Agriculture Projects Associate (Apply by Nov 24)

October 30, 2024

About the Alliance:

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay (Alliance) is a regional nonprofit organization whose vision is clean streams and rivers flowing through resilient landscapes, cared for by the people who live, work, and play in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; and whose mission is to bring together communities, companies, and conservationists to improve our lands and waters. The Alliance was founded in 1971 and has offices in Annapolis, MD, Lancaster, PA, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, VA.

Job Description:

This position is under the direct supervision of the Agriculture Projects Manager. This position will work directly with farmers and corporate partners to strategize and implement a wide range of conservation practices. The Agriculture Projects Associate is a fast-paced, full-time position working to help advance the Alliance’s Agriculture and Forests Programs implementation of conservation practices throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The position will support farmer and partner relations, project management, grant management, reimbursements, and programmatic financial reporting. This position will involve regular fieldwork in Central and Northern Virginia and supporting work in Southern/Western Maryland Regions.

Specific Duties of the Position:

• Support the coordination, planning, and implementation of agriculture BMPs on farms in Northern and Central Virginia and Southern/Western Maryland, which includes:
  • Conducting landowner outreach within and outside Alliance-corporate partnership frameworks across Central and Northern VA and, on occasion, Southern and Western Maryland
    Provide direct on-site farm support as needed, variable from week to week.
  • Develop and maintain relationships with farmers, agricultural consultants, contractors, federal and state agencies, corporate partners, soil and water conservation districts, and other industry stakeholders through site visits and meetings as needed.
  • Helps ensure project deliverables are met by providing field inspections and site visits.
• Support the Alliance’s overall Agriculture Program strategic efforts by:
  • Providing event support, meeting coordination, and other administrative assistance with appropriate oversight, such as programmatic and financial reporting.
  • Support corporate partners’ strategy and planning.
  • Contribute to the Alliance’s various Agriculture Program team efforts.

Qualifications & Experience:

• 1+ years of professional experience (which may include internships) conducting outreach to and/or working with farmers or landowners on agricultural or forestry related best management practices. An advanced degree may be substituted for this professional experience qualification.
• Passion for and knowledge of forestry, afforestation, reforestation, and forest management
• Detail-oriented, organized, and able to manage multiple tasks and requests.
• Effective communication and public speaking skills.

Supervision: The Associate will report directly to the Virginia Agriculture Projects Manager.

Hours and Location: The Associate is a remote-based position located in northern Virginia, ideally near Warrenton or Leesburg. Some night and weekend work may be required. This position requires travel, primarily to sites within northern and central VA above the I-64 corridor but occasionally to other parts of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, including the Shenandoah Valley and Western Maryland. The position is full-time (40 hours per week).

Salary & Benefits: $45,000 – $50,500, commensurate with experience. Competitive benefits include: health, dental, and vision insurance, 403b retirement fund, life insurance, professional development opportunities, vacation, sick, and holiday and other leave, and more.

Application: The information listed below should be emailed to Careers@allianceforthebay.org no later than November 24, 2024. Indicate “Agriculture Projects Associate” in the email subject line. No telephone inquiries please.

• Your resume
• A written response (2 pages total, max) to the following prompts:
  1. What excites you most about this position?
  2. What is your experience/ knowledge working in the field of Agriculture, specifically in Central and Northern Virginia? If you have not worked in Central or Northern Virginia, please describe why you believe your professional agriculture experience is transferable to this particular region.
  3. What is your experience/knowledge working in the field of Forestry, specifically in Central and Northern Virginia? If you have not worked in Central or Northern Virginia, please describe why you believe your professional forestry experience is transferable to this particular region.
• A list of 3 professional references.

The Alliance aspires to be an inclusive multicultural organization that celebrates the rich dimensions of diversity such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious and political beliefs. We are committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion remain integral to our organizational structure, policies, board of directors, staff, strategic goals, grants, partnerships and program delivery. The Alliance believes a broad base of participation and partners reflecting all of society is needed to be successful in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed restoration effort. Visit www.allianceforthebay.org/DEI to learn more.

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay offers a family friendly, flexible work environment. We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. If you meet at least 75% of the qualifications of this description, we encourage you to submit an application.

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