Starting Date: ASAP

Contract type: Fixed-term until 31st March 2028

Salary: 1,744,999 INR, commensurate with relevant experience and skills

Location: Delhi (Hybrid)

Application closing date: 24.04.2026

If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close this vacancy earlier than the advertised deadline, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Also, applications will be shortlisted on rolling basis.

About the Job 

The Senior Programme Officer (SPO) is responsible for supporting capacity strengthening efforts within the Better Cotton Initiative Field Programme in India. The role supports Programme Partners by enhancing their technical knowledge, systems, and implementation capacities to ensure effective delivery of the Principles and Criteria (P&C).

Through supporting the capacity strengthening initiatives, and ongoing programme management support, the SPO promotes quality implementation, compliance with programme requirements, and continuous improvement across projects.

The Challenge

As Senior Programme Officer, you will support multiple Programme Partners across geographies to strengthen field-level implementation of the P&C. The role requires converting technical requirements into practical guidance for field teams, addressing capacity gaps, facilitating and coordinating workshops and learning visits.

Working closely with diverse Knowledge Partners and field staff, you will need to respond to on-ground challenges, provide timely support, and drive continuous improvement in implementation practices.

This role will report to the Senior Programme Coordinator based in India.

Responsibilities

We are seeking a motivated Senior Programme Officer to join our Programmes Function. In this role, you will be responsible for:

1.      Capacity Strengthening: Provide high-quality technical guidance and capacity strengthening support to Programme Partners on the P&C aiming to improve partner knowledge, field-level practices, and the overall effectiveness of interventions.

·       Provide support to the India Programmes team in the planning, coordination, and delivery of capacity strengthening initiatives for Programme Partners.

·       Support conducting training sessions, workshops, and technical assistance to enhance partner capacities.

·       Contribute to follow-up processes, documentation of action items, and monitoring of capacity-strengthening activities to ensure continuous learning and improvement.

·       Assist in capturing and sharing good practices, lessons learned, and partner feedback through knowledge-sharing platforms and cross-learning opportunities, helping to strengthen implementation quality and field-level impact.

·       Provide support in preparing the content for Moodle LMS platform and help in tracking the progress of participants in courses.

·       Support thematic areas linked to gender equity, farmer collectives, and social impact by integrating these themes into capacity-strengthening and field support activities.

2.      Support Stakeholder Engagement: Support Stakeholder Engagement of India programme by identifying, helping build and maintain strong and effective relationships with key Knowledge Partners in the thematic areas aligning to programme objectives.

·       Assist in identifying relevant stakeholders such as research organisations, government agencies, civil society organisations, and community collectives that align with Better Cotton Initiative’s mission and can value add to programme delivery.

·       Coordinate interactions between Programme Partners and stakeholders to encourage collaboration on different thematic areas especially on Regenerative Agriculture and Gender.

·       Contribute to the implementation of programme activities by supporting partner coordination, gathering field-level insights, and ensuring timely follow-up on action points.

·       Support in identifying new knowledge and technical partners who can contribute to quality of the programme through their expertise and building strong partnerships with them.

3.      Support in Knowledge Management and Communication: Support the development of communication materials and exchange of insights and experiences across the Programme Partners and actively facilitate cross-learning to improve implementation quality

·       Support the facilitation of cross-learning opportunities among partners by sharing relevant insights, tools, and resources that enhance collective understanding and programme effectiveness.

·       Gather learnings and good practices from Programme Partners’ field experiences and contribute to internal knowledge products, reports, and learning materials.

·       Coordinate with Programme Partners to regularly collect compelling field-level stories and serve as one of the Editors of Cotton Tales (Better Cotton Initiatives India’s newsletter) by curating, editing, and refining content to effectively showcase on-ground impact, partner innovations, and farmer voices.

·       Document key learnings, field experiences, and programme insights for both internal knowledge sharing and external communication.

·       Collaborate closely with the India Communications Focal Point to develop high-quality materials that highlight programme progress, good practices, and impact stories, ensuring alignment with Better Cotton Initiative’s communication objectives.

·       Provide direct support to the Senior Programme Coordinator (leading Gender and Communications) by contributing to communication material, content on social impact, and cross-functional knowledge initiatives.

4.      Others

·       Support the Team in general management of the Programme.

·       Work collaboratively with the line manager to set clear, outcome-based objectives that align with function-wide and organisational goals.

·       Take ownership of agreed objectives, ensuring alignment with team priorities and performance expectations.

