Yolo County Resource Conservation Seeks Bi-lingual Mobile Irrigation Lab Manager

Position Title: 

Bi-lingual Mobile Irrigation Lab Manager

Do you want to be part of an enthusiastic, dynamic team working with North Sacramento Valley growers? Come work with us! We seek a natural resource or agricultural professional to develop and run a 3-year Mobile Irrigation Lab Program that will provide technical assistance with irrigation efficiency and other on-farm conservation issues.

The Mobile Irrigation Lab Program is a collaboration with Sutter County RCD (SCRCD) to provide agricultural irrigation conservation services for growers in Yolo, Sutter, Yuba and Colusa counties. The program will expand pump and irrigation evaluation services to many more growers in the four-county area and provide multilingual technical assistance to serve socially-disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (SDFRs).

Yolo County RCD seeks bilingual candidates with an agriculture or natural resources background who have a strong commitment to community outreach and capacity building to support sustainable agriculture in the region.

 

Located in Woodland, CA the Yolo County Resource Conservation District (RCD) is a special district of the State of California. Yolo County RCD works closely with a variety of local and regional partners to restore and protect Yolo County watersheds through strategic conservation projects and programs, and offers conservation planning and watershed coordination services to local residents and landowners. We have
been helping people help the land since 1955. We spend our days helping to ensure clean and abundant water, healthy land and air, thriving wildlife and habitats, viable local farms and ranches, and resilient communities. Learn more about us on our website at www.yolorcd.org.

Under supervision of the Executive Director, the Bi‐lingual Mobile Irrigation Lab Manager will oversee and implement all activities of the multi‐lingual Sutter‐Yolo Mobile Irrigation Lab (MIL), including managing and performing all aspects of field activities both directly and in coordination with other RCD staff, coordinating field activities with growers and Bi‐lingual (Punjabi) Sutter County RCD MIL Project Manager, communicating with grant managers and managing the project budget and scope of work, purchasing materials and supplies, collecting data, writing reports and working with administrative staff to develop invoices, and contributing to other general RCD work and assisting other staff as needed. The MIL Project Manager will assist English and Spanish‐speaking growers by improving irrigation practices, provide education on how to maintain efficient irrigation systems, introduce growers to new technologies and BMPs relating to soil health, and encourage growers to become more active in local education and outreach events. This is an exempt position.

 

Overview of job duties includes responsibilities to:
 Provide services to Yolo, Colusa, Sutter and Yuba counties as appropriate through cooperative scheduling with the Sutter County MIL Project Manager (work truck provided).
 Schedule and coordinate with each grower for meeting locations, dates and times.
 Perform irrigation evaluations, typically 1 to 2 per day between the months of April through September. Evaluations include determining system pressure, system uniformity, flow‐rates, and application rates. Irrigation System Evaluation training program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo will be provided.
 Attend additional trainings and certifications as needed. Certifications helpful for this position include the American Society of Agronomy’s Certified Crop Advisor, Irrigation Association’s Agriculture Irrigation uditor, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Technical Service Provider (TSP) and Conservation Planner.
 Develop a comprehensive irrigation evaluation report for each grower using data collected in the field and field notes with the goal of providing changes to irrigation scheduling that lead to improved irrigation efficiency and water conservation.
 Provide other on‐farm technical assistance as needed, including pump efficiency testing, BMPs for soil health, carbon farming, and on‐farm habitat conservation.
 Perform networking and outreach activities through one‐on‐one grower interactions and through attendance and participation in workshops, seminars, and agricultural events (e.g., Walnut, Almond, Prune Days, farm equipment trade shows).
 Develop presentations and/or workshops to promote the MIL and educate on topics that focus on irrigation efficiencies, modern technologies, and related topics.
 Coordinate and collaborate with a broad array of partner organizations, agency staff and landowners.
 Manage project budget and grant deliverables, communicate with California Department of Food and Agriculture grant managers as required, purchase materials and supplies, and work with RCD administrative staff to develop invoices, and quarterly and annual reports to grantors.
 Exercise independent judgment and discretion in the overall management and issue resolution on projects.

 

 

Any combination of experience and education which provides the required knowledge and skills is acceptable but preferably:

 Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Natural Resources Planning, Plant or Soil Sciences, Ecology, Agriculture, Biology, Environmental Science or a related field of study or five (5) years field and management experience in agriculture, irrigation technology, agricultural or natural resource technical assistance or crop and soil sciences.
 Community‐oriented individual that conducts themselves in a professional manner and is passionate about working cooperatively with people with different perspectives, priorities, and temperaments.
 Candidates fluent in Spanish will be sought and prioritized.
 Possession of a Certified Crop Advisor certification through the American Society of Agronomy or willingness to obtain one.
 Possession of a Technical Service Provider certification through the Natura Resources Conservation Service or a willingness to obtain one.

Physical Requirements:
 Ability to work in the field in a variety of outdoor and sometimes inclement weather conditions and walk on uneven terrain including disked fields and ditch hopping. Considerable physical activity is involved including walking up to two miles, bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, reaching and working on irregular surfaces, lifting of up to 25 pounds and occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds.
 Ability to sit for long periods of time; to climb stairs; work inside buildings and in confined spaces; to either work alone or closely with others.

 

License:
 Required to possess and maintain a valid California driver’s license, Class C or higher, to carry out job related duties.

Salary Range: $58,245 ‐ $79,425
Benefits include full coverage of health, dental, vision and a deferred compensation plan with employer match.

 

To apply, email a cover letter, resume, and three professional references to Lani Fulcher at fulcher@yolorcd.org. Deadline to apply is July 5th.