Sustainability Field Specialist

Dairy Farmers of America seeks a Sustainability Field Specialist to enhance on-farm sustainability efforts in Kansas City, KS. Responsibilities include managing sustainability projects, advising farms on greenhouse gas reduction, and identifying funding opportunities. Candidates should have a relevant bachelor's degree and experience in sustainability or agriculture. The role requires 25%-50% travel to collaborate with farmers and internal teams, focusing on environmental improvements and profitability.
To support our growing Sustainability work, we are looking for an experienced Sustainability Field Specialist to join our Sustainability team. The Sustainability Field Specialists are responsible for working directly with DFA members and regional staff to advance on-farm sustainability initiatives and manage regional program implementation with a focus on greenhouse gas reduction, soil health, water quality, renewable energy, workforce development, and environmental reporting. In addition, the candidate will help identify customer cost-share and grant funding opportunities to help incentivize farm participation.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:
• Manage on-farm sustainability project implementation across assigned geographies
• Share information with farms on greenhouse gas mitigation activities and other environmental improvement opportunities that will maximize overall farm profitability, agronomic productivity, and/or carbon credit generation
• Communicate grant and cost-share funding opportunities to farmer-owners made available from customer collaborations and/or governmental programs
• Conduct environmental data evaluations and advise/consult with farms on interpreting results for their local context
• Identify farms for sustainability projects and assist with data collection including farm demographic data, soil samples, etc.
• Coordinate with internal DFA teams including DFA Farm Services departments like Farm Supplies, Agronomy, and Energy, and Area Membership / Field Staff teams. This role will also work closely with Technical Service Providers and may help represent DFA farmer-owner interests to external regional partners.
• The requirements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employee, but is not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Other duties may be assigned as required

Requirements:

Requirements

Desired Requirements:

Education and Experience
• Bachelor's degree in environmental Sustainability, Environmental Resource Management, Agronomy/Soil Science, Animal Science, Agricultural Business, or another field appropriate to the area of assignment AND two (2) years of related experience; OR, Any equivalent combination of education and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved
• Food and beverage supply chain experience is preferred; dairy experience is a plus
• Experience in project management, communications, compiling reports, metrics tracking and analysis
• Strong knowledge of current sustainability industry initiatives, terminology, trends, and tools

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Must be willing to travel 25%-50% of the time (2+ weeks per month)
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to clearly communicate detailed information in non-technical language
• Demonstrated experience related to agriculture, soil science, animal agriculture, environmental sustainability, or related discipline(s)
• Strong problem-solving skill set and a continuous improvement mindset
• Strong and demonstrated project management skills pertaining to sustainability data measurement, reporting, and communications
• Good understanding of regenerative agriculture practices, renewable energy generation, workforce development principles, and farm-level economics
• Knowledge of consumer and marketplace trends driving interest in sustainable agriculture
• Exceptional writing and analytical skills
• Ability to work independently
• Must be able to read, write and speak English

An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans

Compensation: $61,000-$87,000/annually