Senior Grazing Systems Specialist

American Bird Conservancy•Oklahoma, KS

23h•Remote

About The Position

This is a limited term position with American Bird Conservancy (ABC). American Bird Conservancy is a fast-growing, results-focused nonprofit seeking employees with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to make a difference for birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Inspired by the wonder of birds, ABC achieves lasting results for the bird species most in need while also benefiting human communities, biodiversity, and the planet’s fragile climate. The American Bird Conservancy is seeking highly motivated candidates for Senior Grazing Systems Specialist to serve as the lead technical resource for grazing management across ABC's Grazing for Birds program and supports the development and implementation of regional strategies that advance grassland resilience, working lands, and bird conservation. Working closely with the Grazing for Birds Program Leader in a “player-coach” role, this position helps build and coordinate a biome-wide effort that delivers grazing management and habitat conservation at scale. The Senior Grazing Systems Specialist functions as both a strategic leader and practicing conservation professional. This position provides technical guidance and mentorship to staff and partners, helping them identify opportunities where healthy ranch businesses, resilient grasslands, and thriving bird populations overlap. The successful candidate will serve as a trusted advisor on grazing systems and rangeland management while maintaining an active portfolio of landowners and conservation projects within their local geography. This position will likely supervise up to 1-2 program staff in the Southern Great Plains. As an experienced grazing practitioner and NRCS Technical Service Provider (TSP), or someone capable of obtaining certification, the Senior Grazing Systems Specialist will support staff across multiple states in developing management recommendations that meet producer objectives while improving ecosystem health and habitat for birds and other wildlife. This individual will help ABC staff and partners find the "sweet spot" where healthy ranch businesses, resilient grasslands, and thriving bird populations overlap.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in range science, rangeland ecology, wildlife management, animal science, natural resources, or a related field.
Seven or more years of professional experience in grazing management, rangeland conservation, or working-lands conservation.
Demonstrated expertise in grazing systems and grassland ecology.
Experience providing technical assistance to agricultural producers and land managers.
Experience leading teams, mentoring staff, or coordinating conservation initiatives.
Ability to obtain certification as an NRCS Technical Service Provider.
This position requires frequent outdoor work, including hiking over uneven terrain, lifting up to 50 pounds, operating equipment, and working in hot, cold, wet, smoky, or otherwise challenging field conditions.
Willingness and ability to travel extensively throughout the Great Plains; Occasional air and car travel may be required with this position; Employees are expected to use air travel for distances over 350 miles.
All remote and hybrid employees are required to have a stable and high-speed internet service provider in place prior to beginning work for ABC. Our distributed work force relies heavily on cloud technologies, Zoom, and other automations to successfully complete our day to day work. The ideal speeds are 30-40 Mbps for downloads and 10-15 Mbps for uploads.
You may be required to use your personal cell phone to access ABC systems remotely.
Authorized to work in the US or Permanent Resident
Background screening required

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in a relevant discipline.
Existing NRCS Technical Service Provider certification.
Experience with Farm Bill conservation programs and incentive-based conservation.
Experience integrating wildlife habitat objectives into grazing systems.
Experience working across multiple states, organizations, or conservation programs.
Strong facilitation, communication, and training skills.
A strong interest in birds and avian conservation.

Responsibilities

Serve as ABC’s Grazing for Birds Program primary technical resource on grazing systems, prescribed grazing, and rangeland ecology across the Great Plains.
Supervise 1-2 program staff in the Southern Great Plains- and report to the Program Leader.
Provide mentorship, coaching, and technical assistance to staff implementing grazing and grassland conservation practices.
Help staff navigate the intersection of ranch management objectives, ecological resilience, and bird habitat needs.
Lead trainings, workshops, and peer-learning opportunities to strengthen staff capacity and consistency across programs.
Develop technical guidance, decision-support tools, and best management practices related to grazing and grassland conservation.
Support staff across the biome in planning and delivering workshops, field days, and producer engagement events that promote conservation programs and effective grazing management.
Maintain an active portfolio of landowners and conservation projects within an assigned geography.
Provide technical assistance to producers on grazing systems that support operational goals, increase resilience, and improve bird habitat quality.
Develop grazing plans and conservation recommendations tailored to individual ranch operations.
Organize and lead local workshops, field days, demonstrations, and landowner events that showcase conservation practices and encourage participation in ABC and partner programs.
Serve as a mentor and resource to colleagues across the Great Plains, helping them develop and deliver similar outreach and educational opportunities in their regions.
Serve as, or become certified as, an NRCS Technical Service Provider.
Work with producers, agency personnel, and conservation partners to implement grazing and grassland conservation practices.

Benefits

medical
dental
flexible spending accounts
employer-matched retirement savings
flexible schedule
Paid vacation days (starting at 15 days annually and increasing to 20 days after 1 year of employment)
paid holidays (including both US holidays and additional ABC holidays)
sick leave
Lodging, meals, and transportation covered for work-related travel away from home where applicable.
Rental vehicle or personal mileage reimbursement where applicable.