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Job Title
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Craft Officer (Female candidates are encouraged to apply)
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Location
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Ahmedabad
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Experience Required
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Preferably 2–5 years of relevant experience in craft, textile, product or lifestyle design.
Experience working with artisans, craft clusters, SHGs or communitybased enterprises would be desirable.
Exposure to product development for retail, exhibitions, handicrafts or lifestyle markets would be preferred.
Experience with traditional crafts or crafts from Northeast India would be an added advantage.
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Educational Qualification
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Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Textile Design, Fashion Design, Product Design, Lifestyle Accessory Design, Craft Design, Apparel Design, Industrial Design or a related field
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Remuneration
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As per market standards
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Application Deadline
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23rd Nov 2026
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Expected Date of Joining
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At the earliest
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Apply at
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About the Position
FWWB India is a pioneering organization committed to fostering financial inclusion and empowering marginalized women across rural India. Through targeted programs in agriculture, entrepreneurship, and climate resilience, FWWB supports livelihood strengthening and inclusive enterprise development. The organization works with community institutions, producer groups, financial institutions, government agencies, and development partners to build resilient and sustainable local economies.
Key Responsibilities
Craft and Design Research
- Study existing crafts, materials, motifs, techniques and production practices in the project locations.
- Conduct field-based design research with artisans and collectives.
- Assess existing products from a design, quality and market perspective.
- Research consumer preferences, design trends, colours, materials and relevant product categories.
- Develop mood boards, trend boards and design directions for selected crafts.
Product Design and Development
- Develop new product concepts based on local craft strengths and market demand.
- Prepare sketches, design concepts, product specifications and prototypes.
- Work directly with artisans through sampling and iterative product development.
- Develop cohesive product collections rather than isolated products.
- Explore product categories such as apparel, accessories, home décor, lifestyle products, utility products and gifting.
- Adapt traditional crafts for contemporary markets without compromising their cultural identity.
Material and Technique Innovation
- Explore new applications, material combinations and design possibilities.
- Experiment with colours, textures, motifs, forms and construction techniques.
- Promote use of sustainable, locally available and environmentally responsible materials wherever appropriate.
- Identify opportunities to improve material efficiency and reduce production waste.
Prototyping and Sampling
- Facilitate prototype and sample development with artisans.
- Refine samples based on functionality, aesthetics, quality, costing and market feedback.
- Develop standard product specifications covering dimensions, materials, colour combinations and finishing.
- Maintain approved samples for replication and buyer presentation.
Quality and Finishing
- Establish quality and finish standards for identified products.
- Improve consistency in stitching, construction, detailing and finishing.
- Develop simple quality control tools and checklists.
- Support artisans in producing products that meet buyer and customer expectations.
Collection Development
- Develop seasonal, thematic or market-specific product collections.
- Define the design language, colour palette, product mix and target customer for each collection.
- Ensure that product collections balance creativity, production feasibility, pricing and market appeal.
Branding, Packaging and Presentation
- Provide design inputs for branding of selected collectives and enterprises.
- Support development of labels, tags, packaging, catalogues and product presentation.
- Develop cost-effective and aesthetically appealing packaging solutions.
- Strengthen visual storytelling around the artisan, craft process and local heritage.
Visual Merchandising and Exhibitions
- Curate product displays for exhibitions, fairs and buyer interactions.
- Support stall layout, product grouping and display concepts.
- Guide artisans on product presentation and visual merchandising.
- Prepare market-ready product collections for exhibitions and institutional showcases.
- Market-Oriented Product Development
- Study comparable products, craft brands and market trends.
- Gather feedback from buyers, customers and retailers.
- Translate market feedback into product improvements.
- Support customisation of products for retail, gifting, institutional buyers and bulk orders.
- Coordinate with the programme team on potential market and buyer opportunities.
Artisan Capacity Building
- Conduct hands-on design and product development sessions with women artisans.
- Build understanding around colour, design, product diversification, quality, customer preferences and market trends.
- Develop simple visual reference material that artisans can continue using independently.
- Identify and mentor potential master artisans or design champions within the groups.