Starting Date: ASAP
Contract type: Full-time and open-ended
Salary: 16,97,470 INR, commensurate with relevant experience and skills
Location: New Delhi, India
Application closing date: 31.07.2025
About the Job
We are looking for an Senior Operations Officer to support day-to-day operations of our India team: travel arrangements, local partnerships, procurement and office management. This is an exciting opportunity to help us improve all areas of internal operations, in alignment with organisational practices, and grow with our team.
Are you purpose-led and ready to embark on a journey to shape the future of sustainable cotton? Join us at Better Cotton as Operations Officer and join a global team responsible for delivering smooth operations for the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative – we support more sustainable farming practices and farm livelihoods for nearly 3 million farmers in the Better Cotton network in 23 countries around the world.
The Challenge
Looking ahead to 2030, we are targeting reducing GHG emissions from cotton production by half, big cuts in synthetic pesticide use, improve soil health across our network, improve farm income and support women’s empowerment among farmers and farm workers.
As Senior Operations Officer, you will play a pivotal role in driving continuous improvements in our travel, procurement and office-related processes in India. You will collaborate with an international team and share and implement good practices with Operations colleagues around the world.
Areas that play to your strengths
We are seeking a motivated Senior Operations Officer to join our Global Operations team, within the Finance & Services function. In this role, you will be responsible for:
- Establish and maintain solid local partnerships with local suppliers (e.g. hotels, transport and insurance companies, meeting venues, caterers, etc.) to support efficient operations and events.
- Coordinate logistics for stakeholders’ events in India including booking and contracting venues, catering, photography and other services.
- Develop resources to facilitate travel arrangements for India team members.
- Oversee travel arrangements for international visitors to India, including visa support, accommodation and local transportation.
- Ensure the Delhi office is safe, clean, fully stocked and fit for purpose; liaising with service providers as needed.
- Maintain an up-to-date inventory of office equipment, low-value and IT assets.
- Support the Global Procurement team in addressing India procurement queries to ensure that they adhere to organizational policies and processes.
- Maintain accurate records and documentation related to travel, procurement, and assets in line with Better Cotton’s policies and audit standards.
- Identify and implement improvements to operational processes, ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
We are looking for someone who has
the following skills, knowledge, and experience:
Essential
- University degree, or equivalent higher education qualification, in a relevant field
- Proficient English (written and verbal): Better Cotton’s language of operation is English
- Proficient Hindi
- At least 4 years’ experience in a similar role
- Ability to work independently and to take initiative
- Experience of working in a multicultural environment
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to learn new things and apply existing skills and knowledge to new contexts
- Excellent organisational skills, capacity to multi-task and handle a set of different priorities
- Solid working knowledge of Microsoft 365 package (Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint) or evidence of picking up IT programmes and systems quickly
- Excellent attention to details
Desirable
- Demonstrated interest in sustainability and international development
- Project Management experience
- Contract negotiation experience
What we offer
- Competitive salary
- Hybrid working – Three days/week in the Delhi office
- 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
- Provident Fund and Insurance Benefits
- 25 days paid annual leave, plus 8-9 Bank Holidays
- 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 offers flexible working, with core hours being 10 am – 4 pm. The position will require occasional local and international travel.
Apply now
Send us your CV (2 pages maximum) and a brief cover letter (1-page maximum) by or before 31.07.2025 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. We want to see your personal style – what makes you tick and why you think your next opportunity is here with us.
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 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 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
Better Cotton 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
Better Cotton 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.
