Southeast Grazing Mentor Manager

Who We AreAmerican Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.5 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and helped thousands of farm families make a go of it (primarily through programs that increase farm viability and/or enhance farmland access). Long a pioneering leader, AFT is now riding a new wave of growth, driven by agriculture’s most pressing needs and opportunities.We believe diversity drives innovation. We are inclusive. We embrace differences. We recognize and respect the fundamental value and dignity of all our employees. We celebrate the unique traditions, heritages, and experiences our employees bring to the workplace. We are committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive culture that promotes and values diversity, and where everyone feels empowered to bring their authentic selves to work every day. The Southeast Grazing Mentor Manager will engage with and support the climate-smart beef mentor program outreach and training efforts with state mentor coordinators in AL, GA, and MS. The manager will support producer and partner outreach in these states and assist with communications material development. They will also help arrange and develop training and educational opportunities for cattle-mentors and mentees and ensure that state mentor coordinators submit appropriate reporting documents for the mentorship program. The mentor manager will also oversee producer direct payment program and coordinate these efforts with state mentor coordinators and a payment review committee in the Southeast. Will also consult with local/regional market, non-profit, and underserved-serving organizations to leverage resources and expand collaborative project impact.

What You’ll Be Working On

• Collaborate with national team to identify knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as responsibilities of state mentor coordinators
• Collaborate with national team to develop curriculum, identify potentially needed training and training resources for state mentor coordinators and mentors, and collaborate to provide or source training
• Partner with Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) lead organizations, and Historically Black Colleges and universities, to help identify potential producers
• Identify, onboard, and help train mentor coordinators
• Develop and implement mentor application, program outreach, selection, and training efforts, with state mentor coordinators
• Identify, onboard and support training of producer mentors in collaboration with mentor coordinators
• Assist in the development and implementation of mentee and partner outreach
• Assist with communications material development
• Arrange and develop training and educational opportunities and peer-to-peer/mentoring network and practice implementation resource access for producer mentors and their producer mentee networks
• Ensure that state mentor coordinators submit appropriate reporting documents for mentorship program, and lead capacity building of mentors to enable certification of some new NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) Technical Service Providers
• Oversee producer enrollment, providing assistance on United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) applications
• Oversee USDA reporting of enrolled producer data and other USDA-required reporting
• Provide assistance across grazing management software by enrolled producers as needed for project reporting, quantification work, and improved operation management network
• Oversee producer direct payment program and coordinate these efforts with state mentor coordinators and a payment review committee
• Laise with local/regional market, non-profit, and underserved-serving organizations to leverage resources and expand collaborative project impact, such as on practice system adoption and access by diverse producers to markets for climate smart products
• Contribute expertise and collaboration on other aspects of the primary funded project, and engage in other AFT projects to contribute expertise, as needed
• Contribute to strategy, gaps, and next actions development to enable fundraising for scaling up of impact and/or funding continuation of mentoring networks beyond the current 5-year grant
• Disseminate results and updates professionally and confidently from the project through public facing presentations

Requirements The Southeast Grazing Mentor Manager must be a highly motivated and entrepreneurial problem solver. They should be personable and eager to work with diverse audiences and other clientele. The ideal candidate will have existing connections within the farming community and will have experience working with livestock or beef and with diverse populations. Excellent communication skills (meeting facilitation, phone, writing, partner relations), record keeping, and task management are essential to the position. The potential candidate must have knowledge skills and abilities in the following areas:

• Have some livestock experience with understanding of regenerative grazing systems
• Strong compassion and empathy – Diversity Equity Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) training and/or experience and desire to drive positive DEIJ impact
• Both an independent and proactive worker and team member who will complete deliverables in both individual deliverable and broadly collaborative deliverable settings on time
• Flexible and willing to grow and contribute skills as needed to a growing and changing team
• Supervisory skills and team-oriented leadership and management experience
• Have the ability to build and manage the mentor network. Managing mentor coordinators and producer mentors
• Experience building networks and managing networks through being (primarily remote)
• Experience with curriculum design and implementation (mentor and mentor coordinator training)
• Comfortable with finances and contracting
• Experience with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation planning and contracting is highly desirable, minimally must have willingness to learn and be available to the network to help producers enroll in project
• Experience with developing and building communities of practice – This position will be playing a KEY role in developing the mentor network (producer mentors across all states will engage to learn from each other and from trainings, each mentor will develop and maintain a local peer-network of mentee producers who support each other in a transition to soil health promoting, resilient, climate smart beef production)
• Ability to develop systems for deploying micro-grants and implement selection criteria
• Ability to communicate in an engaging and clear manner to a variety of audiences
• Highly organized with excellent communication skills and the ability to juggle, navigate, and deliver on time
• Knowledge and understanding of USDA farm bill programs and experience with helping producers with materials towards applications
• Experience using customer relationship management (CRM) is optional

Expectations

• Experience working with diverse clientele.
• Live within the region: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi
• Minimal travel required, anticipate 30% which includes:
• 6 overnights per year
• 40 total travel days SE
• 25 producer visits and 5 regional workshops per year (SE Region)
• Remote work environment

Education & Experience At least 6 years of professional experience, working on or with farms related to land stewardship or land management positions or a college degree in Agriculture, Natural Resources or a related field may be substituted for up to 4 years of work experience.

Compensation

The salary ranges from $65,000- $70,000 for full-time employees, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

American Farmland Trust offers a complete benefits package:

• 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)
• 401(k) with 10% match after six months of employment
• Sick Leave: Regular full-time employees accrue 3.5 hours per pay period (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
• Holidays: The Company observes eleven holidays during the year (all offices closed): plus, choice of 3 other floating holidays depending on hiring date

Timeline

While applications will be accepted and reviewed until the position is filled, applicants who apply with a resume and cover letter will be reviewed first.

Why you should apply:

• Be a part of a purpose-driven, committed, knowledgeable, high-performing, experienced and fun team
• A diverse and inclusive work environment
• A cause and mission you can be proud of
• Competitive compensation & benefits
• Remote work opportunities
• Flexible scheduling

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, expression or identity, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, American Farmland Trust complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which we have facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

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