The Resource Conservation District (RCD) of Greater San Diego County connects people to resources that strengthen the land, wildlife, and communities. We work across the majority of San Diego County on a variety of program areas, including wildfire resilience, climate-smart agriculture, education, pollinator habitat, and community garden management.

Through its Agriculture Department, the RCD supports farmers and ranchers to implement climate-smart agricultural practices, monitor the benefits of conservation practices, and connect with resources and educational opportunities. The Agriculture Department provides technical assistance, conservation planning, and application support to San Diego agricultural producers with funding from the CA Department of Conservation, CA Department of Food and Agriculture, CA Wildlife Conservation Board, National Association of Conservation Districts, United States Natural Resources Conservation Service and others.

The Agriculture Department Director is an integral member of the Executive Director’s team. The Agriculture Department Director’s primary responsibilities are to oversee the Agriculture Department’s funding and programming and to oversee the field team in their support of agricultural producers in the district to adopt conservation practices on working lands. Toward that end, the Agriculture Department delivers the following key services:

• Soil Sampling
• Farm Planning
• Irrigation Evaluations
• Community Garden Support
• On-Farm Habitat Design
• Practice Demonstration Monitoring
• Practice Incentive Application Assistance

The Agriculture Department is also supported by the Southern California Soil and Water Hub Coordinator in regional advocacy efforts on behalf of agricultural producers and directly collaborates with the Education Department to deliver educational workshops for professionals and career education for aspiring farmers. Agriculture Department services are offered within the RCD service area, within the RCD sphere of influence where permission is granted by the Local Agency Formation Commission, and in the service area of the Upper San Luis Rey RCD where a Memorandum of Understanding exists.

Responsibilities

Program Development and Implementation

• Develop and implement programs for the Agriculture Department that align with the RCD mission and strategic plan in collaboration with RCD staff and partners.
• Track and report on department activities and metrics in alignment with the RCD strategic plan, ensuring timely completion of deliverables and grant reporting.
• Strategically identify funding opportunities with the Executive Director and Director of Finances and prepare grant proposals for agricultural programs with input from team members, based on funding needs for existing team members and public demand for services.
• Oversee management of department databases, including internal producer contacts, program partners, funding opportunities, monitoring results and qualified vendors.
• Communicate with public about department activities by overseeing generation of media and updating of outreach materials.
• Develop partnerships which strengthen the access to and delivery of RCD Agriculture programs with team member support, following direction of Hub Coordinator for regional partnerships.
• Represent the RCD and advocate on behalf of agricultural producers in coordination with team members at meetings, advisory councils, and workshops in San Diego County, deferring to the Executive Director and Hub Coordinator for regional or statewide representation and advocacy.
• Stay informed on current developments in regenerative agriculture and related sectors.
• Ensure program operations, activities and contracts adhere to legal guidelines and internal policies, and are compliant with the laws, policies, and standards of Special Districts, government codes, and local governments, with oversight from the Executive Director, Finance Director and Human Resources and receiving training where appropriate.

Team Leadership

• Work with team members to set and achieve program goals and grant metrics tied to grant deliverables and the RCD strategic plan in service of farmers and ranchers.
• Manage Agriculture Department team members’ activities and workload for successful implementation of departmental programs and grant deliverable timelines, using team meetings and program meetings to encourage collaboration.
• Review technical reports produced by team members directly or by delegation; contract technical reporting to qualified vendors when capacity is limited, while ensuring accountability.
• Guide team members to cultivate relationships with individual agricultural producers and practice demonstration leaders and build trust with the agricultural community.
• Support team member professional development by conducting annual reviews, regular check-ins and strategically assigning individual training for team function.
• Maintain accurate job descriptions, facilitate department hiring and support Human Resources procedures, receiving training where appropriate.
• Support the communication of information between RCD Board of Directors, staff leadership, and Department team members by preparing monthly reports of Department activities toward the RCD strategic plan and attending RCD Board meetings.

Organizational Support

• Participate in the RCD Management Team to ensure consistency of program implementation by the Agriculture Department within the RCD as a whole and update team of current organizational activities and policies.
• Coordinate with RCD Directors and Managers to foster exchange of ideas and provide cross-team learning opportunities, inter-departmental communication, and the allocation of tasks and resources as needed, and ensuring that collaboration is cohesive and standardized when needed.
• Review organizational budget and provide input on allocations of general funds for Agriculture Department activities on a semiannual basis.
• Provide input to RCD Management Team with hiring and terminations, employee placement, training, development, and communication of payroll compensations and benefit packages.
• Support the implementation of the RCD Strategic Plan and general strategic direction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in agriculture, natural resource management, environmental science, or a related conservation field.
• At least three years of professional experience in program management in agriculture or a related field.
• Knowledge of environmental science, regenerative farming systems, and land management practices that conserve natural resources.
• Experience with grant proposal development and program management.
• Experience supervising employees and supporting professional development.
• Experience working collaboratively and maintaining relationships with a range of partners, including landowners, researchers, and public agencies.
• Experience working with farmers, ranchers, and growers in San Diego County or elsewhere, including outreach to historically underserved agricultural producers.
• Experience writing conservation plans, carbon farm plans, or similar planning documents.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team – in the office and in the field.
• Highly motivated, organized, and self-directing with the ability to prioritize workloads to meet deadlines and goals to fulfill grant obligations.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Suite, mapping tools and farm planning models.
• Commitment to the Resource Conservation District’s mission to protect, conserve, and restore natural resources.
• Creativity, sense of humor, “can do” spirit, collegiality, flexibility, strong desire to learn.
• Valid CA driver’s license and current auto insurance.

 Desired qualifications:

• Bilingual in English and Spanish.
• Experience working in a governmental setting.
• Experience working on a commercial farm.