Position Title: Agriculture Expert (Tamil Nadu, India)
Background:
The Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES) is an international and intergovernmental institution, owned and governed by its Member States, for the generation, application, and communication of multi-hazard early warning information. RIMES was formed in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, as a collective response by countries in Africa and Asia to establish a regional early warning system within a multi-hazard framework, to strengthen preparedness and response to trans-boundary hazards.
RIMES was formally established on 30 April 2009 and registered with the United Nations on 1 July 2009. It operates from its regional early warning center located at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) campus in Pathumthani, Thailand.
Position Description:
The Agriculture Expert is to monitor drought conditions, analyze agricultural impacts, and provide practical and localized drought mitigation strategies, including the preparation of contingency and action plans for vulnerable regions.
The position reports to Software Development for Early Warning System Specialist as Immediate supervisor and in close coordination with the RIMES Operation Support team to ensure alignment with RIMES program objectives and adherence to Timelines.
Duty station: TN-SMART Project Office, Tamil Nadu Disaster Risk Reduction Agency, Ezhilagam Annex Bld., Chennai, India.
Type of Contract: Full-time, project-based contract
Skills and Qualifications:
Knowledge
- Masters’ degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Agro-meteorology, or a related field
Experience
- Minimum 3-5 years of experience in agricultural planning, especially in climate or drought-related contexts
- Strong understanding of drought monitoring tools, agro-climatic zoning, and contingency planning.
- Experience working with international development organizations and multi-stakeholder projects.
- Willingness to travel to field sites as required.
- Proficiency in English (knowledge of local language is an asset).
Personal Qualities:
- Strong analytical, communication, and capacity-building skills. Excellent programming and debugging abilities.
- Ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
- Attention to detail and commitment to reproducible research/code.
- Strong teamwork and collaborative mindset.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Drought Monitoring & Assessment
- Monitor agro-climatic indicators using satellite data, weather forecasts, soil moisture, and crop condition reports.
- Coordinate with meteorological and remote sensing agencies to validate drought status.
- Assess drought impact on cropping systems, yields, and farmer livelihoods.
2. Contingency & Mitigation Planning
- Develop and update seasonal agriculture contingency plans for drought-prone areas.
- Recommend drought-resilient crops, varieties, and agronomic practices (e.g., mulching, staggered sowing, alternate crops).
- Prepare short-, medium-, and long-term action plans to address drought risks in agriculture.
- Identify critical gaps in irrigation, inputs, or extension services and suggest mitigation options.
3. Field Support & Stakeholder Coordination
- Work with local agriculture officers, extension agents, and farmer groups to disseminate advisory services.
- Conduct training and awareness programs on drought coping strategies.
- Liaise with line departments (agriculture, irrigation, disaster management) for coordinated response.
4. Deliverables:
- Periodic drought assessment reports with actionable insights.
- Agro-advisories and drought-specific crop calendars.
- District/block-level contingency plans.
- Drought mitigation action plans (including resource needs and institutional roles).
- Reports on training sessions, farmer outreach, and capacity-building activities.
Contract Duration
- The contract will be for 1 year, subject to a 6-month probationary period, and annual performance review.
How to Apply:
Interested candidates should send your application letter, resume, salary expectation and 2 references to [email protected]. Please state “Agriculture Expert (Tamil Nadu, India) :Your Name “the Subject line of the email. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.
Ms. Dusadee Padungkul
Head-Operational Support
Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System
AIT Campus, 58 Moo 9 Paholyothin Rd., Klong 1,
Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 Thailand.
RIMES promotes diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Well-qualified applicants particularly women are encouraged to apply.
Job Type: Full-time
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Application Question(s):
- Do you have any prior work experience with Non-Profit Organizations, International Organizations, or Inter-Governmental Organizations?
If not, are you interested in working in such environments? Please elaborate briefly.
- Kindly specify your salary expectations.
Education:
- Master's (Required)
Experience:
- agricultural planning: 3 years (Required)
- drought monitoring tools: 3 years (Preferred)
- agro-climatic zoning: 3 years (Preferred)
- contingency planning: 3 years (Preferred)
Language:
- English (Required)
Location:
- Triplicane, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (Required)