Experience

the following skills, knowledge, and experience:

Essential:

• Master’s degree in any relevant field such as Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Sciences or Social Sciences.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience, with at least with at least 2 years supporting with knowledge management and/or capacity strengthening in or with grassroot organisations and rural communities.
• Demonstrated experience in a related sector, including responsibility for capacity strengthening with grassroots organisations and rural communities, coordinating projects with multiple stakeholders and internal teams, supporting training of trainers.
• Proven track record of identifying best practices, cross-fertilising ideas, supporting learning among stakeholders and influencing behaviour change.
• Ability to identify stakeholders, build relationships with them and manage those Relationships.
• Proven ability to work productively in a fast-paced multi-cultural environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to engage effectively across cultures and roles, from farmers to funders, from field teams to global Stakeholders.
• Good command over Hindi for verbal communication with field teams.
• Experience working in international, multicultural, or mission-driven environments is an asset.
• Proven ability to work productively in remote teams.
• Strong problem-solving skills, and demonstrated ability to understand behaviour change, and ability to influence change.
• Proven experience in knowledge management.
• Proven interest in sustainable agriculture, natural resource management and gender Justice.
• Excellent IT Skills including MS Office.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly within India, and occasionally internationally(upto 25% of the time).

Desirable:

• Experience working with international non-profit organisations
• Familiarity with Voluntary Standard Systems.
• Prior experience working in the cotton sector/ agriculture.
• Fluency in Gujarati/Marathi/Telugu/Kannada/Punjabi.
• Experience or interest in gender, communication and collective action.
• Experience working with remote teams.

What we offer

• Competitive salary.
• Hybrid working.
• The opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to one month per year.
• Flexible working, with core hours from 10 am to 4 pm local time.
• Continuous learning and development.
• 25 days paid annual leave, plus 8-9 Bank Holidays and a further 3 discretionary days off over Christmas/year end period.
• Enhanced parental benefits.
• A warm, positive working environment where everyone is valued.
• The opportunity to make your mark and make a difference.

Working arrangements

The position is full-time (40 hours per week) and will be based in Delhi. Better Cotton Initiative offers flexible working, with core hours being 10 am – 4 pm.  

Apply now

Send us your CV (2 pages maximum) and a brief cover letter (1-page maximum) by or before 24.04.2026 via the apply now link. 

In your cover letter, please include an explanation of why your experience is specifically relevant to this role at Better Cotton Initiative. We want to see your personal style – what makes you tick and why you think your next opportunity is here with us.

Better Cotton Initiative does not use artificial intelligence or automated screening tools in its hiring process. Every application is reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team and relevant hiring managers to ensure a fair and human-led assessment experience.

Our hiring process

Initial Screening:

Applicant screening is a crucial step in our recruitment process. This stage may involve a brief phone interview or video call to evaluate your suitability for the position. During this screening, we review resumes and cover letters, and may conduct initial background checks to narrow down the pool of applicant. Internal candidates are encouraged to inform their line manager about their application to promote transparency and help facilitate a smooth transition if selected.

Interviews:

If you successfully pass the initial screening, you will be invited for interviews. The interview process at Better Cotton Initiative may include one or more rounds of interviews with various stakeholders, such as the hiring manager, team members, and potentially senior management. As an internal candidate, you may have discussions regarding your current responsibilities and how they will transition to the new position.

Assessment and Testing: 

Depending on the role, you might be required to complete assessments, technical tests, or skills evaluations to gauge your competency and suitability for the position. Internal candidates may have the option to demonstrate their existing skills through current job performance or past project outcomes.

Reference Checks: 

Once you progress further in the process, reference checks are conducted to validate your work history, skills, and qualifications, and for some roles, your education and criminal history. Internal candidates may be asked for references from current or previous supervisors within Better Cotton Initiative to provide insights into their performance and capabilities.

Offer stage:

After completing interviews, assessments, and reference checks, the hiring team evaluates your performance and fit for the role. If you are selected and your references are relevant and satisfactory, you will receive a formal job offer letter outlining the terms of employment, compensation, benefits, and any other relevant details. For internal candidates, the offer process may include a discussion about how your transition to the new role will be managed and any support needed for a smooth handover.

About Better Cotton Initiative

Better Cotton Initiative is a global not-for-profit organisation supporting the production of more equitable and sustainable cotton at farm level. We exist to catalyse the cotton farming community with partners, governments and others to continuously drive positive impact by setting standards and facilitating the supply and demand of more sustainable cotton from farm to brand. In just 15 years we have aligned more than a fifth of the world’s cotton with our standard and helped farmers and farming communities thrive. Join us in building a better, more sustainable future for cotton worldwide.

About our Values

The post holder will be expected to operate in line with our workplace values which are:  

• Trustworthy (including honest, transparent, credible) 
• As having Integrity (including responsible, authentic) 
• Positive (including problem-solving, pragmatic) 
• Engaging (including adaptable, inclusive, holistic) 
• Daring (including courageous, innovative, game-changing)  

Being you @ Better Cotton Initiative

Better Cotton Initiative is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to good practice and transparency in the management of natural, human, and financial resources.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to any attitudes or behaviours that put children or adults at risk of harm. Safeguarding incidents are acts of serious misconduct and are grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including, dismissal and referral to relevant authorities for criminal prosecution. Therefore, all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks.