Senior Program Specialist - Agriculture Finance Research

WRI India group; New Delhi; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Term Insurance

Learning culture

Flexible work

Job summary

WRI India in Delhi seeks a Senior Program Research Specialist to advance financing solutions for sustainable food systems, restoration, and climate-smart landscapes. You will work with FLW teams, international offices, and partners to design finance models, conduct research, and develop reports.

The role emphasizes strategic planning, project leadership, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge sharing, with responsibilities spanning donor reporting, capacity building, and external communications.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in business, finance, economics, commerce, or a related field.
• 7–10 years of experience in strategic planning and project leadership within finance and the agriculture, food systems, or restoration sectors.
• Strong understanding of sustainable and green finance, climate finance, ESG, food loss and waste, restoration and related business models in India.
• Experience with private sector corporate finance, investment, or climate finance initiatives.
• Proficiency in developing financial models for investment analysis and valuation.
• Knowledge of green and sustainable finance frameworks related to food systems, agriculture, and restoration.
• Experience conducting high-quality research and translating ideas for diverse audiences.
• Experience in interdisciplinary teams across food loss/waste, supply chains, restoration, and sustainable agriculture.
• Strong strategic thinking with ability to convert ideas into practical plans.
• Proven project management skills and familiarity with PM tools.
• Leadership, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement with diverse partners.
• Data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal English; Hindi language ability is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Develop and advance the program’s finance strategy for sustainable agriculture, food loss and waste reduction, and landscape restoration.
• Develop financial models and financing frameworks and clear reports.
• Support partner organizations in designing finance strategies and scalable business models.
• Conduct research on financing trends and opportunities in sustainable agriculture and restoration.
• Produce reports, case studies, and policy briefs on financing in food systems.
• Serve as the focal point for finance coordination across FLW teams.
• Co-develop and support discussions on finance through roundtables and webinars.
• Develop and implement work plans and processes for project delivery.
• Support internal capacity building through workshops and trainings on finance.
• Assist with donor reporting, partner communications, and fundraising materials.
• Contribute to external communications via blogs, newsletters, and social media.

Skills

Strategic planning

Project leadership

Sustainable finance

Climate finance

ESG knowledge

Financial modeling

Research skills

Stakeholder engagement

Cross-functional teamwork

English communications

Hindi language (adv)

Education

Master’s degree in business/finance/economics/commerce

Job description

About us

WRI India, an independent charity legally registered as the India Resources Trust, provides objective information and practical proposals to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development. Through research, analysis, and recommendations, WRI India puts ideas into action to build transformative solutions to protect the earth, promote livelihoods, and enhance human well-being.

Know more: https://wri-india.org/

Program Overview for Food, Land and Water:

WRI India’s Food, Land and Water program supports India’s shift toward more sustainable and climate-resilient food and land systems. The program focuses on practical, nature-based approaches such as restoring landscapes and promoting sustainable farming practices that can reduce climate risks, create jobs and livelihoods, and improve nutrition security. To support long-term change, the program also works on reducing food loss and food waste through fair and inclusive strategies that strengthen circular food systems and lower environmental impacts.

Taking a systems-wide approach, we work with governments, businesses, civil society organizations, and farmer producer organizations to develop land-use strategies grounded in evidence and data. Our work helps strengthen the resilience of local communities, address capacity gaps, track progress, and support a restoration economy that benefits people, nature, and the climate.

For more details, refer to the webpage - Food, Land & Water | WRI India

Job Highlight:

Finance is critical to accelerating progress on global goals for people, nature, and climate by mobilizing diverse funding sources, aligning efforts, and enabling systems to work more effectively together. Achieving impact in areas such as landscape restoration, sustainable agriculture, and food loss and waste reduction requires innovative and inclusive financing approaches that support local communities, smallholder farmers, and small businesses while strengthening value chains and accelerating systems change.

There is an urgent need to unlock greater public, private, philanthropic, and commercial capital to innovate and scale technologies, local infrastructure, community-based enterprises, business models, and programs that drive food system transformation. At the same time, financing instruments must be fit for purpose, grounded in practical realities, and designed to strengthen investment readiness so the sector can effectively absorb and deploy capital. For example, current public, private, and philanthropic investment in reducing food loss and waste does not match the scale of the challenge or the ambition of SDG 12.3. Strengthening risk-mitigation mechanisms, including blended finance and insurance solutions, will be essential to mobilize greater private investment.

