Trainer - Pickles & Spices Processing

About the Assignment: We are seeking an experienced and hands-on Trainer for Pickles & Spices Processing for a short-term skill development assignment in Dharashiv. This is a community-focused role where you'll train rural women/community members in traditional and commercial pickle-making, spice processing, quality standards, hygiene practices, and basic entrepreneurship. We need someone who can roll up their sleeves, work directly with communities, demonstrate techniques practically, and build confiddence among trainees to start their own small enterprises or join producer groups.About the Project: This is a skill development and livelihood project aimed at training rural community members (primarily women) in value-added food processing—specifically pickles and spices. The training will cover traditional recipes, standardization, food safety, packaging, costing, and basic marketing to enable trainees to generate income through small-scale pickle and spice production.Key Responsibilities: Curriculum Design & Development Design comprehensive 21-day training curriculum covering theory and hands-on practice Structure curriculum to include: foundational knowledge (Days 1-5), traditional recipes (Days 6-10), innovative recipes (Days 11-16), standardization & quality (Days 17-19), business basics (Days 20-21) Develop daily session plans with clear learning objectives, activities, and outcomes Create recipe cards/manuals for both traditional and innovative pickle varieties Design practical exercises, assignments, and assessment methods for skill evaluation Prepare materials list—ingredients, equipment, tools needed for each training day Develop handouts, reference materials, and job aids for trainees to use post-training Submit curriculum to project team for review before training commencementTraining Delivery - Traditional Recipes Train on classic Indian pickles—mango, lemon, chili, gongura, amla, garlic, mixed vegetable Teach traditional Maharashtrian specialties and regional favorites Cover traditional preservation techniques—sun-drying, fermentation, oil-based preservation Demonstrate authentic tempering, spice blending, and flavor balancing methods Share knowledge of traditional ingredients, their properties, and health benefits Training Delivery - Innovative & Fusion Recipes Introduce innovative pickle varieties that appeal to urban/modern markets—fusion flavors, exotic combinations Teach contemporary recipes—sun-dried tomato pickle, olive tapenade-style Indian pickle, Thai-spiced pickles, Mediterranean herb pickles Create innovative spice blends—gourmet masalas, specialty seasonings, fusion spice mixes Demonstrate low-oil/healthy pickle variants for health-conscious consumers Train on quick pickles and instant varieties for fast-moving markets Develop signature recipes that differentiate trainees' products from market competition Spice Processing Training Train on spice cleaning, drying, roasting, and grinding techniques Teach blending of spice powders—garam masala, sambhar powder, rasam powder, specialized blends Cover quality parameters for spices—color, aroma, texture, moisture content Demonstrate proper storage and shelf-life management for spicesHands-On Demonstrations Conduct live cooking/preparation demonstrations with trainees actively participating Show proper techniques for washing, cutting, mixing, tempering, bottling Demonstrate use of equipment and tools for pickle and spice processing Guide trainees through complete production cycles from raw material to finished product Troubleshoot common problems—fermentation issues, spoilage prevention, consistency Community Engagement Build rapport with rural women and community members—create comfortable learning environment Adapt training language and methods to suit literacy levels and local context Encourage participation from shy or hesitant trainees; build their confidence Share recipes and techniques in simple, replicable manner Understand local preferences and incorporate traditional knowledge into training Motivate trainees to see this as viable livelihood opportunity Quality & Standardization Train on maintaining consistent taste, color, texture across batches Teach measurement techniques—proper use of weighing scales, measuring cups/spoons Emphasize importance of hygiene—personal hygiene, cleanliness of workspace, utensils Educate on food safety—avoiding contamination, proper storage, shelf-life management Guide on quality checks and rejection of substandard raw materials Basic Business Training Teach simple costing—raw material costs, packaging, labor, overheads Train on pricing strategies for local markets, bulk orders, retail Provide guidance on basic record-keeping—production logs, sales records Share tips on local marketing, building customer base, approaching retailers Discuss group formation, collective production, and producer group models Documentation & Reporting Maintain attendance records of training participants Document training sessions through photographs Prepare training completion reports with participant feedback Provide assessment of trainee skill levels post-training Submit batch-wise training reports to project coordinator Essential Qualifications: Diploma/Certificate in Hotel Management, Culinary Arts, Food Processing, Home Science, or related fieldORProfessional Chef qualification/experience Minimum 4-5 years of hands-on experience in pickle-making, spice processing, or food processing. Portfolio of such experiences to be submitted along with resume Proven experience in training or teaching cooking/food processing (formal or informal) Deep knowledge of traditional Indian pickles, spices, and preservation methods Understanding of food safety, hygiene standards, and FSSAI guidelines Comfortable conducting training in rural settings with community groups Must be willing to relocate to Dharashiv for the complete training period (1-2 months) Must-Have Skills & Competencies: Expert Pickle & Spice Knowledge : Mastery over various pickle recipes, fermentation, tempering, preservation techniques Culinary Skills : If chef background—ability to adapt commercial cooking knowledge to home-scale production Training Skills : Ability to demonstrate, explain, and teach in simple, practical manner Community Connect : Comfortable working with rural women; patient, respectful, encouraging Hands-On Approach : Not just theoretical—actively demonstrates and involves participants in doing Food Safety Knowledge : Understanding of hygiene, contamination prevention, safe food handling Business Basics : Ability to teach simple costing, pricing, and entrepreneurship concepts Adaptability : Can adjust training based on participant understanding and local context Communication : Clear communication in Hindi and Marathi (local language essential) What Makes a Candidate Stand Out: Professional chef experience with interest in traditional/regional cuisine Previous experience training rural women or SHG members Knowledge of traditional Maharashtrian pickles and spices FSSAI licensing and compliance knowledge Experience with food processing units or commercial pickle production Understanding of organic/natural preservation methods Experience in livelihood/skill development projects Own recipes and formulations that can be taught Network with local markets, retailers for trainees' products Previous experience relocating for short-term assignments in rural/semi-urban areas Assignment Details: Training Schedule: A total of 21 days training wherein you have to train 50 beneficiaries Duration of each session:3-4 hours per session Number of batches: 2batches of 25 trainees each Training to be conducted in community centres/village locationsLocation: Based in Jalkot (Osmanabad) village, Maharashtra for the training period Training venues in rural villages/project locations around Dharashiv May require daily local travel to multiple villages (15-30 km radius)Working Conditions: Training will be in rural community settings—simple facilities, basic infrastructure Need to be comfortable working in village environments May need to work with locally available equipment and resources Training timings may need to be flexible based on community availability Living in Dharashiv town—semi-urban setting with basic amenitiesWhy This Role Matters: You're not just teaching recipes—you're opening doors to livelihoods. Every woman you train could become a small entrepreneur, earning income for her family while preserving traditional food practices. Your expertise in pickles and spices becomes their pathway to financial independence. This short assignment has the potential to create long-term impact on household incomes and women's empowerment. If you're a culinary professional who wants your skills to serve a larger social purpose, this is a meaningful opportunity.Ideal Candidate Profile: We're looking for someone who: Has genuine culinary expertise in pickles and spices Is excited about the opportunity to use their skills for social impact Doesn't mind a short-term relocation to a semi-urban town Enjoys working with communities and sees training as meaningful work Is self-sufficient and adaptable to different living/working conditions Wants to contribute to women's empowerment and livelihood generation

Apply Now