Ag Lands Program Director - Oregon Agricultural Trust, Salem, Oregon

The Oregon Agricultural Trust (OAT) is seeking an experienced, passionate Ag Lands Program Director to help establish OAT's farm and ranch land conservation program and technical assistant program. Position duties include conserving ag land in priority areas of the Willamette Valley, working with the Executive Director to identify and build community partnerships in new priority regions, stewarding and monitoring conserved farms and ranches, providing technical assistance on working land preservation to other organizations, and leading OAT's new Ag Lands Committee of the Board.

Oregon Agricultural Trust (OAT) is a new, statewide land trust that partners with Oregon farmers and ranchers to protect and pass on their land for future generations. Columbia Land Trust is OAT's fiscal sponsor while its 501(c)(3) status is pending.

Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday, March 9, 2020. Submit a resume a cover letter in one pdf to Nellie McAdams, Executive Director, via email to jobs@oregonagtrust.org. Please refer any questions to this email address as well.

POSITION DESCRIPTION
Status: Full-time (exempt). Employee of OAT, not our fiscal sponsor.
Compensation: Starting salary $60,000 – 65,000 plus benefits, DOE.
Reports to: Oregon Agricultural Trust’s Executive Director
Direct reports: None currently, anticipating 1-2 future reports within 3
years.

The Ag Lands Program Director is the first member of OAT’s Ag Lands team.
Responsibilities include:

Land Protection
•       Identifying, developing, and completing ag land protection projects,
primarily in priority areas of the Willamette Valley.  This includes:
landowner outreach, project assessment, negotiation and closing, meeting
state/federal tax requirements, and preparing baseline documentation;
•       Identifying and pursuing grants and other funding for: land and
conservation easement acquisitions, outreach and prospecting, and (in some
cases) general operating support;
•       Developing and sustaining partner and landowner relationships; and
•       Leading and coordinating the Ag Lands Committee, which reports to
OAT’s Board.

Program Development
•       Participating in strategic planning, conservation planning, and
communications planning; and
•       Preparing maps and data to inform planning, outreach, land protection
projects, and stewardship efforts.

Stewardship and Enforcement
•       Conducting monitoring and stewardship activities until OAT has
sufficient acquisitions to justify stewardship staff; and
•       Leading the resolution of easement violations and interpretation
disagreements.

Generally
•       Working cooperatively with colleagues, Directors, and Committee
members;
•       Staying current on local, regional, and national land trust topics and
issues; and
•       Ensuring compliance with land protection and stewardship policies and
procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS
•       5-8 years land conservation experience;
•       Bachelor’s degree;
•       Understanding of the methods and best practices for ag land
conservation and stewardship;
•       Passion for agricultural land, its preservation, and agricultural
communities;
•       Excitement for developing a new program at a new land trust, and
openness to making program adjustments based on new experience and
information;
•       Interested in participating in all aspects of ag land preservation and
access by the next generation. Willing to assist other staff when needed;
•       Experienced user of Microsoft office suite, ArcGIS and GPS technology;
•       Valid driver’s license and a vehicle that can be used for nearby
business travel; and
•       Must be able to walk over rough terrain and to lift up to 50 lbs, as
needed.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
•       Track record of successful project management;
•       Track record of identifying, developing, and closing agricultural
conservation easements and/or fee acquisitions.  Able to manage multiple
projects and competing priorities;
•       Track record of resolving conservation easement violations or similar
conflict resolution;
•       Experience building and sustaining partnerships with other
organizations;
•       Strong strategic thinking abilities;
•       Experience developing and implementing conservation, strategic, or
other organizational plans and policies;
•       Strong spoken and written communications skills;
•       Ability to communicate well with and gain the trust of agricultural
landowners;
•       Willingness to work with people from diverse backgrounds;
•       Flexible, creative, self-starter; and
•       Highly organized, detail-oriented, and adept at prioritizing tasks.

WORKING CONDITIONS
•       OAT’s office is in Salem, OR. Remote work and flexible working
arrangements can be negotiated.
•       As necessary, must be able to work before/after normal business hours
and some weekends.
•       Frequent automobile travel throughout Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and
approximately monthly travel to other regions of the state; some overnight
travel.
•       While most position responsibilities are conducted by computer,
outdoor walking will be required for site visits and stewardship and
monitoring activities.

