Senior Income Generating Specialist

Working with us is never routine, so in your first year you can expect the following areas to be central to your work.

• Lead the development and implementation of income diversification strategies for farmer organisations and local communities, working towards the establishment of 120 functioning micro and mini business units by 2029.

• Strengthen business models, financial management, and revenue generation capacity of farmer associations and cooperatives.

• Build market linkages and support access to certification and premium markets for palm oil producers.

• Design loan schemes, reinvestment mechanisms, and financial training to enhance financial inclusion for cooperative members.

• Support cooperative growth through business planning, service delivery models, and membership expansion.

• Establish and support women and youth committees within farmer organisations and cooperatives, focused on income-generating activities and leadership roles.

• Provide advisory support, mentoring, and capacity building to strengthen long-term community economic resilience.

Your first year with us:

Within three months, you will:

• Develop a solid understanding of the Rokan Hulu Landscape and Livelihoods Initiative, its communities, farmer organisations, and existing cooperative structures.

• Complete onboarding and begin building relationships with farmer organisations, cooperative leaders, and project partners in Rokan Hulu.

• Conduct an initial assessment of business and financial capacity gaps within target cooperatives to inform your strategy.

Within six months, you will:

• Launch the first cohort of micro and mini business units under farmer cooperatives, with clear business and financial plans in place.

• Establish initial women and youth committees within at least one farmer organisation or cooperative.

• Begin facilitating financial training and business mentoring sessions for cooperative members and business unit leaders.

Within twelve months, you will:

• Demonstrate measurable progress towards the 120 business unit target, with a portfolio of functioning, revenue-generating units.

• Have established market linkages that connect cooperative-run business units to certification-aligned or premium palm oil markets.

• Deliver a reflective review of key achievements and propose a scale-up plan and priority focus areas for the following year.

Important that you:

• Hold a Master’s degree in business, finance, agricultural economics, agribusiness, cooperative management, or a related field.

• Bring 6 or more years of experience in community business development, cooperative strengthening, or rural enterprise development, including financial analysis and business planning.

• Have proven experience working with farmer organisations or smallholder value chains, ideally in palm oil or a similar sector.

• Have a demonstrated track record delivering inclusive capacity building and income-generating initiatives.

• Understand Indonesian laws and regulations relevant to setting up micro and mini businesses and cooperatives.

• Have a strong understanding of agricultural value chains, particularly palm oil, and knowledge of certification systems and premium market management.

• Bring expertise in rural enterprise development, business planning, and engaging marginalised groups such as women and youth.

• Have an understanding of microfinance and rural credit systems.

• Are proficient in designing and delivering training for smallholders, with experience using participatory business development approaches.

• Are fluent in English and Bahasa Indonesia.

• Are willing to travel extensively to rural communities in Rokan Hulu.

Would also be great, but not necessary, if you:

• Have experience building relationships with financial institutions and market actors on behalf of cooperatives or rural enterprises.

• Have mentoring or coaching experience with entrepreneurs or small business owners.

• Have worked on other palm oil or agricultural livelihoods projects in Indonesia.

• Bring experience in gender-responsive programming within agricultural communities.

If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you!

What Sets Us Apart:

• Global work culture

• High degree of flexibility - remote work, work from home.

• An in-depth onboarding and professional training that prepares you with the right skills and knowledge to thrive in this role.

• Excellent opportunities for growth and professional development

• Potential future international travel opportunities

• A friendly, international team of colleagues, with a pleasant work environment

• 20 days of vacation leave per year

Preferred by Nature

Preferred by Nature is a non-profit, mission driven organisation that works for sustainable land management and climate-friendly solutions. With 350+ employees and a network of local experts, we develop practical solutions to drive positive impacts in production landscapes and supply chains in 100+ countries. We focus on forest and climate impact commodities and related sectors.

How to apply:

If you feel you meet the requirements of the role, please submit your application, including salary expectations, via the application form below. Application pre-screening will be conducted during the application period. Preferred by Nature wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.