Project Coordinator for Regenerative & Climate Smart Agriculture at Sustainable Food Lab (remote in US)

The Sustainable Food Lab (SFL) helps create the sustainable food system of the future by turning ideas into action. Founded in 2004 and located in Hartland, Vermont, the Food Lab staff works domestically and internationally to:

• Facilitate pre-competitive collaborations to address large-scale challenges in the food system across regions and sectors;

• Offer professional development through systems leadership training and immersive events;

• Build and utilize tools for quantifying impacts and implementing best practices; and

• Assist food companies to develop and achieve sustainability goals.

SFL current initiatives include efforts to improve farmer livelihoods, help develop viable markets and incentives to increase the diversity of crop rotations in the US Midwest, build market-led partnerships in priority landscapes such as the North Dakota Trusted Advisor Partnership in the US and the Cool Soil Initiative in Australia, and facilitate sector-wide efforts to improve farmer incomes and prevent deforestation in vanilla and cocoa farming systems.

Position Summary

The Project Coordinator is an entry-level support position. You will assist on existing project work, primarily in large-scale row crop production and livestock systems in North America. Much of the work focuses on helping our company partners in the development of farmer-facing initiatives to increase the adoption of regenerative agriculture and reduce carbon emissions within their supply chains. You will also work with philanthropic partners and federal agencies to support multistakeholder landscape scale collaborations to accelerate the adoption of regenerative practices.

You will support team members while working confidently with company partners, suppliers, and our network of agronomists and farmers on the ground. Importantly, you must be eager to grow and learn with the Food Lab team. Our teams are high-performing and mutually supportive - we place a high premium on collegiality, relationship building, and shared learning.

This role is a remote or hybrid position based in the USA. You must be able to work regular business hours in ET or CT time zones, have legal residency, and ability to work in the US prior to applying. This position requires travel to meetings, conferences and events in the US and Canada.

Core Work Activities

Specific work activities are subject to change based on the team’s needs, but core activities will likely include:

• Conducting background research on diverse topics – such as Greenhouse Gas accounting, beef cattle supply chains, and USDA agriculture policy – and synthesizing findings and key takeaways.

• Supporting projects and in-person events by scheduling meetings, creating agendas, taking notes, emailing partners, assisting with event planning, and keeping track of project milestones and deliverables.

• Supporting grant administration through tracking and assisting with budgets and contract agreements, collecting data, reporting, and applying for new sources of grant funding from both philanthropic and government sources.

• Assisting with the creation of project deliverables, such as PowerPoint presentations, white papers, workshop agendas and summaries, and literature reviews.

Experience and Education

For this position, you will have at least some of the following qualifications:

• 4-year degree from an accredited university in sustainability, agriculture, business, or related discipline.

• 0-5 years of experience working in sustainable agriculture, either with food and beverage / agribusiness companies, or directly with agronomists and farmers.

• Familiarity with corporate sustainability strategies, including regenerative agriculture and Scope 3 emissions (this can include coursework and summer experiences).

• Basic understanding of large-scale agricultural systems, including agronomics and soil science, markets and infrastructure, supply chain dynamics, agricultural commodities, and government policy.

• Organized with strong attention to detail.

• Strong oral and written communication skills, including building PowerPoint presentations, writing white papers and workshop summaries, and supporting facilitation of partner calls and workshops.

• Ability to research new topics and provide concise summaries and takeaways.

• Facility with Microsoft Excel and working with large data sets, including data analysis and data modeling.

• Ability to think strategically and consider challenges from various perspectives.

• Good relationship skills and easy rapport with farmers as well as with business decisionmakers.

This position is well suited to you if you:

• Enjoy engaging diverse stakeholders in generative conversations, identifying system drivers, exploring complexity, and participating in strategic thinking;

• Can build authentic personal connections and professional networks with an array of stakeholders from farmers to food corporation representatives;

• Succeed in high-performing and mutually supportive team environments that place a high premium on collegiality, relationship building, and shared learning; and

• Bring curiosity, humility, humor, a yes-orientation, and willingness to learn through apprenticeship.

Diversity and Equity/Non-Discrimination

We are committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, ancestry, marital status, union activity, AIDS/HIV status, on-the-job injuries, or any status otherwise protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.

The Sustainable Food Lab has made a commitment to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages, and we especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply.

Salary and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $50,000-$55,000 per year, commensurate with experience. The Food Lab offers an excellent benefits package including employer-funded family health insurance, optional FSA, dependent care plans and dental plans, retirement match, 20 days of paid vacation, 20 days of paid sick time, and 13 paid holidays annually.

Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter with “Project Coordinator Application” in the subject line to Jill Rubin (jobs@sustainablefood.org). Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

This is a remote or hybrid position. You must be based in the USA.

Link to job posting: https://sustainablefoodlab.org/career/project-coordinator-regen-climate-smart-ag/