Country Director, India

Position summary:

The Country Director, India, provides leadership and leads the strategic planning, representation, fundraising, and implementation of Rainforest Alliance's Impact Programs work in India to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers, workers, and forest communities. The position will lead the transformation of the program portfolio in India, extending our reach from a primarily grant and philanthropy-driven approach to one that also captures the best of market-based opportunities.

The Country Director builds and implements an integrated approach in key landscapes in the country, involving all Rainforest Alliance´s programs and products. As such, the Country Director is responsible for representing the Rainforest Alliance and building alliances with a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, bilateral and multilateral agencies, the private sector, multi-stakeholder organizations, industry associations, civil society organizations, and regional bodies.

Responsibilities:

Leadership and Management

• Develop and deliver the India country program strategy aligned with Rainforest Alliance's mission, integrating grant-funded and market-based approaches.
• Ensure programs are grounded in the realities of farmers and forest communities in India, co-created with them to deliver meaningful, sustainable value.
• Master landscape and community science-based strategies, including the development of the theory of transformational change, project design, and implementation.
• Translate scientific research and field findings into scalable, practical program innovations.
• Ensure the India program portfolio includes solutions aligned to corporate sustainability priorities, which can be integrated with RA's product offerings.
• Be responsible for the India program portfolio's P&L to optimize impact and ensure the best use of resources.
• Ensure program outcomes in India are translated into RA's impact framework, enabling a clear demonstration of our contribution to mission achievement.
• Drive integration between program and product teams in the country to deliver cohesive solutions that meet partner expectations.
• Advance cross-functional collaboration to increase program impact in the country.
• Build and lead a high-performing country program team.
• Promote a culture of innovation, operational discipline, continuous improvement, collaborative and inclusive work culture, crafting a positive working environment, and staff cohesion.
• Identify and implement re-skilling or upskilling initiatives to align team capabilities with the evolving programmatic approach.
• Identify and manage financial, legal, and technical risks in the country in collaboration with Rainforest Alliance senior management to effectively manage crises and conflicts.
• Be the main legal representative in the country.

Fundraising and External Engagement

• Build relationships with key national and local governments in India to ensure government-level support of Rainforest Alliance's activities in India.
• Develop and drive long-term strategic partnerships with key corporate clients and institutional partners, in addition to broader stakeholder collaboration in India.
• Improve Rainforest Alliance's reputation, credibility, and positioning in the country.
• Collaborate with fundraising and commercial teams to secure diverse funding streams for the country.
• Represent Rainforest Alliance at key forums, coalitions, and conferences in the country, advocating for our mission and influencing sector dialogue.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in agriculture, environment, business administration, economy, or another relevant international development discipline;
• Demonstrated ability (at least 10 years) developing and delivering program-level strategy, budgets, and leading senior program staff;
• Experience working with farmers and forest communities;
• At least 10 years of direct experience in preparing and implementing grants funded by bilateral, multilateral organizations, and companies;
• Strong understanding of sustainability frameworks across agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, and climate.
• Working knowledge of international commodity supply chains, including tea, coffee, spices, and cocoa;
• Demonstrated ability to form strategic partnerships within and/ or across private, public, and civil society sectors.
• Key competencies: Transformational leadership, innovation, adaptability, persuasion, critical and reflective thinking, public speaking, resourcefulness, relationship builder based on trust, empathy and openness, and strong organizational skills to manage multiple priorities in a time critical manner;
• Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required;
• Ability to travel a minimum of 25% per year, in the country and beyond.

Level: 1

Deadline: 15 October 2025

Notes: Only candidates legally authorized to work in India will be considered.

If you have any questions about the job vacancy, please contact the HR department:

The Rainforest Alliance encourages diversity and inclusion across the global organization. With this commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ages, disability and any other protected group.