Iowa, United States

#LI-HYBRID

#PDN

This is a 2-year remote position (must be located within the Upper Mississippi River Foodscape (NE Iowa, SE Minnesota, SW Wisconsin and NW Illinois) with a strong preference for northeast Iowa), with private funding secured through June 2027 (with possibility for renewal). We expect this position to travel up to 50% of their time, primarily in NE Iowa, SE Minnesota, SW Wisconsin and NW Illinois, with the occasional out of state meeting.

The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world's toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a commitment to diversity and respect for people, communities, and cultures. From a rewarding mission to career development and flexible schedules, there are many reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want to know more? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.

One of TNC's primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe have a sense of belonging and feel that their unique contributions are valued. We know we'll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse staff that reflects the communities in which we work. Recognizing that people bring talent and skills that have been developed outside the scope of a job, we take a holistic approach to recruitment that considers life experience in addition to the professional requirements listed in our postings. Please apply - we'd love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, "you'll join for the mission, and you'll stay for the people."

A shift to a regenerative food system-one that supports resilient farms and supply chains, builds thriving agricultural communities, and positions agriculture as a solution to our most pressing environmental threats-requires that all stakeholders, not just farmers, work together to achieve this transformation. By working with local communities and focusing on the role of science and innovation to strengthen food systems, TNC aims to catalyze the implementation of regenerative practices across our portfolio of global foodscapes that can be a positive force for people and nature.

One such group of stakeholders include agricultural retailers, cooperatives, private sector agronomists, and other agribusinesses that producers in the United States rely heavily on for their agronomic inputs, services, and advice. Collectively, these "farmer advisors" are among the most trusted sources of information for producers and are highly influential in farm management decisions. Therefore, farmer advisors and agribusinesses are critical partners in promoting and enabling successful implementation of on farm conservation practices among their farmer customers if we are to reach our water quality and climate related goals.

The Agribusiness Partnership Specialist will network, build, and strengthen relationships with agricultural retailers and agronomists in the Upper Mississippi River Foodscape, which includes parts of northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, southwest Wisconsin and northwest Illinois, to implement Farmer Advisor priority activities and cultivate new business models to drive regenerative agriculture practices within ag retail and to position farmer advisors and agribusiness as a powerful and effective tool for quickly scaling regenerative ag incentive programs and systems.

The Specialist will work within a highly matrixed, multi-disciplinary team, as well as with external partners and staff across the conservancy. In collaboration with and under the guidance of the Iowa Agriculture Program Director and the North America Farmer Advisor Strategy Manager, the Specialist will be responsible for advancing project activities to meet outcomes, identifying and developing key performance indicators, monitoring and measuring progress, communicating information to stakeholders and ensuring all organizational and divisional standards are met. The Agribusiness Partnership Specialist provides technical leadership and support to the North America Agriculture, Iowa, and Upper Mississippi Foodscape teams by assisting, planning and executing projects in service of our programmatic goals, including pilots and collaborative efforts with ag retailers and other farmer advisors. The Specialist may be responsible for managing contracts, tracking budgets and deliverables, producing reports, meeting planning and facilitation, and may serve as the liaison for external partners and TNC staff.

To be successful in this position, the Specialist must be detail-oriented, highly organized, a good communicator and have experience with and/or knowledge of agriculture, agribusiness, farmer networks/engagement, farmer incentives and technical assistance.

This is a 2-year remote position (must be located within the Upper Mississippi River Foodscape with a strong preference for northeast Iowa), with private funding secured through June 2027 (with possibility for renewal). We expect this position to travel up to 50% of their time, primarily in northeast Iowa, SE Minnesota, SW Wisconsin and NW Illinois, with the occasional out of state meeting.

If you have a passion for conserving and protecting the natural world, addressing climate change and enhancing the sustainability of our food system, join The Conservancy as an Agribusiness Partnership Specialist.

Excellent relationship building and communication skills, ability to self-motivate, creatively problem solve, and to influence without authority are key in this role. Come join TNC and apply today!

• BA/BS degree in conservation, agronomy, sustainability, or a related field and 5 years' experience in natural resource management, project management or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Experience engaging with agribusiness retailers or other farmer advisors.
• Experience negotiating complex agreements;
• Experience communicating with the public and/or media both in writing and verbally;
• Experience using applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Web Browsers;
• Experience with principles of regenerative agriculture practices; and
• Experience engaging or collaborating with non-profit organizations, farmers, agribusiness, and/or government agencies.
• Valid driver's license.
  

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!

TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.

We're proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports of the health and well-being of the people we employ.

This position requires a valid driver's license and compliance with TNC's Auto Safety Program.

Employees may not drive Conservancy-owned/leased vehicles, rental cars, or personal vehicles on behalf of the Conservancy if considered "high risk drivers." To learn more about the Auto Safety Program, visit https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/careers/recruitment/ under the FAQ section.

Employment in this position will be contingent upon completion of a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include a review of the prospective employee's motor vehicle record.

The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $60,000 - $70,000 for annual base salary. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Where a successful candidate's actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate's location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Please note countries outside the USA would have a different pay range in the local currency based on the local labor market, and not tied to USA pay or ranges. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment.

To apply for job ID 56348, submit your materials online by using the Apply Now button at https://careers.nature.org/. Need help applying? Visit our recruitment page or contact applyhelp@tnc.org.

Our recruiting process is a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.

Do you have military experience? Visit our U.S. Military Skills Translator to match your military experience with our current job openings!

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

An attractive salary and benefits package is part of TNC's value proposition to our employees. TNC strives to provide competitive pay and bases salaries on the geographic location of the role committing to being equitable across groups and providing hiring salary ranges when possible.

Since we support flexible and remote work for our employees, many positions have a flexible location within countries where we're registered as a Non-government Organization and established as an employer. This may mean we're unable to provide a hiring salary range in the posting for some of our positions. However, candidates invited to be part of our interview process will be provided their location specific range upon request.