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 a number of 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 Education and Outreach program

Quivira’s Education and Outreach program fosters a community of working lands stewardship that centers relationships, collaboration, education, equity, and care for community and ecology. Our vision is thriving land-based communities that have culturally-relevant tools and resources needed to practice regenerative land stewardship and collaboration in a just, equitable, and sustainable manner. The Education and Outreach program exists in the overlapping space between grassroots community organizing and the engagement with many diverse groups that is required to steward broader cultural change.

Who we’re looking for:

We are seeking an Education and Outreach Program - Workshop and Technical Assistance manager who will be dedicated to supporting the ongoing and diverse efforts of farmers, ranchers, other land and natural resource managers, organizations, and agencies engaged in efforts to improve working lands in the Intermountain West, particularly in New Mexico and Colorado. We’re looking for someone who enjoys and has strengths in bringing people together through thoughtful event planning, one-on-one relationship building, as well as strong technical skills in resource conservation planning and providing technical assistance to farmers and ranchers. The ideal candidate will bring a high degree of professionalism, leadership, and empathy to working with diverse groups of people. 

The Workshop and Technical Assistance manager should have experience with and enthusiasm for: computer-based work; event planning; written and verbal communications; working in a support role to farmers, ranchers, and natural resource management professionals; navigating the challenges, opportunities, and social dynamics in agricultural and natural resource collaborations; communicating complex land management issues in clear, constructive, and non-polarizing ways; and providing actionable support to farmers and ranchers seeking to implement conservation practices. In addition, this person will need to write reports and educational materials that are useful for working ranchers, farmers, and technical service providers, and contribute to applications and reports to funding agencies to support ongoing work. This person will be supervised by the Education and Outreach director and will work closely with other managers to carry out other program activities, including land-based workshops and aspects of the annual REGENERATE Conference.

Description of the position:

This position will work primarily with the Education and Outreach team (the director and two other managers), as well as with other Quivira staff working in other program areas. This manager will provide technical assistance to farmers and ranchers by designing and implementing technical assistance programming and working one-on-one with farmers and ranchers to develop farm, ranch or conservation plans and apply for funding (federal, state, and private). Additionally, they will generally contribute to the overall scope of work within the Education and Outreach program. 

Specific duties and responsibilities:

Technical Support: 50%

• Initiate and maintain communication with farmers and ranchers to identify needs, design projects, and apply for funding
• Work remotely and independently to plan and organize logistics and resources for site visits
• Delegate tasks and responsibilities to contractors, when applicable
• Participate in outreach for technical support program through tabling or presenting at events
• Design and coordinate events that help connect farmers and ranchers to funding opportunities and other forms of technical assistance
• Participate in evaluation and long-term planning for technical assistance programming

Event management and coordination: 25%

• Design, organize and execute in-person and online events and workshops
• Pre- and post-communication with hosts and attendees
• Travel for outreach and meetings or workshop participation
• Capture and synthesize event data for documentation and evaluation
• Coordinate all aspects of events including venues, supplies, food, and attendees
• Handle expenses associated with events according to Quivira procedures
• Provide support to other staff for workshops where the manager is not the lead
• Provide support in coordinating the annual REGENERATE Conference

Communications and program administration: 25%

• Collaborate with the operations team on statements of work, contractual agreements, tax forms, and direct deposit for contractors as needed
• Support grant research, writing, and reporting 
• Collaborate with the communications team to support communications for the Education and Outreach program more generally
• Collaboratively develop educational materials 
• Contribute to management and reporting on project budgets
• Collaborate with other staff members and engage with other Quivira program areas as needed
• Participate in staff meetings, retreats, and strategic planning meetings
• Attend and actively participate in the annual REGENERATE Conference
• Report regularly to the program director
• Other activities as assigned

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 as the Workshop and Technical Assistance manager.

Required qualifications:

• Understanding and experience with cross-cultural communication and working with diverse groups of people in land-based settings
• Experience providing technical support to farmers and ranchers (connecting people to resources, navigating bureaucracies, planning, logistical support around implementation, logistical support around monitoring and evaluation)
• Experience and familiarity with USDA programs, including NRCS and FSA
• Familiarity with regenerative agricultural practices
• Excellent professional written and verbal English communication skills
• Superior organizational skills, particularly relating to juggling competing priorities
• Empathy and a sense of humor
• Ability to work occasional weekends for workshops, outreach events, staff retreats, or other events that may not occur during regular working hours
• Ability to travel to remote locations where camping may be required for multiple days/nights at a time and drive long distances (up to 8 hours in a day)
• Ability to lift 25 lbs. and work long hours bending and walking outdoors
• Valid U.S. driver's license
• Reliable access to high-speed internet

Desired qualifications:

• Existing relationships or involvement in New Mexico's farming and ranching communities
• Experience offering farm and ranch planning, including conservation and/or financial planning
• Understanding of regenerative agriculture and ability to assist farmers and ranchers with increasing their use of regenerative agriculture
• GIS or mapping skills
• Event planning and coordination experience
• Experience writing grants and engaging in other types of nonprofit fundraising
• Experience in experiential/participatory education and outreach
• Experience with G Suite
• Spanish or Native language proficiency

Terms of employment:

Quivira is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our organization. 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, or veteran statuses.

• Reports to the Education and Outreach director
• Full-time, 36 hours a week, salaried
• Salary range for manager-level positions: $55,598 - $66,702, 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 New Mexico or southern Colorado. All employees currently work from home with access to the office on an as-needed basis. Candidates must be able to drive to the Santa Fe office for event supplies and preparation.
• No relocation compensation.
• After two months, benefits include health, dental, vision, simple IRA, paid time off, short- and long-term life insurance, disability insurance, and continuing education benefit.