Public Health Law Center - Mitchell Hamline Law School St. Paul, MN

The Public Health Law Center at Mitchell Hamline Law School in St. Paul, Minnesota has several openings on their team. While some of the position-descriptions may request applications by January 31, they will consider applications up until February 14, 2020. The positions include two for senior staff attorney, a policy analyst, research assistants, a communications specialist and an administrative assistant. This link provides more information about each of the positions available.

Mitchell Hamline School of Law is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, veteran/military status, disability or handicap, age, sexual orientation, status with regard to public assistance, or any other protected class status. Members of marginalized and underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Staff Attorney for the Native American Agriculture Law Center

Staff Attorney for the Native American Agriculture Law Center at Farmers' Legal Action Group
Application Period Closes March 6, 2020

The Native American Agriculture Law Center (NAALC) is a national program of the Farmers' Legal Action Group (FLAG) serving Native American farmers, ranchers, fishers, their communities, and their advocates. The Staff Attorney will handle legal issues relating to Native American agriculture by responding to calls on NAALC's national free legal assistance hotline; representing individual Native Americans (including groups, such as grazing associations) in agriculture-related administrative hearings, appeals, and non-litigation legal matters; assisting partner organizations in the analysis and development of effective public policy, programs, and regulations; authoring, creating, or updating relevant legal educational materials and publications; traveling to Indian reservations and communities to hold educational meetings on laws, regulations, government programs, discrimination, and other legal issues; providing legal training and support to farmers, ranchers, fishers, and agriculture-related advocates and organizations.

Applications will be accepted until March 6, 2020. The Staff Attorney could work from FLAG's St. Paul office or potentially work remotely. For more information, please see the job description<https://tinyurl.com/rq64vrl>.

Rural Coalition: Policy and Advocacy Coordinator

Rural Coalition is Hiring a Policy and Advocacy Coordinator

Washington, D.C.

Organizational Summary:

The Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural is an alliance of farmers, farmworkers, indigenous, migrant and working people from the United States, Mexico, and beyond working together since 1978 toward a new society that values unity, hope, people, and the land.

With our strong roots in the movements for human, civil, indigenous, and farmworker rights, Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural members share the belief that rural communities everywhere can have a better future and that community-based organizations who have long served the needs of rural communities and people have a fundamental role in building that future. Investments in their work will provide important returns to our
economy, our ecology, and our society.

Key Duties:

We seek a dedicated Policy and Advocacy Coordinator to join our team, working
with our senior policy leaders, staff team and members. The qualified
candidate should
support our organizational mission with a commitment to social justice and
equity, an
attention to detail, and demonstrated ability to serve our constituency.
• The successful candidate will work with our members, our leaders and our
allies
to ensure that the voices of diverse farmers, ranchers, farmworkers and
indigenous and rural peoples are reflected to secure short- and long-term
changes in federal agriculture and food policy.
• The Policy and Advocacy Coordinator will coordinate policy and advocacy
work across the Coalition’s principle areas of focus.
• The ideal candidate is a strategic policy advocate, coalition builder, and
experienced relationship and network manager, who is passionate about equity
and justice and grounded in the food, farm, and/or farmworker movements, with
a deep understanding of rural and land-based, people of color, and indigenous
community issues.

The position will be housed at the Rural Coalition office in Washington DC and
supervised by the Executive Director.

Job Responsibilities:

The Coordinator will work with the senior policy staff team, and our
grassroots farm
policy leadership team to motivate our members to engage and build a
comprehensive
food and farm policy agenda, and in coordination with our allies in the
progressive farm
movement, to strategically advocate that agenda at the legislative and
administrative
level.

See full job description here: https://www.ruralco.org/working-at-ruralco.

Benefits and Compensation:

Full time position based in Washington, DC. Salary for this position in the
high fifties based on qualifications and experience.
Compensation also includes: medical and dental insurance (full for employee,
80% for children, up to 50% for spouse/partner), paid vacation and holidays,
sick leave, Simple IRA with employer match of up to 3% of salary, and employer
paid life and short and long
term disability insurance.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit a single PDF containing a cover letter,
resume, and
writing samples to working@ruralco.org with a subject line containing POLICY
COORDINATOR.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled,
with priority
for those received by February 7. No phone calls please.

