Wilding Manager

JOB TITLE:

Wilding Manager – Wisconsin

Location: SW Wisconsin
Reports to: Wilding Director
Team: Land and Business

MAD AGRICULTURE

At Mad Agriculture, our mission is to create a regenerative revolution in agriculture. Our day-in, day-out work is focused on helping farmers and ranchers transition to and thrive in regenerative and organic agriculture. We provide stewards with land & business support, and through our sister companies, access to equitable and innovative financing and values-aligned markets. We also tell the story of regeneration using a variety of communication approaches that often include collaborations within our community so that we can collectively build the regenerative revolution. 

Mad Ag is a fast-paced, action-oriented startup nonprofit organization seeking exemplary individuals committed to the revolution. Our culture is entrepreneurial and deeply rooted in a commitment to creating services and products that meet the deepest needs of the farmers and land that we serve. We have a robust commitment to both inner and outer work, which is critical for embodying the principles of regenerative leadership. We are headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, with staff across the country.

ROLE

The Wilding Manager is a frontline member of Mad Agriculture’s Wilding team, working directly with farmers and landowners in the Driftless Region to build the patient, trust-based relationships that convert interest in Wilding into projects on the ground. This is a rare opportunity to be at the ground floor of a pioneering pilot that is testing a new model for how conservation can scale through economic coherence and community coordination. Our pilot is starting in the Driftless Region and building outward.

The Wilding program brings together vision, science, partnership, and field implementation. This role lives primarily at the field level: developing deep roots with individual landowners, moving projects through the full lifecycle from first conversation to long-term stewardship, and feeding ground-truth intelligence back into program strategy. We are looking for someone who has enough experience to work independently, hold complexity, and push back when the model needs refining based on what they are seeing on the ground.

The Wilding Manager works ‘boots on the ground’, actively  meeting and recruiting farmers, designing land management plans, forming agreements (i.e. MOUs, SOWs), and oversees projects from formation to completion. As needed, they do the field work and work closely with other partners, functioning as a “general contractor”, coordinating the workflows of contractors (i.e. ecological practitioners and implementation coordinators) to get work done. Just as importantly, this role contributes to building the community-scale coordination infrastructure that makes isolated field-scale projects into a durable, connected network. That shift, from practice to network, is the heart of Wilding’s theory of change.

CORE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Working with Farmers and Landowners – 70%

• Build trust-based relationships with farmers and landowners across the Driftless Region, meeting producers where they are in their interest in and capacity for Wilding.
• Conduct individualized farm assessments to identify marginal, sub-profitable acres using spatial data, soil surveys, yield maps, and on-farm observations that are strong candidates for perennial systems and habitat reconstruction.
• Support farm-level financial analysis during onboarding and adoption, translating project choices into clear dollar-based risk/reward scenarios for individual farm businesses and speaking directly, confidently, and creatively about acre use, economics, and adoption pathways.
• Work with landowners to co-create Wilding plans for their marginal acres, translating ecological opportunity into something that makes economic sense for their operation.
• Provide technical guidance on perennial system design and establishment, including high-diversity native seed mixes, prairie and savanna reconstruction, silvopasture integration, and grazing systems.
• Act as project manager or “general contractor” to coordinate contractors, ecologists, agronomists, and partner organizations needed to execute Wilding plans.
• Connect landowners to funding mechanisms, including USDA programs (CRP, EQIP), state cost-share options, and emerging ecosystem service markets, that make Wilding economically viable without requiring farmers to privately finance a public benefit.
• Support landowners through the full project lifecycle, from first conversation through installation, establishment, and long-term monitoring and adaptive management.
• Facilitate peer learning, field days, and community events that build social momentum and normalize Wilding in the Driftless farming community.

Building Community-Scale Coordination – 15%

• Help identify and map where marginal acres across neighboring farms begin to align: drainageways that trace through multiple fields, flood-prone corridors that connect across fence lines, and work with landowners to act on those patterns together.
• Support the development of shared stewardship agreements, cooperative grazing arrangements, joint funding applications, and other mechanisms that allow neighbors to coordinate corridor management across property lines.
• Build and maintain relationships with key regional partners including within the Southern Driftless Grasslands partnership, conservation districts, NRCS, land trusts, watershed councils, conservancies, DNR, and allied organizations whose work and relationships are central to making the Wild Grid real.
• Help identify and engage downstream stakeholders and institutional partners including municipalities, utilities, and food companies whose connection to the landscape is the foundation of durable Wilding finance.

