Athena Infonomics
Website:
athenainfonomics.com
Job details:
Position: Director - Agriculture, Rural Development and Livelihoods
Organization: Athena Infonomics
Location: India (Delhi preferred, hybrid) with travel across India and Sub-Saharan Africa
Team: 12 direct and indirect reports, growing
Vision for the Role
Agriculture, climate resilience, and rural livelihoods are being reshaped by two powerful shifts: the growing reach of AI and digital public infrastructure at the last mile, and increasing pressure from governments and funders to demonstrate measurable outcomes at scale. Athena Infonomics has been investing systematically in the capabilities, partnerships, and solutions needed to contribute meaningfully to this transition.
About Athena Infonomics
Athena Infonomics is a research-led advisory and implementation organization that works with governments, philanthropies, and multilateral institutions across agriculture, climate resilience, and rural development. TolaData, Athena’s impact technology platform, provides data infrastructure to support program monitoring, management, and adaptation. APLYD, Athena’s AI and digital public infrastructure unit, contributes expertise in emerging technologies, data systems, and applied analytics.
Together, these capabilities enable Athena to combine policy and program advisory, implementation support, data infrastructure, and technology within a single portfolio.
The Opportunity
The Director for Agriculture, Climate & Livelihoods will be responsible for bringing these capabilities together into a coherent and growing portfolio. The Director will inherit an existing body of work that includes long-term technical assistance to governments and other key development partners.
The role will build on this foundation to strengthen Athena’s agriculture, climate, and livelihoods portfolio in India and develop a substantive presence in Sub-Saharan Africa.
What You Will Own
Portfolio leadership: You will have strategic and financial responsibility for the Agriculture, Climate & Livelihoods portfolio. You will set priorities, determine where the organization invests its people and resources, and remain accountable for the portfolio’s growth, quality, financial performance, and development outcomes.
Team leadership: The portfolio currently includes a team of approximately 12 policy specialists, program managers, sector experts, and analysts. You will be responsible for developing the team, recruiting against identified capability gaps, and building a strong leadership structure as the portfolio grows.
Government and partner engagement: You will represent Athena in senior engagements with state governments, central ministries, multilateral institutions, and other sector partners. Andhra Pradesh and NITI Aayog are important existing relationships that you will deepen, while also developing new institutional partnerships, particularly in states making significant investments in agriculture, climate resilience, and rural livelihoods.
Growth and business development: You will lead the development and pursuit of new engagements with governments, philanthropies, bilateral agencies, development finance institutions, and multilateral organizations. This will include shaping major proposals, developing senior-level funder relationships, and ensuring that portfolio growth remains aligned with Athena’s capabilities and strategic priorities.
India–Africa expansion: You will help translate relevant experience and approaches from India into a credible portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa. This will involve identifying areas of contextual relevance, developing local partnerships, strengthening in-country presence, and building a pipeline of work grounded in the priorities and institutional realities of African markets.
Integration : You will work closely with the leadership of TolaData and APLYD to integrate data and technology capabilities into Athena’s advisory and implementation work. You will also ensure that lessons from program delivery inform the continued development of TolaData’s platforms and APLYD’s tools and approaches.
Who We Think You Are
You are likely to have at least 12 years of experience across agriculture, climate resilience, rural development, or livelihoods. Your career may include experience in government, philanthropy, consulting, implementation organizations, multilateral institutions, or impact-focused enterprises.
You have led a portfolio, business unit, or large and complex programs, with responsibility for financial performance, delivery quality, and team leadership. You have experience securing funding or winning significant mandates from governments, philanthropies, bilateral agencies, or development institutions. You are also comfortable engaging directly with senior government officials, funders, and institutional partners.
You have sufficient familiarity with AI, data platforms, and digital public infrastructure to assess where these capabilities can add value, shape appropriate program applications, recruit and manage technical expertise, and evaluate major technology choices. The role does not require software development experience, but it does require sound judgment about the role of technology in development programs.
You are comfortable working in evolving and sometimes ambiguous environments and have a demonstrated ability to build teams, programs, and institutional relationships. You have managed teams of at least a dozen people and understand how to establish the structures, capabilities, and management processes needed for responsible growth.
You bring a clear commitment to improving outcomes for smallholder farmers, rural workers, and climate-vulnerable communities, and you apply this perspective when making strategic, operational, and financial decisions.
Experience working across both India and Sub-Saharan Africa would be an advantage. A postgraduate qualification in public policy, economics, agriculture, development, management, or a related field is expected. However, academic qualifications will be considered alongside the candidate’s judgment, leadership experience, and record of delivery.
What Athena Offers
The role provides an opportunity to lead and expand a portfolio that combines policy advisory, implementation, data infrastructure, and emerging technology. The Director will work closely with Athena’s co-founders and with the leadership teams of TolaData and APLYD.
The portfolio already includes significant government and institutional engagements and provides scope to shape a larger body of work across India and Sub-Saharan Africa. Compensation, including the potential for equity-linked incentives, will be aligned with the seniority and responsibilities of the position.
Additional Requirements
- This position requires successful completion of a reference check and employment verification.
- The successful candidate must not be subject to employment restrictions from a former employer (such as a non-compete) that would prevent the candidate from performing the job responsibilities as described.
- Only candidates who have India work authorization will be considered.
Athena’s Work Culture
At Athena, we function in an outcomes-based work environment with flexible hours and a high level of autonomy. Professional development and thought leadership are key elements of our business model: we support our team members' professional growth through on-the-job training, and we encourage the cultivation of our colleagues’ personal brands through participation in panels, events, publications, and other thought-leadership opportunities. We embrace a transparent, open work environment with meaningful leadership pathways for those with inventive ideas and initiatives.
Athena Infonomics is an Equal Opportunities Employer
Athena Infonomics is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.
AI Proficiency and Responsible Use
Proficiency in the responsible and sophisticated use of AI is a mandatory requirement for all roles, across all levels and functions at Athena Infonomics
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