Project Manager

Who We Are

American Farmland Trust (AFT) is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect nearly 8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families. Long a pioneering leader, AFT continues to evolve to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers nationwide, adapting its approach to ensure the continued strength and resilience of agriculture and rural communities nationwide.

Job purpose 

AFT's Project Management Division, internally known as the Project Management Team (PMT) has an exciting opportunity to hire a Project Manager for the newly amended USDA-NRCS Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) initiative within the Climate and Soil Health Division. The successful candidate will have an interest in exploring the strategic alignment of project management best practices in relation to AFT’s efforts to catalyze a new conventional agriculture. 

Position summary 

Reporting to the Project Management Director, the Project Manager leads assigned project(s) from award kickoff to close by partnering with the Principal Investigator (PI), developing and maintaining project resources, monitoring progress, facilitating funder reporting, coordinating communications with appropriate team members, and ensuring the successful execution of committed outcomes on time, within scope and budget. Project Manager assignments are likely to be larger scale, multi-year projects with complex budgets ranging from $700K-$9M annually that involve numerous internal Divisions and external partners. 

“The Beef Producer Economic Resilience Initiative: Producer-Led Mentorship & Marketing Network” project was formally a $42 million (including Match commitments) Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities grant that kicked off in November 2023. However, for AFT to meet the new Administration’s priorities with the remaining 3 years of funding, the project is being amended to restart in 2026 and will work to fundamentally transition U.S. beef production to a more resilient, value-added product raised on sustainable grazing systems. Our objectives are to demonstrate and amplify production of beef that builds healthy soils and resilient, economically thriving farm and ranch enterprises by (1) providing significant financial incentives for adoption of rotational grazing and other complementary practices and market entry, (2) building self-sustaining grassroots support networks with early adopters who become highly trained grazing mentors facilitating adoption and provide technical support to catalyze successful adoption, and (3) expanding market drivers and opportunities. In addition to anticipated economic gains from improved soil health, and premiums for more sustainable beef, AFT will provide $19.5M in grant funds directly to 700 farmers and ranchers in the Southern U.S. for mentoring, leading networks, and to invest in the transition directly.   

Duties and responsibilities  

Within assigned project(s), the Project Manager will: 

• Attend Grant Award Kickoff meeting led by Development to properly transition proposal resources, internal IDs, and funder requirements once award is secured. 

• Advise Division Director(s) in scoping and evaluating impacts of related funding on existing timelines, staff workloads and other financial parameters to craft long-term project strategies. 

• Complete Project Charter and exercise full delegation of authority from Division Director to lead projects of high complexity. 

• Develop annual work plan for project that establishes fiscal year deadlines, staff hour allocations and committed outcomes in accordance with award agreement. 

• Develop annual budget for project that establishes fiscal year revenue projections, operating expenses, and associated labor costs in accordance with award agreement. 

• Implement communication platform guidelines and SharePoint file structure to ensure effective team collaboration. 

• Establish and maintain Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that outlines tasks, schedules and team member assignments for identified components throughout lifecycle of award. 

• Lead Project Kickoff meeting to introduce internal/external team members, present overview of committed outcomes, funder reporting requirements, and project resources. 

• Attend the Portfolio Manager’s monthly financial review meeting to track YTD project spenddown, identify coding discrepancies, and escalate >10% budget deviations to the Director and Finance. 

• Support Portfolio Manager’s preparation of quarterly work plan and financial reviews to establish overall project status, deviations from budget, foreseeable delays and management actions required. 

• Facilitate internal/external data collection, validation and submission of quarterly funder reports with Programs, Development and Finance; detailing project narratives and expense alignment per federal requirements. 

• Provide Director or assigned programmatic staff member with relevant project metrics for Executive Bullet, Board Book and/or other reporting purposes upon request. 

• Support Division with contract/subaward/producer payments development, invoice processing, match documentation and spenddown tracking for external entities with assigned programmatic staff member as appropriate. 

• Monitor and control scope creep, anticipated risks, lessons learned, and issues log to ensure timely escalation as required. 

• Lead regular team meetings, with structured agendas, to evaluate progress, discuss requirements for upcoming tasks, and/or follow up on action items as appropriate. 

• Identify project tracking system to effectively manage internal/external timelines and responsibilities. 

• Support relevant information system design, deployment, and continuous maintenance of data related to project as required. 

• Design other comprehensive resources, as needed to aid in internal/external completion of assigned tasks on time, within scope and budget. 

• Foster synergy across project component teams to further identify areas of opportunity and/or required support.  

