Farm Relations & Sustainability Manager

Sartori Company•Crescent City, CA

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Farm Relations and Sustainability Manager strengthens relationships with family farms while advancing Sartori/Rumiano’s on‑farm sustainability strategy. This role provides leadership and technical expertise to Field Representatives, ensuring consistent execution of farm programs, regulatory requirements, and animal welfare standards. It leads the development and implementation of sustainability initiatives, including carbon reduction, methane mitigation, and water stewardship, while overseeing Scope 1, 2, and 3 data collection and reporting in partnership with internal teams. This role serves as a primary liaison to farmers, industry partners, customers, and regulatory stakeholders, representing the organization publicly and guiding the adoption of climate‑smart, environmentally responsible practices across the supply chain.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Dairy Science, or a related field, required.
Five or more years of progressive experience in dairy sustainability, farm relations, field operations, or related agricultural leadership roles, required.
Demonstrated experience supporting on‑farm environmental initiatives, including carbon reduction, methane mitigation, water stewardship, and sustainability program execution, required.
Experience operating within regulated agricultural or food systems environments, including safety, quality, and compliance standards, required.
Demonstrated experience analyzing operational, environmental, or compliance data to inform decisions and guide continuous improvement initiatives, required.
Experience leading, mentoring, or developing field‑based teams or technical specialists, required.
Proficiency in standard business and reporting systems, including data analysis and documentation tools, required.
National FARM Program Second Party Evaluator, required.
Laboratory Evaluation Officer (LEO) Certification, required or obtainable after hire.

Nice To Haves

Experience applying Lean or continuous improvement principles (e.g., root cause analysis, process improvement methodologies) in agricultural or field‑based operations, preferred.
Weigher’s and Sampler’s License, preferred.
Industry Milk Truck/Tanker Inspector Appointment, preferred.
Notary Public, preferred.

Responsibilities

Builds and maintains strong relationships with family farms to support long‑term supply reliability and alignment with Sartori/Rumiano standards.
Serves as the primary liaison to farmers, providing guidance, resources, and technical support to enhance farm performance, milk quality, and operational sustainability.
Represents the organization during farm visits, customer tours, and industry engagements to promote transparency, partnership, and continuous improvement.
Leads the development and implementation of on‑farm sustainability initiatives, including carbon reduction, methane mitigation, manure management, feed strategy, and water stewardship.
Oversees Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions data collection and reporting, ensuring accuracy and alignment with corporate sustainability goals and regulatory expectations.
Collaborates with internal teams to identify, evaluate, and execute sustainability projects that advance organizational climate and environmental commitments.
Ensures successful implementation and compliance of the National FARM Program across all milk source locations, including oversight of 3rd‑party evaluations.
Provides leadership and direction to Field Representatives to ensure consistent execution of company, industry, and regulatory requirements.
Oversees completion and submission of required regulatory reports and partners with state and federal inspectors during audits and evaluations.
Acts as a subject matter expert on animal welfare, dairy farming trends, and best‑practice farm management.
Partners with milk procurement stakeholders to ensure haulers and farms complete corrective actions related to milk quality, regulatory compliance, or company standards.
Ensures the milk pay premium program accurately aligns milk value to cheese quality, yield, and market competitiveness.
Immediately reports any food safety or quality issues to management or other individuals authorized to initiate action.
Represents Sartori/Rumiano as a spokesperson on sustainability topics at industry events, seminars, and public forums.
Collaborates with industry partners, researchers, and policymakers to support alignment with national sustainability frameworks and emerging best practices.
Actively participates in the agribusiness community to strengthen farm relations, visibility, and reputation.
Mentors, coaches, and develops Field Representatives to enhance technical capability, farmer engagement, and program execution.
Sets clear expectations, provides ongoing feedback, and builds a high‑performing team culture focused on partnership, compliance, and continuous improvement.