Program Associate, Resilient Agriculture & Ecosystems

How to Apply

We are no longer accepting applications for this role.

Role Description

As part of the RAE team, the Program Associate will support the implementation and administration of the Wallace Center’s multiple regenerative agriculture activities in the United States. This position will provide backend support (e.g. project management requirements, scheduling, subcontract administration, meeting notes, etc.) for all programmatic activities, as well as support for communications. (e.g. website updates, social media and blog content development, online community of practice administration, etc.)  

This position offers the opportunity to positively impact agriculture in the country’s largest conventional agriculture regions, thus impacting broader environmental and economic outcomes. The Center is actively building strategies for centering racial and economic equity in our work and seeking candidates eager to forward that mission. The Center is committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourages applications from candidates of color. 

Essential responsibilities will include: 

• Develop and maintain the required program management tools for active RAE grants and other projects.  
• Maintain and manage the administrative requirements for active subcontracts, sub agreements, etc. including scheduling meetings, managing monthly reporting/invoicing, and completing all close-out activities.  
• Oversee the Pasture Project website, RAE social media content, and RAE contributions to Wallace Center communications to ensure effectiveness, including coordinating new content (e.g. blogs, posts, press releases, etc.) and structural changes (as needed) on a consistent basis. 
• Support RAE’s racial and gender equity work, as well Wallace Center’s broader racial and gender equity activities.  
• Support Wallace Center’s Regenerative Ag Idea Network (REGAIN), an online network for agriculture educators – including adding content, maintaining resource libraries, providing support for onboarding of new users, and troubleshoot challenges. 
• Collect and curate relevant articles, audio-visual pieces, published research, decision-support tools, and other relevant resources to support RAE activities, social media postings, and website developments. 
• Provide administrative and logistical support (e.g. scheduling meetings, coordinating event logistics, editing materials, overseeing file management, travel logistics, supplemental research, taking notes, etc.)  
• Assist with monitoring and evaluation activities, including data collection, entry and management. 
• As time in the role increases, expect increasing ownership of certain projects and deliverables appropriate to position title.  
• Complete other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications

The Program Associate is a motivated candidate who is exceptionally talented at multi-tasking on programmatic and administrative tasks. This individual has the focus to handle complex, evolving responsibilities with a high degree of accountability and attention to detail. This includes engaging and managing relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, partners and funders in the agriculture sector. Strong interpersonal skills are needed for this position, as well as the ability to work independently as part of mixed telecommuting and office-based team. The ability to work well in teams on multiple organizational levels is required. An interest in U.S. agriculture and livestock systems is essential for success and familiarity with RAE’s target geographic area is desired.  

This is an entry-level position with room for on-job training and professional development. Candidates who meet most qualifications and experience but not all are still invited and encouraged to apply.    

Education / Experience

BS/BA in agriculture, soil science, animal science, communications, economics, environmental science/policy, rural development, or related field OR at least four years of professional or work experience. 

At least one year of professional, work, or lived experience should be directly in one or more of the following areas:  

• Racial Justice and Equity Program Development: Familiarity with relationship between systemic and structural racism related with agriculture and food systems, including tools for developing and implementing programs to address racial justice and equity.     
• Regenerative Agriculture Systems: Basic knowledge of and/or experience with cropping systems (annual and/or perennial), regenerative farming practices, and triple bottom line outcomes. 
• Values-Based Supply Chains or “Value Chains:” Basic knowledge of and/or experience with practices and practitioners associated with moving food from farms to consumers, including associated business steps and ways to cultivate equity, ownership, and wealth creation.  
• Natural Resource Management: Basic knowledge of and/or experience with conservation and resiliency topics such as ecosystem services, habitat restoration, climate change mitigation/adaptation, etc. 
• Administration: Experience working for a U.S. non-profit organization or similar for-profit entity, including familiarity with managing basic organizational activities, internal relationships, and administrative responsibilities.   
• Communications: Experience generating, disseminating and managing high quality written content and editing for online and traditional media including managing websites (WordPress) and webinars. 
• Communities of Practice: Experience working with diverse audiences and content through online and in-person peer learning networks. 
• Research and Evaluation: Demonstrated ability to aggregate research and data to support unique research or evaluation on a topic or issue. 
• External Relationship Management: Experience positively communicating and working with diverse stakeholders. 

A willingness to learn and grow in all these areas is encouraged, with the Wallace Center providing opportunities for professional development and coaching.  

Skills

• Demonstrated writing skills (English fluency) for published content designed for a variety of audiences and mediums, proposal preparation, reporting and other assigned tasks. 
• Strong time management and organizational abilities for completing detailed administrative, communications, and other assigned tasks. 
• Ability to creatively and consistently drive engagement through online outreach and content development. 
• Excellent interpersonal and speaking (English fluency) skills to work with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders and communities.  
• Takes initiative, self-starter, and self-directed as well as the ability to work effectively in a team. 
• Ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple concurrent tasks. 
• Ability to learn new policies, procedures, and the language of contracts and compliance. 
• Proficiency using Microsoft Office software, including Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.