortune 500 companies and leading agri-businesses - trust Mitti Labs to deliver measurable impact across climate, food systems, and sustainability. We are a team of 40+ data scientists, agronomists, engineers, and operators.

Role Description

Mitti Labs is entering Odisha as we expand our climate-smart agriculture programs across key rice-growing regions. We are looking for a strong, strategic state lead/project lead who can build and manage Odisha operations from inception and ensure seamless execution of our carbon projects.

Through our implementation partner, we will have a field force of around 100. You will be responsible in ensuring partners meet their targets and execution happens seamlessly.

Some of your objectives will include:

• Ensuring partners are meeting their tasks as per a pre-defined roadmap
• Continually streamlining systems and processes to ensure execution
• Continually training, re-training, and supporting the field agent force
• Holding field agents and partners accountable, and helping them problem solve and find solutions?

We are seeking a driven task master, who has the ability to rally internal and external teams and the strong interpersonal and communication skills needed to meet these objectives.

Key Responsibilities

1. External Partner Operations Management

• Maintain strong relationship with implementation partners teams, at managerial and execution level
• Strategise solutions with implementation partners basis problems
• Continually build and update SOPs and systems to ensure performance
• Collaborate with local stakeholders involved in the program, including agri universities, government bodies, NGOs, KVKs, Agriculture Departments etc.
• Daily standups with Ops Execution team, QA/QC team, and implementation partner’s teams (at managerial and operational levels)
• Ability to create network of logistics providers and local resources to support tasks

2. Internal Communications

• Work with internal teams on carbon processes compliance, product, R&D to ensure smooth implementation and communication of improvements
• Work on smooth execution of inputs distribution business in collaboration with inputs business head, and with support from inputs logistics team
• Daily/weekly analytics on performance on carbon processes, input distribution, and offer insights to Ops Execution, Product and leadership
• Offer support on Science Ops, R&D ops, agronomic demos, etc.

3. Operational Execution and Leadership

• Take initiative as a leader of the program, manage state level teams, project coordinators and field agents to ensure on-ground execution
• Building and maintaining granular task sheets and roadmaps, to ensure timeline and execution of projects are meeting requirements
• Drive farmer engagement programs through trainings, awareness campaigns and demonstration plots
• Oversee procurement, logistics and distribution of climate smart agri inputs to ensure availability and accessibility
• Ensure field agents are trained, and operating as per SOP, make quick corrections when deviations are observed
• Maintaining, updating and improving document repository of SOPs, Training Manuals, Processes
• Build marketing material in coordination with on-ground teams to represent progress/success/wins basis data collected from fields
• Create input market material for field agents, how to pitch to farmer, how to sell product, with SOPs + Video walkthroughs

Your skills, mindset and demeanor should align with the following requirements:

• Passionate about climate, agriculture, sustainability, scientific innovation and impact
• Strong and independent task master, ability to design and execute on roadmaps
• Experience in Agri Project Management
• Strong communication skills and composure when dealing with large scale projects and large teams
• Process excellence mindset
• People management. High cultural sensitivity and ability to motivate rural teams.
• Ability to pre-empt issues and offer solutions to fire-fight
• Willingness to travel to fields on daily basis
• Ability to understand and engage with agrarian communities, understanding of farmers, FPOs, NGOs, Government Departments, etc...

Experience:

• Strong professional experience (7+ years) - ideally in agri-project management, field extension management, input distribution/sales
• Category experience in Paddy farming is strongly preferred
• Proven experience in optimizing processes and building systems and strategies to support scale
• Strong educational background, preferably in Agribusiness management, Field Extension management, operations / supply chain strategy type roles
• Experience managing large field teams (100-300 people) through partner organizations or direct teams.
• Demonstrated capability in building high-performance cultures, coaching mid-level managers, and creating accountability systems.
• Strong ability to create MIS, and monitor KPIs at scale.
• Hands-on experience using project management tools (Notion, Google Workspace, Excel, Looker Studio, etc.).
• Experience in multi-district or multi-state program rollouts.
• Prior experience implementing QA/QC frameworks, audits, field validation checks, and adherence to SOP.
• Experience in generating detailed stakeholder-specific reports and documentation to synthesize findings and learnings to diverse stakeholders.
• Experience ensuring compliance with carbon methodologies, government schemes, donor requirements…
• Native fluency in Odiya is a must

Purpose driven work - tackling the worlds most pressing challenges - climate change, food security, water security, farmer livelihoods improvement.

Culture / Team / Environment - our team includes the best minds in science, product, business and operations, in an environment where collaboration and openness is highly valued, unbiased, objective decision making, direct relationship with founders, and encouragement of career growth in a rapidly scaling organization.

Exposure to multiple stakeholders - internal and external, ability to operate at the center of the organization.