Senior Vice President – Operations

Farmers for Forests (F4F); Pune District; On-site; INR 1,350,000 - 1,650,000; Full time

Job summary

Farmers for Forests (F4F) seeks a Senior Vice President – Operations to lead field operations from our head office in Pune, managing teams, procurement, inventory, SOP adherence and government relations across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka.

The role requires strong leadership, strategic operations, and extensive travel (about 70% in the field) to drive scalable impact in rural India. An MBA in related fields and 8–12 years of experience are preferred.

Qualifications

• Fluent in Marathi, Hindi and English.
• MBA in Operations, Agriculture or Rural Management is preferred.
• 8–12 years of overall experience in rural India.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall operations strategy and scalable systems across geographies.
• Build and mentor an operations team with clear KRAs, KPIs and accountability.
• Oversee end-to-end project lifecycle from planning to closure, with budgeting and monitoring.
• Manage procurement, inventory, quality implementation and government relations.
• Drive budget planning, tracking and cost optimization to stay within approved budgets.
• Establish robust data and MIS systems for project progress, budgets and field operations.

Skills

Marathi

Hindi

English

Education

MBA in Operations, Agriculture or Rural Management

Job description

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.

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

Role Overview

Farmers for Forests (F4F) is seeking a full-time employee for the Senior Vice President – Operations position to manage field operations in the organization. The role will support the COO in managing the operations team and the VPRC in field data collection. We are looking for someone with 3–6 years of experience in a similar role.

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 been selected as one of India’s top innovators working in the ecosystem restoration and conservation sector by the World Economic Forum.

Position

The Senior Vice President – Operations will be based at our head office in Pune and will be responsible for ensuring that all field operations at F4F run smoothly and efficiently across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka, where we currently operate.

The day-to-day role will involve managing field teams, procurement, inventory management, quality implementation, SOP adherence and government relations. This position involves significant travel. We will only consider applicants who can travel or spend at least 70% of their time in field locations.

You will also work closely with local implementation partners and our government partners in district administrations and the forest department.

Roles and Responsibilities

Operations Strategy and Scale: Lead the overall operations strategy and build systems that enable F4F to scale projects efficiently across geographies.

Team Building and Leadership: Build, mentor and lead a high-performing operations team with clear structures, KRAs, KPIs and accountability at every level.

End-to-End Operations: Oversee the complete project lifecycle, from planning and budgeting to implementation, monitoring, quality assurance and closure.

Client and Stakeholder Management: Lead relationships with key clients, donors, investors and implementation partners, ensuring timely delivery, satisfaction and resolution of escalations.

Budget and Cost Management: Drive effective budget planning, plan-versus-actual tracking and cost optimization to ensure projects are delivered within approved budgets.

Procurement and Supply Chain: Oversee procurement strategy, vendor management, inventory and logistics to ensure timely availability of quality inputs at optimal costs.

Data and MIS Management: Establish robust data and MIS systems for tracking project progress, budgets, expenses, plantation, survival, inventory and team performance.

Process and SOP Development: Develop and continuously improve SOPs, systems and processes to ensure standardized, efficient and high-quality execution across projects.

Performance and Quality Management: Establish operational benchmarks and review project performance against targets, driving corrective actions to improve quality, productivity and outcomes.

Cross-Functional Coordination: Ensure seamless coordination between Operations, Finance, Procurement, Technology, Biodiversity, Carbon and Fundraising teams for effective project delivery.

Risk Management and Problem Solving: Identify operational risks and bottlenecks proactively and lead timely interventions, escalations and solutions to ensure business continuity.

Innovation and Operational Excellence: Identify technology-enabled and innovative operating models that improve productivity, reduce costs and strengthen F4F’s ability to scale its impact.

Requirements

• Entrepreneurial, self-motivated and operates with a growth mindset.
  
• Does not give up easily; the work involves challenges and requires out-of-the-box and jugaad thinking.
  
• Functions well in an unstructured, start-up environment.
  
• Excited about building a company and a team.
  
• Passionate about rural development, ecological restoration and fighting climate change.
  
• Enjoys working with a diverse set of people, managing large teams and collaborating with others.
  
• Comfortable taking on all types of tasks, including unglamorous and menial ones, and is humble, generous and kind.
  
• Holds an MBA in Operations, Agriculture or Rural Management.
  
• Has 8–12 years of overall experience , with extensive experience working in rural India.
  
• Fluent in Marathi, Hindi and English ; fluency in Kannada is a plus.
  
• Holds valid driving licences for both two-wheelers and four-wheelers.
  

Starting at INR 15 LPA. The actual salary will be mutually decided based on the candidate’s experience, skills and fit with our team and culture.