Within the PMT, the Project Manager will: 

• Act as subject matter expert in project management field and provide related input on internal systems, tools, policies and procedures for managing AFT’s award lifecycle. 

• Participate in weekly PMT meeting to discuss holistic award management approaches, upcoming deadlines, key constraints and/or shared initiatives. 

• Initiate, develop, and improve project management methodologies and resources across the organization. 

• Build cross-functional staff engagement and promote strategic collaboration to ensure consistent management practices of the award life cycle. 

• Maintain an advanced level of proficiency with internal project and financial tracking systems, processes, and staff responsibilities. 

• Embody a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion through project assignments and/or engagement with internal Employee Resource Groups (ERG). 

• Support the annual Work Planning and Budgeting process with Finance. 

The above description is not necessarily an all-inclusive list of job-related responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements, or working conditions. While intended to reflect the current job, the Project Management Director reserves the right to revise tasks, project(s) and/or portfolio(s) assigned. 

• Projects: History of successful planning and execution for assigned projects on time, within scope and budget.    

• Financials: Experience with federal and non-profit budget management with ability to translate financial concepts to staff at all levels of the organization. 

• Funding: Familiarity with state and federal grant management processes, contracting procedures and compliance, and other contracting or accountability systems required by universities, corporations, or foundation partners. 

• Communication: Timely, effective, direct, and responsive verbal, electronic and written interpersonal communication across various platforms. 

• Leadership: Ability to effectively listen, respond and motivate internal/external team members to achieve common goal in a highly matrixed and/or remote environment. 

• Mindset: Self-driven, organized, systematic problem-solver with strong ability to exercise authority within assigned project. 

• Adaptability: Proven ability to adapt quickly and support the effective management of conflicting priorities in a rapidly changing environment. 

• System: Proficient in using Microsoft applications such as Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Dynamics in addition to PPM tools. 

• Agriculture: Experience with agriculture and strong desire to learn about soil health practices, stakeholders and approaches in the livestock/beef industry, in support of AFT’s mission to holistically improve agricultural systems. 

Education & Experience  

• Bachelor's Degree in Project Management, Business Administration or Environment/Conservation field required.  

• 7  years’ experience working in a Project or Grant Management role.  

• Understanding of Waterfall, Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Lean, Six Sigma and/or similar project methodologies.   

• Experience leading large federal awards with compliance requirements, including but not limited to USDA General Terms and Conditions (GT&C) and NRCS Grant Agreement and Development Budget Expense Table (GADBET).  

• Additional non-profit work experience or professional accomplishments in one or more of the disciplines noted may substitute for any of the above requirements.  

Working Conditions 

• This job operates in a teleworking environment. Occasional work in the evenings or on weekends may be required to meet deadlines.  Travel is estimated at 5% per year depending on project(s) assigned. 

Direct reports 

• Indirect management of cross-functional staff assigned to project(s). 

Salary, Benefits, and Start Date  

Start Date: Estimated early 2026; contingent upon amendment. 

Position Type: Full time remote. In alignment with the amended project timeframe, this position is planned to be a 3-year term effective once AFT receives a full executed agreement from NRCS; continuation of employment is contingent upon the availability of future funding, candidate interest, and PMT assignment needs.  

Compensation

The starting salary range is $80,000-$85,000 depending on experience. 

American Farmland Trust offers a full benefits package for full time employees:

• Insurance coverage begins the 1st of the month following the date of hire. 
• Medical & Prescription Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• Company Paid Life Insurance & Long-Term Disability (LTD)
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) – Healthcare & Dependent Care
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• 401k Plan
• Sick Leave: Regular full-time employees accrue 13 “sick days” per year.
• Vacation Leave: Accrue 15 days during the first year increasing by one day per year to 20 days per year maximum.
• Holidays: AFT observes twelve fixed holidays and a week between Christmas and New Years off during the year (all offices closed) plus a choice of up to three (depending on hiring month) floating holidays.

Why you should apply:

• Be a part of a purpose-driven, committed, knowledgeable, high-performing, experienced and fun team
• A diverse and inclusive work environment
• A cause and mission you can be proud of
• Competitive compensation & benefits
• Remote work opportunities
• Flexible scheduling

Timeline

To be considered, applicants must submit a resume, a cover letter explaining why they are the right fit for both AFT and this role and complete all screener questions. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and accepted until the position is filled. Please Apply Directly Here: Project Manager

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. Please see AFT’s statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice.

Salary : $80,000 - $85,000