Nutrition Policy and Research Analyst, Food Research & Action Center

Nutrition Policy and Research Analyst Position Available

The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) seeks a highly motivated individual to carry out research, analysis, writing, and policy advocacy focused on healthy eating, nutrition quality, food insecurity, and other matters at the intersection of nutrition access, health and obesity prevention for low-income individuals and families, especially as related to federally funded nutrition programs. This position affords a wide range of opportunities for a talented researcher, analyst and advocate.  The position will report to the Director of Nutrition Policy.

Organizational Background

FRAC is the leading national nonprofit organization working to improve and
implement effective public policies and public-private partnerships to
eradicate hunger and undernutrition in the United States. FRAC engages in
research, policy analysis and advocacy, coalition-building, outreach,
technical assistance and training, and an array of communications strategies.
FRAC works in partnership with hundreds of national, state and local nonprofit
organizations, public agencies, corporations and labor organizations to
address hunger and food insecurity, and poverty as their root cause.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide expertise on healthy eating, nutrition quality, food
• insecurity, and other matters at the intersection of nutrition access, health
• and obesity prevention for low-income individuals and families;
• Conduct an ongoing review and evaluation of relevant research and
• data, maintain a comprehensive library of references, and effectively utilize
• the research to support FRAC’s policy, regulatory, legislative, and advocacy
• efforts;
• Analyze and disseminate information regarding the value of SNAP, the
• Child Nutrition Programs and WIC in supporting good nutrition, health,
• learning, and economic security;
• Engage in activities to educate FRAC’s partners, the broader
• nutrition, health, and anti-obesity community, and the public on the
• connections between poverty, health, food insecurity, and obesity, and the
• value of the federal nutrition programs;
• Provide training and technical assistance to state and local anti-
• Actively engage in FRAC’s work on screening for and addressing food
• insecurity in health care settings;
• Support the development of policy proposals for healthy eating,
• nutrition access and nutrition improvements in the federal food programs; and
• Research and write reports and policy briefs, as well as create
• materials and tools for the website, e-newsletters, social media, and other
• communications for effective dissemination of information to FRAC’s network
• and the broader public.

Skills and Qualifications

• Advanced degree in relevant area such as nutrition, public policy, public health, sociology or anthropology;
• Four or more years of experience;
• Excellent written and communication skills;
• Expertise in obesity prevention, healthy eating and nutrition quality;
• Knowledge of the federal nutrition programs and an understanding of food insecurity and poverty and their impact on communities;
• Proficient in statistical analysis;
• Ability to work collaboratively and individually, to stay on task, and
• to meet deadlines; and
• Commitment to working for social justice.

Salary/Benefits
Salary commensurate with experience. Generous leave, health, retirement and
other benefits.

To Apply
Send resume, cover letter, and two writing samples (no more than four pages)
to:

Nutrition Policy and Research Analyst
Food Research and Action Center
1200 18th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036

Email: employment@frac.org (Please include “Nutrition Policy and Research
Analyst” in the subject line.)

Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) - Food Safety Campaign Manager, Washington, D.C.

Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is seeking to expand its food safety team. Since 1971, CSPI has fought on behalf of consumers for a safer and healthier food system, leading efforts to win passage of many national, state and local policies to protect and enhance food safety, including the Food Safety Modernization Act, Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act, and Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act.

Our current work includes efforts to strengthen response to outbreaks through improved detection, traceability, and recall effectiveness, as well as policies to prevent contamination of produce, meat and poultry, and manufactured foods and ultimately reduce rates of foodborne illness.

The ideal candidate for this position would have education and work experience that combines scientific expertise in a field related to food safety (e.g., MS/PhD in microbiology, epidemiology, veterinary medicine, or nutrition), policy (MPH/MPP), or law (JD/LLM) with significant public policy experience. This position reports to the Deputy Director of Regulatory Affairs and is located in our Washington, DC office.

 Learn more about the position at: https://cspinet.org/job/campaign-manager-food-safety

Center for Ecoliteracy - California Food for Kids

The Center for Ecoliteracy is seeking candidates for a Statewide Program Coordinator for our California Food for California Kids® initiative.

