The responsibilities of the Organic Conservation Specialist include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Working as a member of the team ensuring consistency and a high level of integrity and quality.
• Serving as a technical resource for stakeholder audiences.
• Developing and delivering technical training and resources.
• Developing educational services and resources to empower leads and clients along their OTCO journey and to support continuous improvement.
• Developing educational services and resources to support and empower partners and stakeholders.
• Representing Oregon Tilth in public forums and leadership positions.
• Maintaining indicators and measures to evaluate impact of work.
• Collaborating with other departments to provide timely and relevant educational materials and resources to stakeholders.
• Providing reports and needs assessments as necessary.
• Staying alert to industry trends and changes to implement proactive support services as necessary.
• Role modeling a shared vision and caring culture in alignment with our mission.
• Serving as a role model for diversity, equity and inclusion.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering
• Minimum 3 years work experience
• Experience working in professional office environment
• Excellent attention to detail and communication skills
• Demonstrated experience with public speaking
• Experience in leading workshop facilitation
• Excellent customer service skills

PREFERRED SKILLS/EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in related field
• Understanding of the USDA Organic Regulations, organic production (crop and livestock) and on-farm conservation practices (for example: cover crops or rotational grazing)

The Organic Conservation Specialist serves as a content expert to diverse education audiences, including but not limited to clients, agricultural service providers, farmers, and partners. The Organic Conservation Specialist’s primary role is to utilize their technical competence in offering training resources for these audiences and to inform Tilth’s educational activities. The Organic Conservation Specialist works with team members to implement the goals outlined by the education program and works to ensure a high level of quality and integrity in education delivery. The Organic Conservation Specialist works in collaboration with their team, the Communications and Marketing department, and the Certification department to identify areas of continuous improvement.

Through an agreement with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Organic Conservation Specialist serves in a joint position with NRCS providing training and technical support for staff of the federal agency across the country and educating organic producers about natural resources and biodiversity.

There are 3 open positions, all of which are fully remote (work from home). Two of these positions will be based in the NRCS East region and one in the NRCS West region. All positions may require limited travel.

Applicants for the NRCS East region must reside in one of the following states: MI, OH, KY, TN, MS, LA, AR, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC, VA, DE, WV, MD, PA, NJ, DC, NY, MA, NH, RI, CT, VT, ME.

Applicants for the NRCS West region must resident in one of the following states: HI, AK, WA, OR, CA, NV, ID, MT, WY, UT, AZ, NM, CO, Pacific Islands.