American Farmland Trust Seeks California Agricultural Land Protection Policy and Program Manager

American Farmland Trust takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.5 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and helped thousands of farm families make a go of it. Long a pioneering leader, AFT is now riding a new wave of growth, driven by agriculture’s most pressing needs and opportunities.

 

We believe diversity drives innovation. We are inclusive. We embrace differences. We recognize and respect the fundamental value and dignity of all our employees. We celebrate the unique traditions, heritages, and experiences our employees bring to the workplace. We are committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive culture that promotes and values diversity, and where everyone feels empowered to bring their authentic selves to work every day.

 

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, expression or identity, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, American Farmland Trust complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which we have facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

 

Reporting to the California Regional Director, the California Agricultural Land Protection Policy and Program Manager (Manager) will play a leadership role in accelerating efforts to protect agricultural land in California. The Manager will serve as a key American Farmland Trust (AFT) representative to legislative and administrative leaders in advancing AFT's state policy agenda to protect agricultural land. The Manager will coordinate the newly formed Alliance for California Agricultural Land, supports AFT’s National Agricultural Land Network (NALN) and help build the capacity of agricultural land trusts in the state.

 

The Manager is responsible for coordinating policy research, education, advocacy, and legislative and administrative policy development, and related coalition building to advance AFT’s agricultural land protection policy agenda. In addition, the Manager will coordinate trainings, peer networking and direct support for agricultural land trusts to build capacity to accelerate the pace of agricultural land protection and spur innovation in responding to new challenges and opportunities, such as promoting regenerative practices on protected agricultural land, fostering opportunities to promote equitable land access, and ensuring the affordability of protected agricultural land for a new generation of farmers.