Who We Are American Farmland Trust (AFT) is the only national organization
that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself,
the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who
do the work. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect
over 6.5 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound
farming practices on millions of additional acres and helped thousands of farm
families make a go of it (primarily through programs that increase farm
viability and/or enhance farmland access). Long a pioneering leader, AFT is
now riding a new wave of growth, driven by agriculture’s most pressing needs
and opportunities. We believe diversity drives innovation. We are inclusive.
We embrace differences. We recognize and respect the fundamental value and
dignity of all our employees. We celebrate the unique traditions, heritages,
and experiences our employees bring to the workplace. We are committed to
creating and sustaining an inclusive culture that promotes and values
diversity, and where everyone feels empowered to bring their authentic selves
to work every day. Please see AFT’s statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion,
and Justice.
What You Will Do As our Senior Conservation Technical Specialist (Sr.
Specialist) in Massachusetts, you will play a leadership role in supporting
farmers and other landowners in implementing conservation practices and
participating in USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Farm
Bill conservation programs You’ll bring applied technical knowledge to guide
and manage a small team of AFT staff to directly engage with farmers and
support them to overcome barriers to implementing conservation practices. The
technical assistance you provide will support a wide range of agronomic and
engineering practices that will vary by farm and practice. Examples of
technical assistance include: helping to secure conservation funding;
referring farmers to and/or consulting with other technical experts;
identifying appropriate options and sources for contractors, supplies or
specialized equipment; coordinating with other government entities;
facilitating communication between contractors, farmers and NRCS staff; and
more. You will work in a unique role; as an AFT employee, but in deep
cooperation and frequent coordination with NRCS to assure workflow is
integrated with NRCS’s needs and utilizes the full depth of both NRCS and AFT
resources and expertise. This leadership role will involve direct delivery and
support for farmers and landowners while also supporting and coordinating
other AFT staff who are helping farmers proactively implement practices. The
ideal candidate must bring a team-oriented, patient and problem-solving
approach to this work, which spans from the highly technical and detail-
oriented to the highly relational and collaborative.
Specific Responsibilities
This is not necessarily an all-inclusive list of job-related
responsibilities. Management reserves the right to revise the job or to
require other or different duties be performed as assigned.
Qualifications of the Ideal Candidate The Senior Technical Specialist must
be a highly motivated and entrepreneurial problem solver and effective leader.
They should be able to use their real-world experience on farms, or in other
land management, construction, or land stewardship jobs to provide actionable
assistance to farmers seeking to implement conservation practices on their
land. The ideal candidate will have experience planning and/or implementing
conservation practices through NRCS programs, and technical certifications or
credentials in conservation planning, soil health management, nutrient
management or related fields. They will also have existing connections within
the farm community and will have experience working with a wide variety of
farm types and with diverse populations. The ideal candidate will find
visiting farmers on their farm, problem solving, and researching solutions to
challenging farm specific problems exciting and invigorating, not overwhelming
and intimidating.Excellent communication skills (meeting facilitation, phone,
writing, partner relations), record keeping, and task management are essential
to the position. The ideal candidate will ask the extra question to help make
connections and identify solutions, especially when the solution, or even the
problem, might not be obvious.
Role requirements:
While AFT prefers for this to be a full-time position (37.5 hour/week),
alternative arrangements will be considered for the ideal candidate.
Compensation The salary range is from $70,000 to $75,000 for full-time
employees, based upon experience. While we expect the program and this role
to continue, employment is subject to available funding.
American Farmland Trust offers a full benefits package for full time
employees:
Timeline While applications will be accepted and reviewed until the
position is filled, applicants who apply with a resume and cover letter by
December 15, 2023 will be reviewed first.
Additional Related Positions in New England This is one of several related
positions that will be filled within the coming months. These include other
Climate Solutions Specialists and another Sr. Conservation Technical
Specialist to work in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Be sure to check our
Careers page (farmland.org/careers) to see what’s currently posted – and
consider joining our amazing team that’s helping farmers across New England!
Why you should apply
We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, expression or identity, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, American Farmland Trust complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which we have facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
PI232838215
Massachusetts, MA United States
2023-11-16 00:00