MN Precision Ag & Conservation Specialist – Southwest Minnesota

Description: In partnership with the Natural Resource Conservation Service NRCS and Pheasants Forever you will be part of a passionate and dynamic team that works with farmers, ranchers, and private landowners to find conservation solutions for working lands, helping to deliver our habitat mission. You will help increase awareness and understanding of how data-driven, targeted, on-farm conservation activities can increase profitability and sustainability through improved conservation stewardship. You will have the ability to work closely with a wide variety of individuals and partners focusing on agricultural lands within western Minnesota. This effort will provide you with an opportunity to identify where voluntary conservation adoption can increase profitability of agriculture operations and make significant contributions to habitat within the prairie pothole region of Minnesota. You will be a Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever employee based out of a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center with regular travel within a ten-county coverage area. Overnight travel will be required. The candidate will work from a USDA service center in the zone shown on the map.  Priority will be given to candidates who are able to work out of the Renville, or St. James locations. Telework is allowable ten percent of the time or as negotiated between office staff and manager. 

Essential Job Duties:

• Understand and relay how the use of economic information and precision data can be used to develop profitable conservation solutions on working lands.
• Lead in the recruitment of farmers interested in conservation solutions.
• Work cooperatively with Farm Bill Biologists to facilitate voluntary program identification, enrollment, and implementation.
• Possess a working knowledge of data collection, management and software platforms to conduct and interpret analyses of precision data and economic inputs to calculate Return on Investment (ROI) and profitability at a sub-field level.
• Increase coordination and efficiency in implementing voluntary conservation programs by fostering trust and credibility among farmers and the broader agriculture industry.
• Create and deliver education and outreach activities and events to promote voluntary conservation opportunities with agricultural producers and trusted advisor audiences.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Initiative to make initial contacts, cold calls and develop new relationships using various methods.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently without direct supervision with diverse clientele.
• Customer relations and interpersonal skills, ability to communicate challenges and success with team members, supervisor, and partners.
• Demonstrated knowledge of modern farm equipment and techniques, technology, agronomic and conservation practices common to the region.
• Commitment to maintain high standards and address issues in a timely, professional manner.
• Experience with ArcGIS with the ability to import and export data, create, and edit shapefiles to create professional looking maps is preferred.
• Valid driver’s license required; Use of personal vehicle required (mileage reimbursement provided);
• The ability to obtain USDA Federal Security Clearance.

Education and Experience Guideline: Applicants for this position should possess a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources or Wildlife Management, Precision Agriculture, Agronomy, Ag Systems Technology, Ag Business, or other related field.  Candidates with an Associate degree and two or more years of relevant experience will be considered.