The Senior Program Research Specialist will work closely with teams across WRI India’s Food, Land and Water (FLW) program, international offices, and external partners to advance work at the intersection of finance, policy, and markets. The role will contribute to developing innovative financing solutions for reducing food loss and waste, building India’s restoration economy, advancing blended finance and insurance mechanisms for risk mitigation, and enabling financing pathways for sustainable food systems. The position will also support research and knowledge generation, strategic partnerships, technical advisory engagements, and program development across FLW priorities.

What will you do:

• Develop and advance the program’s finance strategy for sustainable agriculture, food loss and waste reduction, and landscape restoration, including building relationships with banks, NBFCs, DFIs, MDBs, and other financial institutions.
• Develop financial models, financing frameworks, and clear reports or presentations that explain their approach, outcomes, and implications.
• Support partner organizations in designing finance strategies and building sustainable, scalable business models.
• Conduct research on financing trends and opportunities in sustainable agriculture, food loss and waste reduction, and landscape restoration.
• Produce reports, case studies, and policy briefs that highlight the importance of effective financing in addressing key food and land system challenges.
• Serve as the focal point for finance-related coordination across FLW teams, including facilitating knowledge exchange and collaboration.
• Co-develop and support discussions on finance through roundtables, webinars, and other stakeholder convenings focused on food systems transformation.
• Develop and implement work plans and processes to support effective project delivery.
• Support internal capacity building through workshops, trainings, and knowledge-sharing activities on finance for sustainable agriculture, restoration, and food loss and waste reduction.
• Assist with donor reporting, partner communications, and fundraising support by preparing narrative reports and related materials.
• Contribute to external communications through blogs, newsletters, social media, and other outreach materials.

What will you need:

• Master’s degree in business, finance, economics, commerce, or a related field.
• 7–10 years of relevant experience in strategic planning and project leadership within finance and the agriculture, food systems, or restoration sectors.
• Strong understanding of sustainable and green finance, climate finance, ESG, food loss and waste, restoration, sustainable agriculture, and related business models in the Indian context. Knowledge of BRSR and ESG frameworks is an added advantage.
• Experience working with the private sector, particularly on corporate finance, investment, or climate finance initiatives.
• Proficiency in developing financial models for investment analysis and valuation.
• Knowledge of green and sustainable finance frameworks relevant to food systems, agriculture, and restoration.
• Experience conducting high-quality research and translating complex ideas into clear insights for different audiences.
• Experience working in interdisciplinary teams across themes such as food loss and waste, food supply chains, restoration, and sustainable agriculture.
• Strong strategic thinking skills, with the ability to convert ideas into practical plans and actions.
• Proven project management skills, including familiarity with project management tools and methods.
• Strong leadership, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse partners.
• Data-driven approach to decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; proficiency in an additional Indian language (such as Hindi) is an advantage.

Potential Salary and Benefits:INR 18,00,000 to INR 24,00,000

Salary shall be commensurate with experience and skills. WRI India offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package.

Location:

Delhi, India

Duration:

1 year term hire (extendable based on performance and project requirements)

Start date:

As soon as possible

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) @WRI India

WRI India values and promotes diversity, equity and inclusion across all areas of our work and workforce. Integrating these values into our actions fosters a progressive and collaborative culture and can also enhance our impact. It is our responsibility to create a welcoming working environment for people of diverse cultures, backgrounds and experience to learn together. We are responsible for fostering a safe and inclusive workplace where questions, concerns and information about diversity, equity and inclusion are part of our ongoing dialogue and development.

Learn more about WRI India’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

Click Here

People-centric to the core:

We keep our people at the center of everything we do - from a welcoming work environment to benefits and a culture that encourages staff to stay healthy, happy, engaged, and growing.

Some of the non-monetary benefits that our staff get:

Health benefits:

We cover health insurance for you and your loved ones for up to INR 8 lakhs

Term Insurance:

Our term insurance policy covers life coverage of 50 lakhs per staff member

Employee Assistance program:

Promoting mental well-being and supporting staff in achieving a satisfying work-life balance

Health & Nutrition:

Personalized diet recommendation from a certified dietitian based on the physical health condition and lifestyle

Flexible work schedule:

Alternative work arrangements for all who are eligible by nature of their job

Learning culture:

Workshops and trainings to empower staff, encourage new learning opportunities

Rest and Recharge weeks:

We encourage staff to take time off to rest, rejuvenate, upskill, and pursue their interests.

Our leave policy:

Avail personal time off at 36 per year, along with public holidays, maternity, paternity, and adoption leaves.

Equal employment @WRI India

We believe in equal employment, it is our policy to recruit and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to caste, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, parental status, or disability.