Program Manager

The Program Manager position is a cornerstone role within the Regenerate Ventura County (RVC) Initiative, supporting the development of a regionally rooted, equitable Regenerative Organic food system. This position is responsible for managing the day-to-day implementation of partner-facing program activities, coordinating workplans and timelines, cultivating and stewarding strategic partnerships that advance agroecological transition, and ensuring that program activities, deliverables, and community engagement efforts are executed with clarity, accountability, cultural relevance, and measurable impact.

The Program Manager will work closely with program leadership, the Rodale Institute's agronomic consulting and market development teams and local partner organizations to bridge on-the-ground farmer support with broader systems-building efforts, connecting farmers, institutions, community-based organizations, and emerging cooperatives. The program Manager will help translate strategic priorities into coordinated action by aligning partners, schedules, budgets, reporting systems, outreach activities, and cross-functional staff contributions.

This position ensures that the Regenerate Ventura County Initiative functions as a coordinated, partner-driven ecosystem, where farmers are supported not only in transitioning to Regenerative organic practices, but in accessing the markets, infrastructure, and community networks necessary for long-term success. By managing program implementation, aligning partnerships, delivering on commitments and expanding outreach, this role directly contributes to building a resilient, just, and economically viable regional food system.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Program Management, Planning & Internal Coordination
• Develop, manage, and maintain program workplans, timelines, meeting cadences, task trackers, and implementation calendars for partner relations and community outreach activities
• Coordinate cross-functional execution across agronomy, market development, business technical assistance, communications, research, education, and local partner teams
• Monitor progress against program goals, flag implementation risks or capacity gaps, and support timely problem-solving with program leadership and partners
• Organize and facilitate internal and partner-facing meetings, including agenda development, notes, follow-up items, and accountability tracking
• Support program budgeting and resource coordination for outreach events, partner activities, communications assets, and community engagement needs
• Maintain clear systems for documentation, file organization, partner records, reporting inputs, and institutional knowledge related to the RVC Project.
• Strategic Relationship Building
• Identify, engage, and maintain relationships with a network of regional partners including farmer groups, community-based organizations, food hubs, institutional buyers, government entities, and technical assistance providers
• Clearly communicate the value of Regenerative Organic practices, certification pathways, and program participation to prospective partners
• Serve as a consistent and trusted point of contact for all partner organizations
• Coordinate partner roles, timelines, scopes of work, communication expectations, and shared accountability structures to support smooth program implementation
• Grant Alignment and Deliverables
• Manage and track all partner-related deliverables tied to grants, contracts, and collaborative agreements
• Ensure alignment between partner activities and program goals, including but not limited to: acres transitioned to organic/regenerative management, number of farmers engaged and supported, adoption of climate-smart and soil health practices, local food access and economic impact
• Support preparation of reports for funders (e.g., CDFA, philanthropic partners), ensuring accurate and timely documentation of outcomes and learnings
• Coordinate across internal teams (agronomy, market development, business technical assistance) to fulfill contractual obligations
• Maintain program dashboards, tracking tools, and partner updates that help leadership assess progress and make timely decisions
• Community Outreach & Network Development
• Support outreach efforts that reflect the program’s commitment to “bilingual everything,” ensuring accessibility for Spanish-speaking and Indigenous-language communities where possible
• Translate complex program strategies into accessible, community-centered messaging
• Ensure outreach planning, materials, and event logistics are coordinated in ways that reduce participation barriers and support farmer trust
• Public Communication & Field-Based Engagement
• Represent the initiative at field days, workshops, community meetings, and regional convenings
• Collaborate with partners to design and implement outreach events that connect farmers to technical assistance, markets, and cooperative opportunities
• Create and execute bi-monthly emails to Rodale databases that promote and showcase the center’s ongoing progress, activities, farmer and consumer resources, and impact
• Generate ongoing photo and video assets that showcase the impact of our work
• Develop supporting materials (such as print, digital and social) that promote Rodale Institute’s work in Ventura County
• Work with Rodale Institute’s PR Manager on a year-long PR and promotional plan to gain exposure for the RVC Project in and through regional and national media
• Collaborate effectively with the Marketing and Communications, Research, and Education teams to ensure that the RVC Project is representing Rodale Institute to the highest standard
• Develop outreach calendars, asset timelines, approval processes, and content tracking systems to ensure communications are delivered consistently and on schedule
• Development & Ecosystem Building
• Cultivate relationships with potential donors, collaborators, and aligned institutions to expand program outreach and sustainability
• Identify and advance opportunities for cooperative development, shared infrastructure, and regional aggregation/distribution networks
• Strengthen connections between producers and buyers, supporting the growth of localized, values-based supply chains
• Track emerging ecosystem-building opportunities and coordinate next steps with program leadership, partners, and internal teams
  

Experience & Qualifications

• Experience working in regenerative agriculture, organic systems, community food systems or related fields
• Demonstrated success in partnership development, community engagement, or program coordination
• Experience managing complex programs, timelines, deliverables, partner communications, and cross-functional workstreams
• Experience with grant deliverables, reporting, and cross-partner coordination
• Comfort using project management, reporting, database, and communications tools to coordinate tasks, document progress, and track outcomes
• Strong understanding of farmer-facing programs, especially for small-scale and historically underserved producers
• Ability to work across diverse stakeholder groups, including farmers, nonprofits, agencies, and institutional buyers
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining accountability to partners, funders, farmers, and internal teams
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; Spanish proficiency strongly preferred
  
  

Compensation & Benefits

• This is a full-time, exempt, salaried position at $75,000 annually
• This position is eligible to participate in Rodale Institute’s benefits programs
• Rodale Institute offers 100% paid medical premium for full-time employees and their dependents; sharing premium cost for dental & vision plans; a 403(b)-retirement savings plan; life insurance and AD&D coverage; and 100% paid short and long-term disability coverage
• Rodale Institute has a competitive time off program, plus 5 floating holidays for full-time employees, and 12 company paid holidays
  
  

Travel

• Regular travel throughout Ventura County, CA is expected
• This position will work remotely from a home office
  
  

Other Expectations

• To be trustful and respectful to all staff and visitors
  
  

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, sexual identity or handicap.

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