This position maintains key relationships with school districts and allied organizations across the state, cultivating, supporting, and sustaining active implementation of our California Food for California Kids programming. The ideal candidate will be adept at managing professional relationships and will enjoy periodic travel throughout California.

Click here to see the job post.

Please send a cover letter with your resume to jobs@ecoliteracy.org

Farm Commons

Farm Commons posted the following job notice:

We are welcoming a new part-time team member to join our close-knit group. The Legal and Community Research Associate Position offers individuals a powerful opportunity to remake farm business law as a force by and for our nation’s farmers, with a focus on the most innovative and direct to consumer operations. To build that future, we need someone with sharp legal research and community research skills, and who gets excited about convincing others to be a part of something big. If that sounds like you, please apply. Let us know in the cover letter why and how this opportunity is right for you.

Farm Commons is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers farmers to create solutions to their business law needs, within a community of support. We do this by fostering education, leadership development, and community-based problem solving. We work as a small but mighty team of remote staff who wake up each day ready to empower sustainable farmers nationwide to build resiliency through the law.

Position Description:

If successful, the Legal and Community Research Associate will achieve the following:

1. Conduct community research programs that result in identification of opportunities to resolve persistent barriers to farm business resilience, while developing effective partnerships able to carry out the resolution into the future.
2. Contribute to the development of participatory legal education and research as a concept by developing and implementing nontraditional programs for gathering and analyzing legal information and knowledge with community and business stakeholders.
3. Strengthen Farm Commons’ service to the community by identifying community needs and mobilizing people and partnerships to address those needs.

In order to achieve the above results, the Legal and Community Research Associate will do the following:

1. Engage in extensive community outreach to recruit and lead participants, partners, and stakeholders for collaborative research projects.
2. Plan and conduct focus groups and other feedback activities; conduct market-based research including client and partner interviews to better understand the community’s intersection with legal issues.
3. Conduct legal and community research, which may include reading statutes, regulations, and case law, gathering and reading contracts, consulting secondary sources, interviewing expert attorneys, and coordinating with the Staff Attorney as necessary.
4. Work with the Executive Director to design project deliverables including white papers, guides, and strategy documents; write resulting resources and coordinate with the Staff Attorney as necessary to complete writing; coordinate with Farmer and Partner Development Manager to achieve outreach on deliverables.
5. Align our work within the broader scholarship on community based and participatory legal research as a whole; align our work within the legal education market as a whole.
6. Assist in the design and implementation of projects under the direction of the Executive and Associate Directors; document and facilitate program progress in the organization’s project management system.

Qualifications:

Qualified candidates will possess the following:

1. Associate, undergraduate, or professional degree in a law-related field, including but not limited to a paralegal degree, law degree, or masters in legal studies as well as proficiency in legal research, analysis, and writing.
2. Detailed experience in community-based research including surveys, focus groups, interviews and other methods of receiving input from communities, in the context of business/market research, community organizing/advocacy, or member services.
3. Educational background or experience in agriculture, farming, and food systems.
4. Proven ability to take initiative in developing programs that are goal-focused, results-oriented, and replicable with limited oversight.
5. Substantial, demonstrated skills in assembling effective coalitions and partnerships from among diverse stakeholders such as attorneys, advocates, land owners, small business owners, and industry representatives.
6. Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to clearly and confidently deliver persuasive content and conduct workshop-style instruction.

Compensation:

Farm Commons posted the following announcement:  

This is a half time, 20-hour per week position at a pay rate of $26 per hour. Benefits also provided.

Successful candidates may be from any location in the lower 48 states, but a preference will apply to Midwest-based candidates.

Occasional travel will be required, including overnight stays of 2 nights or more around the country.

How to Apply:

To apply for this position, please send a cover letter and resume to Rachel Armstrong, rachel@farmcommons.org by February 14, 2020. Cover letters must detail whether and how the applicant meets the 6 qualifications stated. Letters should not exceed 5 pages in length. Please submit both the letter and the resume together as a single pdf document. Please write Legal and Community Research Associate into the subject line of your email submission. Confirmation of receipt will be sent within 3 days, but not after the deadline.