Current openings
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Field-based roles
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh • Field Office • Full-time (Earliest start 1 September 2022)
For this senior management position, you should bring a minimum of 7 to 8 years of overall experience, including in rural India, and have spent at least 1 to 2 years in a management position. You will be responsible for field operations in eastern UP and Bihar and lead a multidisciplinary field team across business development, sales, engineering, customer service and farmer advisory. The focus will be on day to day management of this talented team to build the project pipeline, acquire customers and land and implement new solar projects, deliver timely services in exchange for cash payments, and push up sales and utilisation at existing assets. You will also act as the primary liaison with ground partner organisations including FPOs, FPCs, NGOs, foundations and development organisations. You will be required to travel frequently between our project sites in Uttar Pradesh (presently Bahraich, Shravasti, Barabanki, Hardoi and Lucknow districts), Bihar (presently Muzaffarpur district) and other neighboring districts and states we may expand to in future. You should have excellent spoken and written communication skills in English and Hindi.
Phnom Penh/Siem Reap, Cambodia or Kathmandu, Nepal • Full-time • 6-month contract extendable up to 12 months
Oorja has established its irrigation, milling and cooling services in two states of India. But we believe that we have a service offering that can add value for customers globally. We are seeking a dynamic, hands-on and entrepreneurial International Expansion Manager to set up our business and manage pilot projects in Nepal and Cambodia. This includes conducting market assessments, building the new market expansion strategy, registering a legal entity, recruiting and managing pilot team and operations, and supervising implementation of pilot projects. This role will be split between the two countries requiring frequent travel and will report directly to the CEO. If you have an entrepreneurial mindset and bring experience working and travelling in rural areas of South and Southeast Asia, we'd love to hear from you!
Remote opportunity (international) • Full time, permanent position • Earliest start date 1 September 2022
In addition to its physical farming services, which are already benefiting 12,000+ farmers in northern India, Oorja plans to launch a new vertical of digital farming services. Leveraging our rural networks among growers, we will provide paid precision farming advisory, input procurement and alerts to individual smallholder farmers across India and the Global South. The user-centered design research, feature development, wireframes and an early visual design are complete. We are planning to launch a farmer-friendly mobile app to build the beta prototype and test it among first adopters by early 2023. We are looking for an organized, detail-oriented individual to join our team as a Software Project Manager. Your role will be to manage the planning, scheduling, budgeting, execution and delivery of the backend and frontend mobile application and ensure a successful launch of the mobile app. You should have at least 2 years of experience in leading a team as part of software project management and strong communication skills.Job Description >>> Apply now
Recruitment process
Oorja conducts a 3-stage evaluation process: a first interview is held by phone (30-45 min), followed by a longer interview (1.5-2.5 h) ahead of which we will ask you to prepare an assignment. The third round will consist of a call or meeting (30 min) with our external advisors.
We will assess your skillsets, working style, long-term motivations and alignment of your learning objectives with the company's growth, and fit within our organisational culture.
If you successfully clear all 3 stages, the company may make you an offer of employment, with an initial 2-3 month probation period. We will ask you for a minimum of two professional references.
Oorja endeavours to notify all applicants, whether successful or not, of the outcome of their application.
What it's like to work at Oorja
"Working with Oorja felt like working with a team that believes in new ideas thoroughly. From the interview process to working on my graduation project, it was a holistic experience for me. Oorja supported me every step of the way and made sure I had access to the right resources. I feel really fortunate to work in an environment where my skills were used for our society's social benefit and thus I learned so much about the real need for design and innovation in India's agriculture sector."
— Ashlesha Hadkar, Product Design Intern, Spring 2021 (Bombay)
"As operations engineer, I provide customers with efficient energy services that they need for their day to day work, with the help of Oorja. I joined the company in 2017, and my job working in rural areas is awesome. I have gotten to know rural society very closely, and have witnessed upliftment of the whole community. I highly recommend joining Oorja: you will find working for advancement of rural communities benefits not only them, but also you as an individual as you grow with each new level of impact you help create."
— Pushpendra Kumar, Operations Engineer (Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh)
My job at Oorja spans across the project development cycle. Before a new project, I organise focus group meetings with farmers and inform them of the benefits of our services. I also onboard them and act as their sole point of contact. Joining Oorja as a fresher, it's been a great journey. I work with a team which is very supportive and there is good coordination within the team. As I also belong to a rural community, I like to do my bit in improving the overall well-being of farmers. I have learned a lot of skills and interacted with different people which has improved my communication and technical skills!
— Chandan Chowdhary, Field Assistant (Muzaffarpur, Bihar)
Working with Oorja has enhanced my knowledge about rural communities in parts of northern Uttar Pradesh and eastern Bihar. In my work, I interact with farmers and all sorts of people on a daily basis. I got to know the basic needs of people living below the poverty line. India became independent in 1947, but at the ground level you can see that many have been left behind in development terms. Oorja has stepped in to fill this gap to benefit the communities and uplift their quality of life. I am happy to work with Oorja and am proud of our vision: development of farmers and rural communities through farming services.
— Shraddha Gupta, Project Assistant (Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh)
"Working with Oorja was a great learning experience. I was part of a research project that will provide farmers access to crop and input advisory. This will ensure the upliftment of rural communities and given them access to credible information. I am grateful for the continuous feedback and guidance which helped me to grow professionally. Also, it gave me immense pleasure to work with my fellow team members. Oorja strongly stands on its core values and I will recommend being part of a team where you can truly create an impact on a rural community."
— Shruti Naik, Research Intern, Summer 2021 (Bhubaneswar)
"During my internship with Oorja, I was responsible for producing a development plan for remotely monitoring all the solar assets that Oorja is operating. As a chemical engineer, I had always worked in the confines of four walls in front of a computer. Visiting the operational sites helped me come out of my comfort zone and understand the challenges on the ground. The team constantly motivated me to strive for improvements and their constructive criticism was immensely useful. With their support I was able to conceptualise and develop a prototype data platform which helped Oorja secure a prize of $10,000."
— Tanuj Karia, Innovation Intern, Summer 2019 (Kolkata)
“It’s been an exciting year for me at Oorja. I’ve really had the chance to grow professionally and contribute to various segments of Oorja’s operations: from leading techno-commercial feasibility studies and ground partner relations, to helping with project implementation and communicating our impact. I have had many opportunities to represent Oorja, from selecting new project sites in rural Assam and Bihar, to pitching to 15,000 people in Las Vegas, USA. There’s always something new and exciting waiting to unfold!”
— Lanvin Concessao, former Project Analyst (New Delhi)
"Working at Oorja for my post-MBA internship was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Working closely with the two co-founders, Amit and Clementine, I spent half of my summer in Uttar Pradesh to witness Oorja's first off-grid solar system launch, and the other half in Paris working on fundraising materials. The team are truly experts in their field and are very friendly, which constantly brought a positive energy to the work environment."
— Sumiko Taku, Finance Intern, Summer 2017 (Uttar Pradesh/Paris)
