California Solar Specialist

American Farmland Trust•Sacramento, CA

1d•Remote

About The Position

The California Solar Specialist (Specialist) advances and leads AFT's Smart Solar℠ and agrivoltaics work in California. In this catalytic role, the Specialist combines deep subject matter expertise with partnership development and farmer-facing outreach that moves the program from research, demonstration and policy development to on the ground adoption. The role serves as AFT's primary presence in elevating Smart Solar and agrivoltaics pathways in California, building relationships with farmers and ranchers, solar developers, agency partners, universities, research centers, and agricultural organizations. Reporting to the National Smart Solar Director and closely involved with the California Regional Program, the Specialist will have an instrumental role in shaping the tools, resources, and multi-year agenda for AFT’s California and national Smart Solar programs. The Specialist possesses and applies cross-sector expertise in solar, agriculture, energy and farm policy, and partnership development to establish a foundation for agrivoltaics in the nation’s leading state for both agricultural and solar energy production. The Specialist will be AFT’s lead in educating stakeholders about agriculturally compatible solar, working with the AFT California and national Smart Solar program to develop, disseminate and refine farmer-facing resources, research products, and technical assistance delivery systems. The work will be multi-faceted, including research and demonstration project coordination, technical assistance design, policy analysis, and support in convening a growing statewide coalition supporting agrivoltaics across California. The Specialist is part of the national Smart Solar team, working extensively with the California regional program. As well the Specialist will work across several other Divisions including Farmer and Rancher Services (FRS), Policy, Communications, Development and Finance. The Specialist will also work closely with external partners including farmers and ranchers, landowners, service providers, researchers, solar developers, and policymakers. The Specialist role requires creativity and a highly strategic approach to problem solving, relationship management and external communications, and will demonstrate a high level of poise, professionalism and accountability with responsibilities to engage and support AFT regional program, funders, corporate partners, and service providers. The role does not involve direct supervisory authority but manages numerous relationships with vendors and external contractors.

Requirements

Direct expertise in agrivoltaics, agriculturally compatible solar, or a closely related agricultural, energy, land-use, and/or conservation disciplines is required.
Demonstrated ability to function as a senior subject matter expert and a resource for critical problem-solving, exercising discretion and autonomy in decision-making, as well as demonstrated ability to synthesize, summarize and apply complex principles, theories, and techniques is required.
Experience developing and/or adapting complex procedures, administrative systems, and technical resources within scope to meet program and funder requirements is required.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills are required, including ability to communicate effectively and professionally in writing, by phone and video, and in person, public speaking in diverse settings, and delivery of virtual sessions/webinars.
Strong editing, writing, and digital file management skills are required.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including PowerPoint; familiarity managing data in Excel and editing collaboratively in Word is required.
Passion for advancing AFT's mission and a personal commitment to farm viability, resilience, and the future of farmers and ranchers across the United States is required.
BA or BS degree and a minimum of at least six (6) years of progressive experience in a technical or operational capacity in or supporting agriculture, solar, agronomy, conservation, environmental management, natural resource planning, or related fields; OR A graduate or advanced degree in a related field is strongly preferred and may substitute for an equivalent portion of the experience requirement; OR Significant direct experience in agricultural operations and/or in delivery of other major elements of AFT Smart Solar Principles may be substituted for a degree if other qualifications are met.
Demonstrated subject matter expertise in one or more areas of direct relevance to Smart Solar program pillars and service delivery.

