Better Cotton
Website:
bettercotton.org
Job details:
Starting Date: December 2026
Contract type: Full-time and open-ended
Salary: From 2,716,737 INR
Location: India; Delhi, Ahmedabad (Hybrid)
Application closing date: 8th October 2026
If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close this vacancy earlier than the advertised deadline, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
About The Job
The Product Engineer designs and builds the digital products that farmers, field teams, programme partners, and BCI teams rely on to collect data and carry out field activities. The role combines product judgement, design sensibility, and hands-on software engineering to turn field and programme requirements into simple, reliable products in production. The Product Engineer is key strengthening the quality and usability of Better Cotton's field-facing digital tools and, in turn, the efficiency of field operations across our programme geographies.
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.
Responsibilities
In this role, you will be responsible for :
- Review and stress-test requirements from subject-matter experts and programme teams, identifying unclear assumptions and unnecessary complexity before build begins.
- Partner with the Product Designer to shape simple, effective user flows for mobile, offline, and multilingual field use.
- Translate agreed solutions into clear, prioritised, testable delivery increments, and build high-quality features across frontend, backend, and data layers.
- Use AI coding agents throughout prototyping, development, testing, and debugging to accelerate delivery without compromising quality, security, or maintainability.
- Write automated tests and instrument products to track adoption, performance, and reliability in real-world field conditions.
- Release features safely, support their rollout, and iterate based on field feedback and product usage data.
- Work collaboratively with the line manager to set clear, outcome-based objectives that align with function-wide and organisational goals.
- Take ownership of agreed objectives, ensuring alignment with team priorities and performance expectations.
Experience
the following skills, knowledge, and experience:
Essential
- Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent demonstrated experience.
- 5+ years of relevant experience, with a strong track record of personally building, shipping, and improving production digital products that users value and rely on; evidence of judgement, scope, and delivery matters more than tenure.
- Experience taking products from prototype through production, rollout, and continuous improvement.
- Strong product and interaction-design judgement, gained working closely with designers and subject-matter experts.
- Experience using AI coding agents (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot) as a core part of development, testing, debugging, and code review.
- Experience testing, deploying, monitoring, and supporting production applications.
- Experience with agriculture, field operations, offline products, multilingual interfaces, geospatial workflows, or products for users with varying digital literacy is valuable.
- Experience building modern web applications using TypeScript, React, and related frontend technologies.
- Experience developing backend services, APIs, and databases using Python (or a comparable language), SQL, and cloud-based infrastructure.
- Fluency in written and spoken English is essential.
Desirable
- Proficiency in Hindi, Urdu, Swahili, or other relevant languages would be advantageous.
What We Offer
- Hybrid working opportunity, with the office days based in Delhi.
- 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
- Pension scheme
- A generous annual leave package, including paid holiday, public holidays, additional paid days off during the festive season, study and exam days, and extra discretionary leave for life events such as family weddings or moving home
- Enhanced parental benefits
- 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 Initiative offers flexible working, with core hours being 10 am – 4 pm. The position may require limited international travel.
Apply now
Send us your CV (2 pages maximum) and a brief cover letter (1-page maximum) by or before
08.10.2026 via the application link.
In your cover letter, please include an explanation of why your experience is specifically relevant to this role at Better Cotton Initiative. We want to see your personal style – what makes you tick and why you think your next opportunity is here with us.
Better Cotton Initiative does not use artificial intelligence or in its hiring process. Every application is reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team and relevant hiring managers to ensure a fair and human-led assessment experience.
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 Initiative 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 Initiative 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 Initiative
Better Cotton Initiative 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 Initiative
Better Cotton Initiative 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.
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