Commons Program Manager | Apply by August 9, 2024
FLSA Classification: Exempt
Hours: Salaried, 30-hour work week across the organization
Salary: $75,000 (plus annual cost of living adjustment)
Benefits: Eligible for full-time benefits including PTO, QSEHRA health care reimbursement, sick days, professional development stipend
Location: 100% remote; occasional travel to attend meetings and events
Reports to: Executive Director
Who we are: Agrarian Trust is dedicated to expanding community ownership of farmland to benefit next-generation farmers. We are inspired by worker self-directed organizations where staff collaborate to create programs and policies to guide them. We have built a staff structure with decision making held by teams in program circles rather than in a hierarchy. We welcome new staff to join us in continuing to evolve our workplace to support democratic decision making and creative collaboration across our small team. Though we are a national organization, we consider ourselves to be community-based in that our work is based on mutual partnerships and led by local communities.
We are hiring a Commons Progam Manager to:
(1) Facilitate community and partner engagement to promote land access
(2) Provide technical assistance and support to farming and landholding partners
(3) Support grassroots organizing, mobilizing communities, and building alliances
We are looking for someone who:
- Initiates projects and sees them through
- Brings their full self and maintains healthy work-life boundaries
- Offers clear and frequent communication and can give and receive feedback
- Builds, tends and mends, and cultivates relationships, and is comfortable navigating conflict
- Loves to learn and is curious about collective ownership and stewardship
- Has an intersectional analysis of systems related to food, agriculture, and the environment
Major Responsibilities
PARTNER ENGAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (40% / ~12 hrs/wk)
- Serving as a liaison between the Agrarian Trust team and local partners with opportunities for shared learning, growth, accountability, and networking
- Assisting with building relationships with farmers, partners, and technical service providers by convening meetings and conducting workshops
- Supporting local partners in developing shared purpose and governance
- Participating in community and partner stewardship training, events, and meetings
- Participating in community engagement and collaborating with our communications team
- Occasionally serve as a spokesperson, speaking at events, on podcasts, and webinars
PARTNER GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION (40% / ~12 hrs/wk)
- Coordinating monthly meetings, workshops, and yearly site visits with farming partners
- Ensuring ownership and stewardship agreements are developed, implemented, and monitored
- Assisting with organizational recordkeeping in coordination with our team and partners
- Supporting partners in building, tending, and mending partner relationships; reaching out for support, mediation, or feedback as necessary
DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY (10% / ~3 hrs/wk)
- Collaborate with the Development Manager to identify and pursue funding opportunities
- Collect and share updates, metrics, and narratives necessary for the Development Manager, Executive Director, and Operations Manager to report on grants
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE (10% / ~3 hrs/wk)
- Participate in staff decision-making, culture-building, and organizational development
- Contribute to ongoing critical discussion and integration of equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism into our operations and project work
Qualifications & Experience (Note: Please consider applying if you meet our required skills.)
REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
- Demonstrated project management skills
- Experience in community engagement and building relationships with diverse stakeholders (educational outreach, capacity-building, etc)
- Background in providing technical assistance related to real estate, conservation, or agricultural land (negotiations, evaluation, etc)
- Demonstrated organizational skills related to recordkeeping and ensuring compliance
- Experience in facilitating workshops and meetings, public speaking, and presenting at events
- Experience in working collaboratively within a team and contributing to a supportive organizational or team culture
DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE (Not required)
- Understanding of real estate transactions, legal negotiations, and due diligence processes
- Experience in grassroots organizing, mobilizing communities, and building alliances for action on land use, agriculture, and environmental issues
- Experience with and interest in participating in a democratic and non-hierarchical workplace
- Experience contributing to organizational growth and strategic planning
- Experience advocating for land justice, equitable land access, sustainable development practices, and supporting policies that promote these goals
- Professional working proficiency in a language spoken among our partners (Spanish, French, Kiswahili, Arabic)
Desired Location & Remote Work
We are an all-remote team. Staff members must embody proactive communications and this position will engage with the team in all U.S. time zones. This position requires access to high-speed internet and a reliable phone. A new work computer will be provided. This position will collaborate closely with our Commons team. While we have a preference for an East Coast time zone for this position, we welcome candidates from across the U.S. to apply.
To Apply
Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis until August 9, 2024. We hope to fill the position by September 1, 2024. To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and three references to [email protected]
Agrarian Trust works toward practicing the relational culture that we support in our projects and is developing greater participatory governance. Staff have opportunities to create agreements that define our mutual expectations and create supportive spaces for all of us to work in. We encourage people of color, people from working-class backgrounds, people with disabilities, women, transgender, and gender-nonconforming people to apply.