Internal Leadership & Team Engagement — 10%

• Track and evaluate project outcomes including acres identified, projects installed, funding secured, farmer relationships, and corridor connections made, to support grant reporting, fundraising, and program learning.
• Contribute field observations, lessons learned, and independent perspective to actively shape Wilding’s ongoing development as a pilot and as a replicable model.
• Collaborate with the Wilding team and the broader Mad Ag Land & Business team on cross-regional strategy and movement-building.
• Collaborate with the Media team to ensure stories of Driftless farmers and Wilding projects are told across Mad Ag’s channels.
• Maintain a learner’s mindset, staying current with relevant science, conservation finance, and Driftless-specific agricultural and ecological trends.

Mad Team Responsibilities – 5%

Actively contribute to a thriving team culture leading with generosity, respect, kindness, and adherence to our Community Guidelines. Steward the internal systems and relationships that foster collaboration and progress toward our North Star goals. This includes timely updates to systems (Calendar, Slack, Pipedrive, Asana, etc.), active listening and clear and consistent communication. Participate in team meetings, culture-building, and professional development as appropriate to the role.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent preferred; background in ecology, agronomy, environmental science, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in ecological or agricultural technical assistance, conservation, perennial systems, or a closely related field, with direct experience working with farmers or landowners. Enough experience to bring a strong point of view and the confidence to use it.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity; Wilding is an emerging program and the right person will be energized by helping to define it, not unsettled by the lack of a complete playbook.
• Familiarity with perennial system design and establishment including native prairies, silvopasture, and agroforestry systems, and comfort discussing the ecological and agronomic rationale for each.
• Ability to identify marginal acres using spatial analysis tools, soil surveys, GIS, and/or yield data.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and lasting relationships with diverse farmers and landowners; comfort working in agricultural communities.
• Strong project management skills; able to coordinate multiple partners, timelines, and logistics across a distributed geography.
• Familiarity with USDA conservation programs (CRP, EQIP, RCPP) and conservation funding mechanisms preferred.
• Current USDA Technical Service Provider (TSP) certification is strongly preferred. Candidates who are not currently certified TSPs will be required to obtain certification upon hiring.
• Knowledge of the Driftless Region’s ecology, agriculture, hydrology, and community strongly preferred; candidates with existing roots and relationships in SW Wisconsin will be given strong preference.
• Experience facilitating peer learning, field days, or community events.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting to farmers, partners, and funders.
• Organized, self-motivated, and collaborative with a positive and entrepreneurial attitude.
• Ability to travel regularly throughout the Driftless Region and surrounding area.

COMPENSATION, LOCATION, AND REPORTING

This full time, salaried role reports to the Wilding Director and sits on the Land and Business team. Mad Ag’s headquarters are in Boulder, CO, however this position must reside in Wisconsin and strong preference will be given to candidates with roots and network in Wisconsin. This position is fully remote. At this time, we are not considering providing relocation packages. 

Travel expectations include visiting farms across SW Wisconsin and surrounding region, Summer and Winter team retreats, and opportunities for conferences and events. 

• Estimated regional travel (i.e., day trips or single overnights) ~ 40%
• Estimated national travel (i.e., multi-day trips) ~ 5%

We offer unlimited PTO, healthcare, and 401k benefits. Salary ranging from $70,000-$85,000 based on experience and ability. Application deadline is April 24th, 2026, please apply here. The anticipated start date is early June, 2026. 

Mad Agriculture is an equal opportunity employer. We support, empower, and uplift each and every one of our team and community members regardless of background. Our organization deeply values a diverse workplace, and we strongly encourage women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. Even if you think you may not meet all of the requirements, we encourage you to apply if you are excited to learn. We are committed to fostering a safe environment that is free of discrimination and harassment, and where all team members can bring their full selves to work. We hold ourselves accountable to ensuring justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of our team, internal structures, and programming.