Project Management Intern - COO's Office
About CottonGuru
CottonGuru is a leading force in sustainable agriculture and climate-smart farming, trusted by global partners to source traceable, ethical, and low-carbon agricultural products directly from smallholder farmers. Our network spans 100,000+ smallholder growers across 270+ Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), united under a national federation to drive transformative change in Indian agriculture.
We operate at the intersection of agriculture, climate, and carbon markets, partnering with international carbon credit buyers and agri-produce companies. Our mission is to decarbonize agricultural supply chains through low-impact, high-productivity farming practices, while improving rural livelihoods and empowering smallholder farmers across India.
About the Project
We are driving a pioneering initiative in sustainable rice cultivation across Maharashtra and Telangana, with a focus on promoting Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and other climate-smart techniques. Our mission is to improve farmer livelihoods, reduce water usage, and build scalable agri-climate solutions that create long-term environmental and social impact.
The project works closely with FPOs, NGOs, local institutions, and implementation partners to deploy climate-smart practices at scale, track impact on ground, and create robust, replicable execution models.
Role Overview
We are seeking a **Project Management Intern – COO’s Office (Sustainable Rice Farming Project)** to support end-to-end planning, coordination, and monitoring of this high-impact initiative.
This role sits in the COO’s Office and works closely with field teams, implementation partners, and senior leadership. The internship is ideal for someone who wants hands-on exposure to:
* Project management & operations in agri-climate projects
* Working with multi-stakeholder rural programs
* Data-driven decision-making and execution at scale
This is a full-time internship, with strong performance-based potential to transition into a long-term role in project / operations management.
Key Responsibilities
- Project Planning & Coordination
Support the COO’s Office in creating and updating project work plans, timelines, and implementation trackers.
Coordinate with field teams in Maharashtra and Telangana to ensure alignment between plan and ground execution.
Help organize and document internal review meetings, action points, and follow-ups.
- Partner & Stakeholder Coordination
Assist in coordination with FPOs, NGOs, SHGs and other local partners for smooth implementation.
Consolidate updates from implementation partners and field managers into structured formats for leadership review.
Support preparation of partner briefs, meeting notes, and follow-up communication.
- Monitoring, Data & Reporting
Collect, clean, and organize data from field teams on farmer outreach, training, AWD adoption, and field performance.
Maintain dashboards, trackers, and reports for internal monitoring and client / partner updates.
Assist in preparing presentation decks, progress reports, and documentation for management, funders, and external stakeholders.
- Process & Knowledge Management
Document field learnings, case studies, operational challenges, and best practices from the project.
Help standardize templates, SOPs, and checklists for project operations, audits, and partner engagement.
Support preparation of training material and process notes for new team members and partners.
- Operations Support to COO’s Office
Assist the COO’s Office in day-to-day operational tasks related to the rice project and other strategic initiatives as needed.
Support planning of field visits, audits, and review missions, including coordination of logistics and schedules.
Contribute to special projects such as pilot design, process improvement, and impact assessment exercises.
What We Are Looking For
Background & Skills
Final-year student or recent graduate in Engineering / Sciences or related fields.
Strong interest in climate-smart agriculture, rural development, and large-scale implementation projects.
Comfort with working on both field realities and structured project documentation.
Good analytical skills with proficiency in MS Excel / SQL / Python
Strong written and verbal communication skills, Fluency in Marathi is a plus
Willingness to occasionally travel to project locations in Maharashtra and Telangana, if required.
Cultural Fit & Values
High sense of ownership and willingness to “figure things out” rather than wait for instructions.
Comfort working in an unstructured, fast-moving environment with evolving priorities.
Respect for farmers, rural communities, and local institutions.
Fluency in English and Hindi required; Marathi and/or Telugu is a strong advantage.
Candidates from agricultural / rural backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
What We Offer
Opportunity to work closely with the COO’s Office on a flagship, real-world and high-impact climate-smart agriculture project.
Deep exposure to how large-scale rural projects are designed, managed, monitored, and scaled.
Learning environment with mentorship from experienced professionals in agriculture, climate, and operations.
Attractive stipend and strong potential for conversion into a full-time role based on performance and organizational need.
A mission-driven, collaborative culture focused on farmer livelihoods, climate resilience, and execution excellence.