Agricultural R&D Expert (Part-time, Equity only)

Agricultural Research Expert
Company: Kefilo
Role Type: Equity-Only Founding Role
Work Mode: Remote / Hybrid
Commitment: 20–25 hours/week
About Kefilo
Kefilo is building a NutritionTech and personalised wellness transformation platform where food is used as a medium for nutrition, healing and long-term lifestyle transformation.
Kefilo combines functional nutrition, food science, agricultural research, technology, AI and intelligent food manufacturing to build a scalable nutrition ecosystem.
A key part of our long-term vision is developing a Farm-to-Plate ecosystem that connects agricultural research, farmers, sourcing, processing, food product development and personalised nutrition.
Role Overview
We are looking for an Agricultural Research Expert who can lead research around crops, agricultural practices, raw materials, nutritional properties, sustainable production and emerging agricultural technologies relevant to Kefilo.
The role will help create the scientific and research foundation for Kefilo's Farm-to-Plate, Nutrition Intelligence and food innovation initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
Agricultural Research & Knowledge Development Research crops, agricultural systems, farming practices, raw materials and emerging technologies relevant to nutrition and food innovation.
Nutritional & Functional Crop Research Identify crops, grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices and other agricultural materials with high nutritional, functional or therapeutic potential.
Raw Material Research Evaluate agricultural raw materials based on nutritional composition, quality, availability, seasonality, processing potential and commercial viability.
Farm-to-Plate Research Develop research frameworks connecting agricultural production with sourcing, aggregation, processing, food product development and final consumer nutrition.
Sustainable Agriculture Research sustainable, regenerative, climate-resilient and resource-efficient agricultural practices that can support Kefilo's long-term sourcing model.
Farmer & Agricultural Ecosystem Research Study farmer networks, FPOs, cooperatives, agricultural institutions, research organisations and potential sourcing ecosystems.
Agricultural Processing & Value Addition Research opportunities for cleaning, grading, milling, drying, dehydration, fermentation, extraction and other value-added processing of agricultural materials.
Research Collaborations Identify and build relationships with agricultural universities, research institutions, laboratories, government programmes and agricultural technology organisations.
Agricultural Innovation & Technology Track developments in agri-tech, precision agriculture, biotechnology, crop science, post-harvest technology and smart farming that could support Kefilo.
Research-to-Product Translation Work with Kefilo's Food Science, Food Processing, Nutrition and Product teams to convert agricultural research into commercially relevant food products and ingredients.
Pilot Projects & Field Research Support agricultural research pilots, field trials, farmer collaborations and raw-material sourcing experiments where required.
Research Documentation & IP Build research reports, technical documentation, knowledge databases and identify opportunities for proprietary processes, products, collaborations and intellectual property.
Ideal Candidate
Background in Agricultural Science, Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Science, Soil Science, Agricultural Engineering, Food & Agriculture or a related field
Experience in agricultural research, crop science, agri-business, farm projects or agricultural innovation
Strong research and analytical capabilities
Understanding of agricultural supply chains and post-harvest systems is preferred
Experience working with farmers, FPOs, agricultural institutions or research organisations is valuable
Interest in nutrition, food science and sustainable food systems
Ability to translate research into practical commercial opportunities
Strong ownership and entrepreneurial mindset
Comfortable working in an early-stage environment and building new systems from the ground up
Engagement Terms
Equity-only founding position
20–25 hours/week
Remote / Hybrid with field visits where required
No fixed salary at the current stage
Fixed compensation to be introduced after funding and revenue stabilisation
Equity based on contribution, expertise, responsibility and long-term commitment
Core founding team equity subject to a 5-year vesting structure
What You Will Build
You will help build the Agricultural Research & Farm-to-Plate Intelligence layer of Kefilo, connecting agricultural science and research with raw-material sourcing, food processing, product innovation and Kefilo's broader Nutrition Intelligence ecosystem.
Skills: processing,agricultural research,innovation

Work arrangement
Yes