About Quivira Coalition

Quivira Coalition is a Santa Fe-based nonprofit that builds resilience on working lands. We foster ecological, economic, and social health through education, innovation, and collaboration. We aim to shift current agricultural and land stewardship practices in ways that produce good food, support meaningful livelihoods in rural places, sustain biodiversity, and remedy the impacts of climate change. We conduct this work through agricultural apprenticeships, land and water restoration, and farmer- and rancher-led knowledge exchange. Knowing that it is critical to the success of our work, Quivira is committed to racial equity and inclusion, and we aspire to build and support a diverse staff, team, and community, including groups that are traditionally underrepresented within conservation and agriculture.

About our hiring process

Our hiring team consists of our executive director, our chief of staff, and several other team members who will review applications and participate in interviews for this position. We work as a team, so we hire as a team. Many other folks on staff help with our hiring process, including our communications team who helps us get the word out, and the operations team who helps design and hold our teams accountable to a consistent, transparent, and equitable process.

About the program or department

Soil to Supper is a grant-funded program which helps livestock producers in the Southwest build financial resilience and market access through practices that improve soil and water health. This program is funded through a $3.7M Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) grant, which runs through September 2028. 

Who we’re looking for:

The Soil to Supper program manager brings strong experience providing livestock producers with conservation-related technical assistance, and enthusiasm for how conservation practices can support both ecological health and producer viability. They have experience working in or alongside USDA conservation programs, particularly NRCS, and are comfortable helping producers navigate conservation planning, technical assistance, and program implementation processes.

This person has practical knowledge of grazing management, drought resilience, soil health, and land stewardship practices in the Southwest, and enjoys working directly with producers to identify goals and support implementation strategies that fit their operations. They are committed to helping producers successfully access conservation resources and support, including producers who may face geographic, financial, administrative, or other barriers to participation. They effectively build trust with livestock producers, community partners, and agency staff, and are comfortable representing the program in external settings.

The Soil to Supper program manager reports to the Soil to Supper director and works closely with producers, community partners, contractors, and agency staff to support program implementation across the Southwest.

Description of the position:

This position supports day-to-day implementation of the Soil to Supper program, working directly with livestock producers across the Southwest to support conservation practice adoption and increased market access opportunities. The program manager works closely with the Soil to Supper director to recruit, onboard, and support participating producers throughout their involvement in the program.

A major focus of the role is providing conservation-related technical assistance to producers, including helping identify conservation goals and supporting implementation of practices related to grazing management, drought resilience, soil health, and rangeland stewardship. The program manager also assists producers in navigating NRCS processes and paperwork related to conservation funding opportunities and practice implementation.

This position works closely with producers, NRCS staff, technical service providers, and community partners to coordinate program activities, support producer success, and maintain strong working relationships across the region. The role includes regular communication with producers, field visits to ranches and agricultural operations, coordination of meetings and workshops, and collaboration with the broader Soil to Supper team to improve and adapt program delivery over time.

This position is currently funded through October 2028, with the possibility of extension contingent upon funding availability.

Specific duties and responsibilities:

Program Management

• Provide conservation-related technical assistance to livestock producers, related to grazing management, drought resilience, soil health, and rangeland stewardship practices
• Support outreach, recruitment, enrollment, and ongoing support of participating producers
• Support producers in identifying conservation goals, developing implementation strategies, and navigating NRCS planning processes
• Support producers in identifying external resources and technical assistance for incentivized activities
• Conduct field visits and maintain regular communication with participating producers to support successful implementation of program activities
• Coordinate trainings, workshops, field days, and other educational opportunities that support conservation practice adoption and market access
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with producers, community partners, contractors, technical service providers, and agency staff
• Coordinate with the Soil to Supper director, communications team, and external partners to support effective program delivery
• Support project evaluation and program adaptation based on participant feedback and implementation outcomes
• Assist with data collection, documentation, and reporting needed to support grant requirements and program evaluation
• Represent the program at meetings, workshops, conferences, field days, and other external events

Other Duties

• Participate in staff meetings, organizational committees, retreats, strategic planning, and other required all-staff activities
• Support organizational events, workshops, and cross-program collaboration as needed
• Report regularly to the Soil to Supper director on producer engagement, program implementation progress, and emerging challenges or opportunities within the program
• Contribute to other activities and special projects as assigned by the Soil to Supper director or executive director

Qualifications/experience:

We recognize and value the many ways to learn, grow, and succeed professionally, and acknowledge that individuals acquire skills, knowledge, and perspectives through diverse educational, professional, personal, and volunteer experiences. We take all relevant experiences into account when reviewing applications and ask that you share with us the unique strengths and experiences that you will bring to Quivira and to your work.

Required qualifications:

• Experience working for, with, or closely alongside NRCS or other USDA programs
• Familiarity with NRCS conservation planning processes, including conservation plans, supporting documentation, practice certification and program delivery
• Experience working with livestock producers, particularly in the Southwest
• Working knowledge of grazing management, drought resilience, soil health, rangeland stewardship, and wildlife friendly practices
• Experience providing direct technical assistance to agricultural producers
• Ability to support development and implementation of grazing management plans, drought or contingency plans, and other conservation practices that address resource concerns
• Familiarity with environmental evaluation or compliance processes such as CPA-52
• Strong ability to build trust with producers, including those who may be skeptical of government or nonprofit programs
• Experience working in rural communities and collaborating with diverse stakeholders
• Ability to manage multiple projects, producers, or priorities simultaneously
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including documentation, reporting, and producer communication

Desired qualifications:

• Current NRCS TSP certification, or ability to obtain 
• Advanced knowledge of rangeland ecology, grazing systems, and drought planning in the Southwest
• Familiarity with ecological monitoring, assessment tools, or adaptive management frameworks
• Experience using tools such as ArcGIS or QGIS for mapping and planning
• Established relationships with producers, conservation districts, NRCS staff, or agricultural communities in the Southwest
• Spanish or Native language proficiency

Terms of employment:

We embrace and encourage applicants of all ethnicities, national origins, races, colors, socio-economic statuses, ages, gender identities or expressions, sexual orientations, family or marital statuses, disability status, physical and mental abilities, political affiliations, religions, genetic information, or veteran statuses.

• Reports to the Soil to Supper director
• Full-time, 36 hours a week, salaried
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and be able to travel independently throughout New Mexico and the broader Southwest, including to rural and remote locations
• Must be able to work both outdoors in varying weather and terrain conditions and in a computer-based office environment
• Must be able to walk over uneven ground during ranch and field visits and lift/carry materials up to 25 pounds
• Position requires regular overnight travel for meetings, conferences, trainings, and site visits
• Salary range for manager-level positions: $53,000 - $63,000 depending on experience, paid bi-weekly. Quivira uses a wage scale to determine pay rates and ranges for all positions within the organization.
• This position is primarily remote, but based in NM or southern CO. All employees currently work from home with access to the Santa Fe office on an as-needed basis. 
• No relocation compensation.
• After two months, benefits include health, dental, vision, simple IRA, paid time off, short- and long-term life disability insurance, and continuing education benefit.