Nice To Haves

Relevant work experience in California strongly preferred.
Success in developing and effectively leading projects or initiatives of substantial scope and complexity, while managing diverse work streams and day to day assignments is preferred.
Demonstrated success working with a diversity of agricultural, energy, land-use, and conservation professionals, including state and federal agencies, farmers and landowners, solar developers and trade associations, conservation districts, researchers, and commodity and conservation organizations is preferred.
Track record in motivating high-impact teams, coalitions and partnerships, building off exemplary relationship building and networking skills.
Prior experience with facilitation of multi-stakeholder meetings and delivery of farmer-focused trainings is preferred.
Strong analytical and research skills, including survey design, literature review, and economic and agronomic data analysis are preferred.
Experience in communicating with and/or managing contractors, vendors, service providers and project partners to keep projects and deliverables on timeline and within budget is preferred.
Familiarity with AI support tools (Claude, Copilot) for producing high-quality, timely reports, communications, and resources, and willingness to mentor a team in their use is preferred.
Familiarity with digital communications platforms, including website content management systems (WordPress), graphic design software (Canva, Adobe), email marketing software (Salsa), and mainstream social media platforms is preferred.
Knowledge of and commitment to farming, agriculture and energy development in California and the western US strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and adapt the research and learning agenda, the technical assistance delivery model, and the analytical products that California agrivoltaics work depends on, refining methods as field conditions and the project portfolio change.
Function as the senior subject matter expert on agrivoltaics for AFT, synthesizing complex technical, agronomic, and energy data into feasibility analysis, case studies, and the California Smart Solar and Agrivoltaics Roadmap.
Design and run the farmer survey on agrivoltaics interest and barriers, including instrument design, analysis, and dissemination of findings through events and webinars.
Plan and deliver the agrivoltaics site visit series, the regional webinar series, the train-the-trainer series for service providers, and the explainer video sets, building these into repeatable systems other staff can run.
Lead the technical content of the financing roadmap and catalyst fund concept in coordination with Finance and impact funders.
Serve as a primary technical point of contact for Smart Solar in California, building and stewarding relationships with farmers, researchers, developers, funders, and policymakers.
Convene and expand the California Agrivoltaics Working Group, organize regional stakeholder roundtables and policy leader roundtables, and convene the statewide agriculture–clean energy forum.
Represent AFT on external technical advisory committees, contribute to proposal development, and serve as Smart Solar lead at conferences, webinars, and presentations supporting regional programs and national initiatives.
Develop technical communications, including white papers, factsheets, blog posts, recorded presentations, and farmer-facing resources, in coordination with the Communications and Farmland Information Center (FIC) teams.
Coordinate web and social media content for the program with Communications, third-party designers, and content experts (LinkedIn, Instagram).
Draft the agrivoltaics policy white paper and provide technical input into policy positions, identifying barriers across technical, financial, and regulatory dimensions and proposing solutions.
Assess and advance new programmatic and operational initiatives that move California agrivoltaics from foundation to scale, identifying innovative solutions to problems without clear precedent.
Support cross-AFT coordination with Policy, Climate, and FRS teams, identifying timelines and process improvements that keep a growing program efficient.
Lead project-level data analysis and research, including literature review, survey results, agricultural management data, crop yield, and economic data.
Develop and maintain project tracking systems and manage technical files, datasets, and resources across formats.
Maintain the Smart Solar photo and video inventory for use in publications.
Support and as appropriate lead on funding proposals to funders to build financial resources for Smart Solar in California, including assistance in cultivation of individual, foundation and corporate partnership support for AFT.
Work with program and project management teams to ensure timely submittal of contracts, agreements and invoices and to adhere to project timelines and deliverables.
Track contracted deliverables with project management team and finance department, including contracts moving through AFT's internal approval process and invoice submissions.
Collect and submit monthly and quarterly reports from the Smart Solar team, and contribute to Board quarterly reports and AFT annual reports.
Support meeting management, travel logistics, agenda setting, note-taking, and action item tracking with the Director.

Benefits

excellent vacation
medical
retirement
other benefits
Insurance coverage begins the 1st of the month following the date of hire.
Medical & Prescription Coverage
Dental Coverage
Vision Coverage
Company Paid Life Insurance & Long-Term Disability (LTD)
Voluntary Life Insurance
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) – Healthcare & Dependent Care
Health Savings Account (HSA)
401k Plan
Sick Leave: Regular full-time employees accrue 13 “sick days” per year.
Vacation Leave: Accrue 15 days during the first year increasing by one day per year to 20 days per year maximum.
Holidays: AFT observes twelve fixed holidays and a week between Christmas and New Years off during the year (all offices closed) plus a choice of up to three (depending on hiring month) floating holidays.