Illinois Agricultural and Conservation Technical Specialist

American Farmland Trust•Effingham, IL

3d•Remote

About The Position

The Illinois Agricultural and Conservation Technical Specialist position offers an exciting opportunity to support the strategic agenda of a growing, forward-looking conservation organization. S/he will have the opportunity to work across teams within AFT’s Midwest Region, as well as with external partners including farmers, landowners, and agricultural professionals. This is a permanent position that will support and build on AFT producer-led programs in the Midwest, especially in Southeast Illinois. The Illinois Agricultural and Conservation Technical Specialist will work with farmers, farmland owners, state and federal agencies, agricultural service providers, and conservation leaders to coordinate across diverse partners and programs. Several of the programs will directly support the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). This is a remote work position based in Southeast Illinois and will report directly to the Midwest Senior Program Manager overseeing water quality initiatives. Position summary The Illinois Agricultural and Conservation Technical Specialist will play an active role in supporting the development and execution of regional, farmer-led soil health and water quality programming in Southeast Illinois (within 100 miles of Effingham County).

Requirements

BA or BS degree and a minimum of 3 years of related work experience in agriculture or watershed/water quality outreach and planning.
An advanced degree in one or more of the noted disciplines may substitute for 1 year of work experience.
Midwest conservation and agriculture experience with nutrient management, soil health principles, and conservation cropping systems, including the USDA-NRCS conservation planning process.
Experience developing compelling events, outreach tools, and/or programming that are responsive to partner needs and strategically relevant to target audiences.
Experience with public outreach and community engagement.
Must be able to work independently, deliver high-quality work in a dynamic organization under time pressure, and bring a collaborative, outgoing, professional, and innovative approach to tackling these issues.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team environment.
Excellent communication skills (verbal and written), including the ability to translate technical content for distribution to non-technical audiences, with demonstrated commitment to high-quality work.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
Candidates must currently live in or be willing to relocate to Southeast Illinois, within approximately 100 miles of Effingham County.

Nice To Haves

Certified Conservation Planner and/or Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) certification is preferred.
Preferred experience using ArcGIS and other spatial mapping tools.
Demonstrated commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and knowledgeable about how those principles can be effectively applied in practice.

Responsibilities

Provide technical assistance in the form of conservation and agronomy expertise to farmers, landowners, farm advisors and partners in the adoption, implementation and management of conservation cropping systems practices, including necessary technical design standards for practice application.
Develop conservation practice recommendations and verify implementation according to NRCS standards and specifications.
Create technical documents for farmer-led watershed programs, including delivering presentations and summarizing research and data for reports, fact sheets, and other materials.
Engage farmers and agricultural service providers to identify challenges, needs, and opportunities related to conservation practices to improve soil health and water quality.
Gather field-based data, including soil health assessments, soil sampling, and forage or biomass sampling, as well as the organized management of field data.
Develop and launch farmer-led watershed programs in priority watersheds in Illinois by engaging with farmer leaders and program partners and sharing information with a diverse group of stakeholders across multiple formats, such as webinars, networking events, educational workshops, and field days.
Support establishment of farmer-led watershed groups and ongoing efforts related to administrative needs, event planning, scheduling meetings, etc.
Work with local partners to ensure success of farmer-led watershed groups in increasing adoption of conservation practices that improve soil health and water quality.
Plan, host, and represent AFT at public meetings, field days, and educational events in the region.
Participate in regular staff meetings and events, maintaining strong team culture among AFT staff.
Help build positive relations with the team and external partners.

Benefits

excellent vacation
medical
retirement
other benefits
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.