At a Glance
- Tasks: Support data engineering and platform integration for climate-smart agriculture.
- Company: Join eKutir, a pioneering organisation transforming agriculture for smallholder farmers.
- Benefits: Gain valuable experience, network with innovators, and contribute to meaningful social impact.
- Other info: Flexible remote role, requiring 10 hours per week for 3-6 months.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in tackling food insecurity and climate change through technology.
- Qualifications: Proficiency in Node.js/Python and experience with database architecture required.
The predicted salary is between 500 - 1500 £ per month.
This is an opportunity to work with an Ashoka Fellow. Ashoka Fellows are leading social entrepreneurs that have been taken through a rigorous selection process, testing the quality of their ideas and character, to become part of the Ashoka Fellowship and Network. They take on the challenges of building innovative system change ideas to make and spread social impact in a world wrought with challenges.
This is an unpaid, volunteer opportunity.
About The Affiliated Organization: eKutir was founded to address a fundamental failure in global agriculture: despite being the backbone of food security, rural livelihoods, and climate resilience, smallholder farmers remain disconnected from markets, finance, data, and decision-making because the system operates in silos. Inputs, advisory, finance, insurance, buyers, and climate programs all work on separate platforms, creating inefficiency, mistrust, and exclusion. eKutir was created to build a shared digital infrastructure that connects these fragmented actors into one trusted ecosystem.
Through its Digital Agriculture Exchange, eK Link, eKutir enables farmers, cooperatives, agri-businesses, financial institutions, governments, and climate programs to operate on a common data and transaction layer. Smallholder farmers and their producer organizations gain a digital identity, land and crop records, soil and advisory services, access to quality inputs, buyers, credit, insurance, and climate-linked income streams, while agri-enterprises, lenders, and public agencies receive verified, field-level data that reduces risk, improves traceability, and enables outcome-based delivery of services.
By integrating AI-driven intelligence with real-world data from farms, eKutir transforms raw information into actionable insights—what to plant, how to manage soil, when to intervene, how much to finance, and how to measure impact. This work is critically important because agriculture lies at the intersection of three global crises: food insecurity, farmer poverty, and climate change. Trillions of dollars are being mobilized for sustainable food systems, regenerative agriculture, and climate action, but without reliable digital infrastructure at the farm level, these resources cannot be deployed efficiently or equitably. eKutir is building that missing backbone: a neutral, interoperable, and trusted digital operating system for land, food, and climate, enabling value, trust, and impact to flow across the entire ecosystem.
This project is eK Flow, eKutir’s climate-smart agriculture platform that integrates farm, soil, crop, climate, and market data into a single digital system to enable climate-resilient farming, regenerative practices, and verifiable climate impact at the field level. The goal of eK Flow is to create a real-time digital nervous system for agriculture that allows farmers, cooperatives, agri-businesses, financial institutions, and climate programs to make data-driven decisions while measuring soil health, productivity, and carbon outcomes with high integrity.
Our Back-end Engineer will support data engineering, platform integration, AI/analytics models, climate and soil data pipelines, user dashboards, and API connectivity between eK Flow and external systems such as satellite, weather, soil labs, and farm management tools. Your work will directly enable credible climate-smart agriculture at scale by ensuring that farm-level data is accurate, interoperable, and actionable—unlocking climate finance, improving farmer incomes, and making regenerative agriculture measurable, bankable, and trustworthy.
Volunteer Logistics:
- Estimated hours required per week: 10 hrs
- Estimated duration of the project: 3-6 months
- Position is virtual (remote)
- Language Requirements: English
Desired Skills And Experience:
For the eK Flow climate-smart agriculture platform, the volunteer back-end engineer should bring strong capability in building secure, scalable, data-intensive cloud applications. The role requires deep proficiency in Node.js and/or Python (Django or FastAPI) for developing high-performance REST and event-driven APIs that manage farmer, land, soil, crop, climate, and transaction data.
You should be skilled in database architecture and optimization using PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or similar systems, including indexing, schema design, and analytics-friendly data models. Experience with authentication, authorization (RBAC), JWT/OAuth, API versioning, and security hardening is essential because eK Flow handles sensitive land, financial, and climate-impact data.
Volunteer Backend Engineer to Help Smallholder Farmers with eKutir in London employer: Ekutirsb
Joining eKutir as a Volunteer Backend Engineer offers a unique opportunity to contribute to meaningful social impact by supporting smallholder farmers through innovative digital solutions. With a strong focus on collaboration and community, eKutir fosters a culture of inclusivity and empowerment, providing volunteers with the chance to develop their skills while working alongside passionate individuals dedicated to tackling global challenges in agriculture and climate change. This remote position allows for flexible engagement, making it an ideal choice for those looking to make a difference from anywhere in the world.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Volunteer Backend Engineer to Help Smallholder Farmers with eKutir in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend relevant events, and connect with fellow volunteers. You never know who might have the inside scoop on opportunities or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show your passion! When you get the chance to chat with potential collaborators or during interviews, let your enthusiasm for helping smallholder farmers shine through. It’s all about making that personal connection.
✨Tip Number 3
Be proactive! Don’t just wait for opportunities to come to you. Reach out to eKutir directly through our website, express your interest, and ask how you can contribute. Taking initiative can really set you apart.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare for interviews by understanding eKutir’s mission and the challenges smallholder farmers face. Tailor your responses to show how your skills can help tackle these issues. Knowledge is power!
We think you need these skills to ace Volunteer Backend Engineer to Help Smallholder Farmers with eKutir in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for helping smallholder farmers shine through. We want to see how much you care about making a social impact and how your skills can contribute to eKutir's mission.
Tailor Your Skills:Make sure to highlight your relevant experience with Node.js, Python, and database management in your application. We’re looking for specific examples of how you've used these skills in past projects, so don’t hold back!
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and make it easy for us to understand your qualifications and motivations. A well-structured application goes a long way!
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity to make a difference.
How to prepare for a job interview at Ekutirsb
✨Know Your Tech Stack
Make sure you’re well-versed in Node.js and Python, especially Django or FastAPI. Brush up on your database skills with PostgreSQL or MongoDB, as you'll need to discuss how you can optimise data architecture during the interview.
✨Understand eKutir's Mission
Familiarise yourself with eKutir’s goals and the challenges smallholder farmers face. Being able to articulate how your skills can contribute to their mission will show your genuine interest and commitment to the role.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect questions about API development, security measures like JWT/OAuth, and data pipeline integrations. Practise explaining your past projects and how they relate to the responsibilities of this role.
✨Show Your Passion for Social Impact
Since this is a volunteer position aimed at making a difference, be ready to discuss why you want to help smallholder farmers and how you see technology playing a role in social change. Your enthusiasm can set you apart!
