Green America (www.greenamerica.org) is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a just and sustainable society by harnessing economic power for positive change. Our unique approach involves working with consumers, investors and businesses on both the supply and demand sides of the market to build and economy that prioritizes the well-being of people and our planet. Our workplace reflects our goal of creating a more cooperative, environmentally sound economy. We have a participatory decision-making process, which aims to build consensus within the departments and teams.
The Center for Sustainability Solutions at Green America supports several innovation networks, focused groups of stakeholders with the objective of making significant, industry-wide system change. The program team of the Center for Sustainability Solutions provides the strategic direction, stakeholder engagement program, facilitation and coordination services, and program management for participating individuals and companies in each working group.
The Central States Dairy market initiative is a specific application of our Innovation Network methodology to the supply chain that serves dairy production in the central midwest. Green America will be working with a wide range of stakeholders throughout the supply chain, from seed to cow, to develop an orderly, cost-effective transition to non-GMO feed for large dairies.
Reporting to the Manager, Central States Dairy, the Associate Project Manager will support a wide range of activities to refine the market initiative and translate it into action. Specific tasks may include: conducting landscape and targeted research to understand market dynamics or market opportunities, designing and evaluating research programs, supporting the planning and implementation of stakeholder meetings, coordinating the efforts of external subject matter experts, contributing to project reports, maintaining accurate meeting notes and project records, and other tasks.
Strong candidates for this position will have experience with and passion for developing robust, sustainable food systems. Demonstrated experience in agricultural extension, relationship development, stakeholder engagement and collaborative project work is highly relevant for this position. Experience with supply chain management, field research, dairy systems, or process consulting a significant advantage.
The position may involve occasional domestic travel (3-4 times per year). The position would be based in Washington, DC at the Green America offices or in Boston, MA. Remote work is not available for this position. This is a two-year, grant-funded position.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The overall objective of this role is to support and coordinate the implementation of Green America’s supply chain partnership in the midwest. As the Associate Program Manager, this person will work closely with the Manager, Central States Dairy, the Director of Sustainable Food Supply Chains, other Center and Green America staff, and working group participants.
Coordinate Central States Dairy market initiative:
- Support efforts to identify and invite participants to the Initiative.
- Support research efforts aimed at understanding non-GMO dairy market dynamics, mapping existing supply chain design, assessing agronomic models for non-GMO feed regimes, and identifying industry leaders to engage or follow. May involve on-line research, scheduling and conducting interviews by telephone.
- Participate in outreach to farmers, growers, policy makers, and other key stakeholders.
- Establish professional working relationships with key players in the network.<
- Provide administrative support the Central States Dairy Design Team (support meeting planning and scheduling and ensure Design Team notes are taken, distributed and filed)
- Track project progress against goals and timelines using work management software.
- Participate in the creation of accurate, high quality deliverables.
- Maintain appropriate project confidentiality and manage proprietary information with care.
Participate in activities of Center for Sustainability Solutions:
- Attend and contribute to Center meetings.
- Attend and contribute to Green America Staff meetings and processes.
- Regular reporting to Manager, Central States Dairy and Director, Sustainable Food Supply Chains. Updates to the Center Director or other staff as needed.
- Keep accurate records of time and expenses for client billing purposes.
You will be a good fit for this position if:
- You believe passionately in the importance of making positive changes to the agricultural system.
- You have strong stakeholder engagement skills.
- You have excellent communication skills (written and spoken).
- You understand the positive impact that a large corporate supply chain can have, and you are eager to help make changes within it.
- You understand that system change is hard and you are eager to work with all willing partners to make progress.
- You have urgency to get things done, and you also understand that sometimes change is neither linear nor immediately obvious. You are comfortable with uncertainty.
- You are comfortable working in an environment with many remote stakeholders.
- You can manage multiple demands with a cool head and poise.
- You have a growth mindset and see every situation as an opportunity to learn.
- You use your resourcefulness to find creative solutions.
- You like a good laugh. You take your work seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously.
Qualified candidates will have:
- At least two (2) years of experience in program management, agricultural program management or extension, management consulting or network coordination.
- Bachelor's Degree
- Key skills:
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- Research skills to effectively and efficiently complete complex research tasks and synthesize findings (e.g. assess relationship between agronomic practices for soil health
- Ability to earn trust of farmers and extension services providersExcellent soft skills around relationship management, distributed and shared leadership, and creative problem solving (essential)
- Confidence and poise when working with senior corporate leadership
- Ability to professionally represent market initiative to a diverse set of stakeholders
- Demonstrated written communications and marketing skills
- Strong work ethic and organizational skills (work accurately to deadlines)
- Flexibility to enable working effectively in a highly collaborative environment
Knowledge:
- Working knowledge of dairy policy or operations; soil science, agronomy, or farming; industrial food supply chains; or non-GMO advocacy (highly desirable)
- Demonstrated familiarity with current and emerging trends in the agriculture sector, sustainability metrics or measurement, or CSR (desirable).
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite and experience with customer relationship management processes and tools. (essential)
- Familiarity with Zoho or other CRM; experience with Wrike or other comparable work management platform. (desirable)
Send cover letter and resume to CentralStatesDairy@greenamerica.org or to Green America, 1612 K Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006.
No calls, please.
Green America is an equal opportunity employer.
Due to the volume of applications we receive, we will not respond to every application we receive. If we wish to contact you for an interview you will hear from us by phone or email.
