Policy Director: Iowa Renewable Fuels Association

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), headquartered in Johnston, Iowa, is seeking qualified applicants to serve as the state-level trade association’s Policy Director. As is common with trade associations, all IRFA staff members are responsible for multiple programs and will be assigned duties not specially outlined in the job description. The Policy Director reports to the Executive Director.

Primary responsibilities include:

Oversee and implement all state policy and regulatory activities with the Iowa Legislature and state agencies (including policy formulation with the IRFA board, direct lobbying, and coordinating contract lobbyists)
Provide support to and implement IRFA’s political and PAC fundraising programs and assist IRFA members with the same
Oversee federal regulatory and technical efforts
Assist the Executive Director with federal policy activities

The successful candidate will have an applicable bachelor’s degree plus a minimum of one to two years of policy or lobbying work experience. Experience with Iowa legislature, state/federal campaigns and/or federal Congress is preferred. Knowledge of the renewable fuels industry and U.S. agriculture is a plus, but not required.

 IRFA will provide a competitive salary and benefit package commensurate with the experience of the successful applicant.

 Questions regarding this opportunity or a cover letter and resume may be sent to Monte Shaw at mshaw@iowarfa.org.

Analyst in Ag Policy - CRS, Washington, DC

Announcement re:  CRS Employment Opportunities from the Library of Congress.

Analyst in Agricultural Policy

CRS has extended the application deadline for the Analyst in Agricultural Policy, GS-14 until August 2, 2018.

Click here for more information.

Unexpected Opportunity to Join LL.M. Program

Each year, the LL.M. Program in Agricultural & Food Law accepts a small number of practicing attorneys and recent law graduates into their full-time residency program in beautiful Fayetteville, Arkansas.

One of the attorneys we accepted for Fall 2018 has had to withdraw, leaving us with one surprise opening. This position includes a Graduate Assistantship, with a full tuition waiver plus a $10,000 stipend. GA duties include networking with LL.M. alumni throughout the world. This is an extraordinary opportunity for a qualified candidate.

If you are a law graduate with an interest in focusing your career on the many new opportunities in agricultural law, sustainability, and food law & policy, please consider joining us. Application information is available on our website and additional information is found our our Program blog.  Our schedule of fall classes is posted on the blog at Announcing Fall 2018 Classes.

Note that in addition to our in-residence program, many attorneys attend the Program via distance. Most of our distance students are attorneys in practice who attend part-time from the convenience of their home or office. Watch our short video, LL.M. Integrated Distance Education for a look at how our classes are conducted.

Feel free to contact me directly with questions -  sas.susan@gmail.com.  Note that this is a JD-required opportunity.

--
Susan A. Schneider
William H. Enfield Professor of Law
Director, LL.M. Program in Agricultural & Food Law
University of Arkansas School of Law

Associate Regional Attorney, Department of Agriculture, USDA

 

                           Associate Regional Attorney, Department of Agriculture, USDA

This position is located in the Little Rock, Arkansas Branch Office of the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), Department of Agriculture. The office is physically located in the Federal Building at 700 West Capitol Street, in Little Rock. The incumbent serves as Associate Regional Attorney and supervises and manages a Branch Office, which, under the direct supervision of the Regional Attorney, provides legal services to field offices of USDA agencies administering programs within a geographical area assigned to the office.

Responsibilities

As a Supervisory General Attorney (Associate Regional Attorney), you will be responsible for the following:

Participates in the interpretation, application, implementation and resolution of legal issues and office policies, and directing, supervising, and participates in the provision of all types of legal services for USDA agencies performing activities in the assigned area. The Associate Regional Attorney also supervises the staff of the Branch Office.

Provides oral and written advice; preparing and reviewing documents; researching and analyzing pertinent law; developing legal theories, tactics and procedures; conducting litigation and litigation-related activities; advising client agencies on dealing with special interest groups; assisting client agencies in negotiations; advising in the development of training programs for client agencies; and ensuring legal support for the operation of programs of the Department within the assigned geographical area.

Interpreting federal, state and local laws; preparing numerous types of legal documents such as deeds, easements, rights-of-way, leases, mortgages, deeds of trust, contracts, subordination agreements, assignments, and powers of attorney; preparing documents for litigation by Assistant United States Attorneys and Department of Justice Attorneys, including complaints, answers, motions, briefs, and memoranda of law, and providing litigation assistance to these attorneys and their staffs, including participating in trials.

Reports to the Regional Attorney who occupies an SES-level position. The incumbent is directly responsible for supervision of office staff and management of the Branch or Regional Office. This includes responsibility for civil rights, fair and unprejudiced employment practices, affinitive action on EEO objectives, training, promotion, awards, and career development.

Directs legal work and activities, supervises Branch or Regional Office staff and manages the resources of the office; is responsible for developing plans, preparing budget requests, establishing internal office procedures, and assigning and evaluating work; provides reports to the Regional Office and senior staff in the Washington Office as requested; ensures that written work is of the highest professional quality and is timely in relation to the issues presented; assures that oral presentations in courts, before public bodies, or in other forums are of high quality; and is responsible for personnel management and practices, equal employment opportunities, recommending promotions and employee selection, and training, motivation, and evaluation of the staff.

Communicates frequently with numerous officials including senior agency field personnel, United States Attorneys and their staffs, senior field officials in other federal departments, the Attorney General and staff for states within the assigned Branch or Regional Office area, members of federal regional councils, client agency constituents including persons and organizations, persons at high management levels in the private sector and their attorneys and persons in interest group organizations and their attorneys. Through these contacts, information is obtained and exchanged, negotiations occur, and the legal basis for client agency decisions is furnished and analyzed.

The position directs the work of GS-14 and GS-15 level attorneys and support staff that may include paralegals, legal assistants and administrative officers. The work of the organization is accomplished through supervision of non-supervisory positions.

Legal advice and opinions issued by the Associate Regional Attorney and by the Branch or Regional Office staff embrace many fields of law, may affect large areas of land, and influence to a significant degree the actions and decisions of agency officials in meeting statutory obligations. Faulty legal advice could result in unlawful actions by agency officials adverse to the statutory purposes for the programs and/or the policies of the Department, and failure to recover substantial amounts on debts due the United States.

 

To view the full posting and to apply, visit the announcement on the USA Jobs board.

 

NW Arkansas Land Trust - Farmland Preservation Coordinator

The Northwest Arkansas Land Trust is hiring a part-time, 30 hours/week Farmland Preservation Coordinator to create a 5-year plan for implementation of a new and comprehensive farmland preservation program. The plan will include business models for farmland preservation, farmer incubation and a farm-link program.

This six month position is grant-funded. Employment continuation and full-time status to be determined at the end of this planning period.

All applications must be received by July 15, 2018. Visit our website to learn more about the position and steps to apply!