Title      Carbon Farming Regional Hub Coordinator, San Joaquin Valley

Supervisor      Carbon Cycle Institute

Location     Must reside in the San Joaquin Valley Region, Remote office + Work-From-Home

Who We Are

The Carbon Cycle Institute (CCI) works at the intersection of climate science and agriculture, working with a diverse group of partners, including farmers and ranchers, public agencies, local government, university researchers, and mission-aligned organizations and businesses. CCI’s staff of five provides scientific and technical expertise, planning assistance, training and educational services, policy development, and advocacy work on behalf of its mission and partners. CCI is working to establish seven (7) Regional Carbon Farming Hubs through fund development, regional planning, and capacity building efforts in partnership with California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD) and Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) across California.

The San Joaquin Valley (SJV) Regional Carbon Farming Hub Coordinator (Regional Coordinator) is funded through a USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant awarded to CCI, Fibershed, and the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) with a focus on climate-beneficial fiber production and market development. The Regional Coordinator will work in close partnership with a CCI Carbon Farm Planner and Fibershed Verification and Brand Coordinator to expand carbon farm planning and implementation activities on fiber producing farms in the San Joaquin Valley. The Regional Coordinator will also work closely with CARCD and San Joaquin Valley RCDs to build a Regional Carbon Farming Hub and larger network.

Position Summary

The Regional Coordinator will accelerate adoption of carbon farming practices in the region through stakeholder engagement and coordination, education and outreach, regional needs assessments, fund development and policy advocacy. The position comes with a strong focus on helping build the technical capacity of RCDs in the region, with particular focus on planning and implementation for fiber, vegetable and forage producers. The Regional Coordinator will engage in network development, facilitated by CCI and CARCD, that improves the quality and effectiveness of carbon farm planning and implementation activities in the SJV region. The Regional Coordinator will work hand and hand with the SJV RCDs and will play a vital role in helping establish the San Joaquin Valley Carbon Farming Hub.

Principal Roles

1. San Joaquin Valley Carbon Farming Hub Coordination – The Regional Coordinator will serve as the main organizer for the SJV Hub and, in collaboration with other Regional Hub Coordinators, help build the network of RCD Regional Carbon Farming Hubs across the state.
      ○  Regularly communicate with CARCD and six other regional coordinators across California.
      ○  Regularly coordinate with Fibershed, NCAT and other grant partners nationwide.
      ○ Help coordinate and build RCD conservation technical assistance and planning capacity within the SJV Hub, with a particular focus on fiber, vegetable and forage producers.

2. Ongoing Climate Mitigation Planning & Needs Assessment for SJV Agricultural Lands – The Regional Coordinator will work with other CCI staff, SJV RCDs, and the agricultural community to understand the regional potential for carbon sequestration and barriers to adoption.
      ○  Oversee execution of a landscape-scale carbon sequestration assessment for each RCD district.
      ○  Routinely check in with local partners and stakeholders and coordinate local and regional meetings to determine the specific needs of agricultural producers and technical assistance providers in the SJV region.
      ○  Lead a steering committee in developing a regional needs assessment.
      ○  Oversee development of a partnership-based climate mitigation opportunity implementation plan.

3. Outreach and Technical Support – The Regional Coordinator will facilitate peer-to-peer learning and resource sharing among program partners to support the mission of the Hub.
      ○  Organize and support education and outreach activities, including workshops, field days, and webinars, for farmers, ranchers, agricultural conservation partners, and other stakeholders.
      ○  Manage media and communications platforms and networks.     
      ○  Support Hub-based grant proposal coordination, writing, and execution.
      ○  Build partnerships and coalitions that support agricultural climate solutions by streamliningcommunication and collaboration among regional partners, including RCDs, UC Cooperative Extension, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, agricultural associations, universities, and others.

4.   Awareness and Advocacy – The Regional Coordinator will work closely with CCI and Fibershed staff to build understanding about the role of agricultural climate solutions regionally and statewide.
      ○  Build understanding among a variety of stakeholders and policy-makers about the potential for agricultural climate solutions and the supports needed to implement these solutions.
      ○  Organize and attend relevant local, regional, and statewide meetings with elected officials, state and federal agency representatives, agricultural industry groups, and other conservation partners.

Physical Requirements

Ability to work effectively as a part of a virtual team and to sit for prolonged periods at a computer. Ability to travel throughout the region and to spend full days in the field (on farms and ranches) in varying weather conditions. Requires frequent (40%) travel within the San Joaquin Valley, and quarterly travel to Sacramento and/or the San Francisco Bay Area, which may include overnight stays.

Skills and Qualifications

This position requires the following skills. If you do not meet the job requirements listed, please tell us why you might be a good fit anyway:
      ○  B.S./B.A., and/or M.S. degree in Soil Science, Biological, Natural or Applied Sciences (e.g. Food/Agriculture Science, Watershed Management, etc.) or equivalent education and experience.
      ○  At least five (5) years’ experience working in the natural resources conservation field, with a minimum of two (2) years’ experience working closely with agricultural communities.
      ○  In-depth knowledge of the intersection of climate science, agriculture, and ecological systems.
      ○  Demonstrated experience with supporting multi-stakeholder or multi-organization groups, including: group or member facilitation, coordination, co-learning and/or organizing; needsassessments.
      ○  Demonstrated experience building partnership in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors; skilled atconflict resolution and group facilitation.
      ○  A cooperative, professional, and entrepreneurial disposition, with an ability to navigate ambiguity inbuilding new and efficient processes and systems.
      ○  Excellent written and verbal communication skill; particularly technical writing skills. Provide writing samples upon request.
      ○  Strong communications and project and event (often virtual) management skills.
      ○  Demonstrated skill to communicate with agricultural stakeholders, government agencies, policymakers and elected officials.
      ○  Proficient in analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing a variety of data.
      ○  Proficiency or fluency in Spanish desired.
      ○  Proficient at using technology (Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, ArcGIS, etc.)
      ○  Valid California driver’s license.

Salary and Benefits

Salary Range: $75,000–$84,000 per year depending on experience; Benefits include paid vacation, sick leave and a health insurance stipend.

Application Information

Please submit a cover letter and resume to Patricia Hickey at phickey@carboncycle.org with “Regional Coordinator” in the subject line. This position will remain open until filled. To be considered with the first round of applications, please submit materials no later than 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time on June 19, 2023. Qualified applicants may be asked to submit additional information during the interview process.

The Carbon Cycle Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, disability, marital status, or protected veteran status.