Overview

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our staff helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our staff of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and internationally from our offices in New York; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Santa Monica; San Francisco; Bozeman, Montana; and Beijing.

NRDC is seeking a Regenerative Agriculture Federal Policy Advocate to work with the Regenerative Agriculture team in the D.C. office.  The science is increasingly clear that we cannot stay below the most dangerous climate thresholds without removing significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere.  Regenerating U.S. agricultural soils can help us meet our climate goals, while providing a host of additional benefits, such as increased resiliency, enhanced biodiversity, improved water quality, and strengthened rural economies. The Regenerative Agriculture Federal Policy Advocate will help NRDC develop and implement a strategy to scale up regenerative agriculture through federal legislative and administrative action.  They will work closely with NRDC’s Regenerative Agriculture team, as well as with other NRDC experts on food and agriculture policy, communications, and government affairs.

Responsibilities

• Developing and executing a strategy to promote regenerative agriculture through federal legislative and administrative policy.
• Establishing relationships and representing NRDC in existing relationships with partner organizations, coalitions, and other stakeholders, identifying opportunities for joint advocacy where possible.
• Work with NRDC staff to bring underrepresented constituencies to the national policy discussion, as well as local and state voices to the table from key agricultural states
• Meeting regularly with policymakers, agency staff, and other decision-makers to influence policy outcomes and cultivating policymakers to be legislative champions for NRDC’s regenerative agriculture policy platform.

Qualifications

Required:

• Expertise in federal agricultural policy advocacy.
• Understanding of the historical and emerging issues in agricultural policy.
• Understanding the existing stakeholders who do and untapped stakeholders who can inform agricultural policy.
• Experience with partnership building and developing authentic, trust-based relationships with stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, particularly in the agricultural sector.
• The desire to be a part of a close-knit team, while independently carrying out core job functions.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills.
• A law or graduate degree or equivalent experience.

Desired:

• Willingness to learn new topic areas and rethink assumptions.
• Familiarity with the science of soil carbon sequestration, particularly as it relates to regenerative agriculture.
• Creativity, curiosity, and willingness to listen to others’ perspectives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfort with public speaking.

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming a diversity of voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically underrepresented in the environmental movement. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and commensurate with skills and experience. The job grade for this role is Solves 3, with a salary ranging from a minimum of $105,000 to a midpoint of $120,000. Internal equity considerations and the average salary of the peer range will be reviewed before making a final offer.

To apply, please visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your resume and cover letter through our online portal. We would like you to upload any additional papers or project work that you think would showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of resumes, only qualified candidates will be contacted. Please no phone calls, emails, faxes, or in-person resume drop-offs. Please reference where you saw this posting. NRDC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

If you are having technical difficulty while applying, or if you are a person with a disability and you need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care by dialing 1-800-889-4422.

For further information about NRDC, please visit www.nrdc.org.