Position Announcement: Pennsylvania Agriculture Projects Associate

About the Alliance:

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay (Alliance) is a regional nonprofit organization whose vision is clean streams and rivers flowing through resilient landscapes, cared for by the people who live, work, and play in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; and whose mission is to bring together communities, companies, and conservationists to improve our lands and waters. The Alliance was founded in 1971 and has offices in Annapolis, MD, Lancaster, PA, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, VA.

Job Description:

This Pennsylvania-based position will work directly with farmers and landowners on a wide range of water quality improvement projects focused on agricultural best management practices, agricultural community engagement, riparian and upland reforestation, and more. The Pennsylvania Agriculture Projects Associate is a fast-paced, full-time position working under supervision of the Pennsylvania Agriculture Projects Manager to help advance the Alliance’s Agriculture Program in Pennsylvania and throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The position will assist with farmer and partner relations, project management and mapping, payments, invoices, reimbursements and programmatic and financial reporting. This position will involve extensive fieldwork.

Specific Duties of the Position:

• Develop and maintain relationships with farmers, agricultural consultants, contractors, federal and state agencies, corporate partners, soil and water conservation districts, and other industry stakeholders
• Support management of project tasks, contracts, budgets, workloads and grantor reporting obligations. Ensure project deliverables are successfully met.
• Collect and analyze project data to create maps and tools that can facilitate reporting and identification of new opportunities.
• Assist with securing project funding through state, federal, and other grant programs to expand the impact of Pennsylvania-based agricultural projects.
• Support the implementation of agricultural conservation projects from concept to completion, including landowner engagement, partnership facilitation, planning, budgeting, and ensuring long term success.
• Inform communications materials, deliver presentations, and workshops to the general public.
• Recruit, train, and motivate landowners, partners, and volunteers in restoration work.
• As appropriate, participate in internal teams catered toward planning broader organization-wide programmatic work.
• Assist with office administrative tasks and other tasks as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, forestry, natural resources, environmental science, ecology, or a related field.
• 1+ year work experience in the environmental/agriculture sector, which may include internships. An advanced degree in a related field may substitute for one year of professional experience.
• Experience working with farmers or landowners and conducting outreach in support of the implementation of agricultural best management practices.
• Passionate about the organization’s mission, its programs, and individual projects.
• Great time management skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage the tasks of the job itself through balancing needs, and prioritizing tasks when appropriate.
• Excels at managing multiple tasks. Problem-solver, objective decision maker.
• Ability to perform the duties described in this job description at a highly effective level.
• Desire and ability to work independently or as part of a team in a self-directed, small-office environment and to manage priorities and meet deadlines especially during times of peak activity.
• Basic budgeting concepts.
• Experience ESRI ArcMap 10.1+, including ability to produce maps and create/manage spatial data.
• Experience with Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office.

Additional Desirable Expertise, Interests, and Skills:

• Understanding of Pennsylvania ecosystems, flora, and fauna.
• Plant identification, particularly native and invasive species common in PA ecosystems.
• Experience working with a variety of aforementioned stakeholders in a professional setting.
• Knowledge base of Pennsylvania local government structure
• Experience writing newsletters, press releases, articles, or other outreach materials.

The Alliance aspires to be an inclusive multicultural organization that celebrates the rich dimensions of diversity such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious and political beliefs. We are committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion remain integral to our organizational structure, policies, board of directors, staff, strategic goals, grants, partnerships and program delivery. The Alliance believes a broad base of participation and partners reflecting all of society is needed to be successful in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed restoration effort. Visit www.allianceforthebay.org/DEI to learn more.

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay offers a family friendly, flexible work environment. We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. If you meet more than 75% of the qualifications of this description, we encourage you to submit an application.

Supervision: The Associate will report directly to the Pennsylvania Agriculture Projects Manager

Hours and Location: The Agriculture Projects Coordinator is based at the Alliance’s Lancaster, Pennsylvania Office with some ability to work from home. Some night and weekend work may be required. Travel throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed is needed at times. The position is full-time (40 hours per week).

Salary: $42,500+. Competitive benefits are available.

Application: Please email your cover letter, résumé, and list of 3 professional references to careers@allianceforthebay.org no later than Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Indicate “Pennsylvania Agriculture Projects Associate” in the email subject line. No telephone inquiries, please.