Manager-Dairy Corporate Engagement

Position: Manager-Dairy Corporate Engagement

Location: Delhi / Remote (India)

Qualification: Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree with a minimum total qualification of six years

Experience: Minimum 8 years’ relevant work experience in sustainability, corporate engagement, dairy, or related fields.

Term: Fixed Term Contract – Two-year term

About Samvedna Development Society (SDS)

Samvedna Development Society (SDS) is a new-age development organization committed to advancing sustainable, climate-resilient, and inclusive growth across India. SDS works at the intersection of policy, science, industry, and community systems to drive high-impact partnerships and scalable development solutions. Through collaborations with global institutions, corporates, and government stakeholders, SDS promotes innovative, evidence-based approaches to address environmental and livelihood challenges.

SDS is partnering with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to advance climate-smart dairy initiatives in India.

Background

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is globally recognized for its rigorous reliance on science to shape environmental policy and solutions. EDF collaborates with industry leaders, academics, governments, and civil society to advance sustainable agricultural and food systems.

In India, EDF has supported research on climate impacts of farming practices, with findings utilized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Based on this work, EDF has promoted water-level management practices in rice cultivation to reduce nitrous oxide and methane emissions—part of a broader low-carbon rural development strategy.

Through its partnership with SDS, EDF aims to advance climate-smart dairy systems in India, including leading the Resilient Dairy Alliance.

Overall Function

SDS seeks a Manager – Dairy Corporate Engagement to lead corporate engagement efforts in India’s dairy sector in alignment with EDF’s strategy.

The Manager will:

• Drive high-impact partnerships with dairy corporates and industry stakeholders.
• Manage execution of the Resilient Dairy Alliance, convened by EDF with partner organizations.
• Align corporate action with science-based climate and environmental goals.

This position will be housed within SDS and will work closely with EDF’s matrixed livestock teams, including global corporate engagement, India, and global livestock teams. The role will engage regularly with key EDF stakeholders such as the Senior Manager, Global Dairy Sector and Lead Advisor, Sustainable Dairy, as well as external corporate and dairy sector partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strategic relationships (as per EDF direction) with Indian dairy companies, cooperatives, and industry associations.
• Develop and manage work plans and deliverables aligned with EDF’s corporate engagement goals in India’s dairy sector.
• Lead coordination and execution of the Resilient Dairy Alliance, including:
• Agenda setting
• Stakeholder engagement
• Follow-up on action items
• Identification of collective action opportunities
• Disseminate best practices prescribed by partner organizations to corporate audiences.
• Collaborate with research institutions to translate scientific and technical insights into actionable recommendations for corporate partners.
• Support development of region-specific sustainable dairy strategies, including:
• Manure management
• Herd optimization
• Climate-smart agriculture practices
• Draft high-quality content including:
• Reports
• Presentations
• Stakeholder communications
• Represent SDS’s Climate Smart Dairy project in industry forums, workshops, and coalitions.
• Contribute to global livestock and food systems initiatives (e.g., Dairy Methane Action Alliance) by integrating learnings from India.
• Support EDF’s organizational effectiveness and culture goals, fostering inclusion, collaboration, and empowerment across diverse teams.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree with a minimum total qualification of six years, and at least eight years of relevant work experience in sustainability, corporate engagement, dairy, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience working within the Indian food and agriculture sector; dairy sector exposure preferred.
• Strong project management expertise, including:
• Designing and implementing complex work plans
• Managing timelines and deliverables
• Delivering results in fast-paced environments
• Proven ability to manage multi-stakeholder initiatives and align diverse partners toward shared objectives.
• Strong relationship-building skills with high emotional intelligence.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to synthesize technical information and present it clearly to corporate and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in cross-functional environments.
• Demonstrated cultural competency, inclusivity, and ability to work across diverse backgrounds.
• Willingness to travel up to 20%, including monthly travel to Delhi and key dairy sourcing regions.

Apply:

Interested candidates who meet the above requirements are encouraged to submit their resume along with a cover letter highlighting their relevant experience and qualifications to aditya.kumar@sdsorg.in

Samvedna Development Society is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.