Fellowship Opportunity

Applications open now

Deadline:

12th October 2025

• Position Title:
  Fellow – FPO ScaleX Program
• Location:
  11 states; extensive field engagement required
• Duration:
  18 months
• Reports to:
  Program Manager, FPO ScaleX Program
• Organisations:
  Samunnati Foundation and Sattva Consulting

About the Program:

The Unicorn FPO Accelerator Program is a joint initiative by Samunnati Foundation and Sattva to enable Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to become commercially viable, member-centric, and market-linked enterprises. The program provides structured support, capacity building, and access to services to accelerate the growth and sustainability of participating FPOs.

Role Overview:

As a Fellow, you will work closely with the leadership of the assigned FPOs, serving as their primary on-ground resource and coordination point. You will be responsible for facilitating program delivery, building capacities, enabling market and service linkages, and ensuring that program goals are achieved in close partnership with the FPO's leadership and members.

Key Responsibilities:

The Fellow will be stationed at the assigned FPO's office and work closely with its leadership, staff, and members to drive growth and operational excellence. Key responsibilities include:

1. Strategic Support

• Co-develop and monitor business expansion and diversification plans.
• Identify new market opportunities and support revenue stream/product/geographic diversification.

2. Operational Strengthening

• Institutionalise procurement, aggregation, sales tracking, and inventory systems.
• Streamline logistics, financial processes, and vendor/input supplier engagements.

3. Capacity Building

• Conduct regular leadership and staff trainings on governance, finance, and digital tools.
• Support leadership on managing large buyer accounts and key partnerships.

4. Market Linkages

• Facilitate connections with buyers, input suppliers, and service providers.
• Support negotiations and deal closures to strengthen revenue streams.

5. Governance Strengthening

• Formalise annual calendars for Board and General Body meetings.
• Strengthen internal policies, compliance, and member engagement mechanisms.

6. Digital Transformation

• Onboard and integrate relevant digital platforms into daily operations.
• Train FPO staff and leadership to adopt and use digital tools effectively.

7. Monitoring & Reporting

• Maintain live business performance trackers.
• Submit regular progress updates and lead periodic review meetings with FPO leadership.

Expected Outcomes:

By the end of the fellowship, the fellow is expected to:

• Develop and track business expansion and diversification plans with active pipeline and quarterly reported progress.
• Identify new market opportunities and enable at least three buyer linkages. Atleast 2 consistent repeat buyers
• Institutionalise core operational systems (procurement, sales tracking, inventory, finance).
• Conduct regular leadership and staff training on governance, finance, and digital tools.
• Facilitate adoption of digital platforms and ensure integration into daily operations.
• Strengthen governance processes, internal policies, and member engagement systems.
• Maintain live business performance trackers and submit timely progress reports.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Master's degree in agriculture, rural development, agri-business management, or related field.
• 2-5 years of experience working with FPOs, agri-businesses, or rural livelihoods programs.
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and problem-solving skills.
• Comfort with field-based work and travel within assigned geography.
• Ability to use MS Office, digital reporting tools, and data analysis platforms.
• Fluency in local languages and working proficiency in English.

Skills & Competencies:

• Relationship building & trust-based engagement with rural communities.
• Program management & coordination.
• Data collection, monitoring, and reporting.
• Market linkage facilitation and stakeholder management.
• Adaptability and resilience in dynamic field contexts.

Development Opportunities for Fellows:

• Structured mentorship from senior program managers.
• Exposure to a wide range of FPO business models, service providers, and market actors.
• Skill-building workshops on agri-business, value chain development, and impact measurement.
• Networking with ecosystem players across the FPO value chain.