Conservation Manager

Summary:

Manages the Conservation Agronomy Department by developing and managing partnerships and programs and by increasing the department’s impact and revenue of Heartland Co-op by performing the following duties personally or through subordinate employees.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work with the director of environmental resources to establish new conservation partnerships and programs that can bring knowledge, resources, and benefits back to our cooperative and our members.
• Develop and maintain relationships with government officials, government agency personnel, and the private sector individuals who are in positions of developing conservation partnerships and programs.
• Hire and manage the team of conservation agronomists, training them on the sales process, sales techniques, conservation practices, and programs.
• Provide agronomic expertise to conservation agronomists, sales agronomists, and farmers.
• Help conservation agronomists design and coordinate conservation field days, grower meetings, and educational events, including, but not limited to, rainfall simulations, soil health demonstrations, and cover crop or saturated buffer tours.
• Be accessible to key partners, industry resources, etc., to provide timely feedback and representation for Heartland Co-op’s field team.
• Aid in the training of Heartland Co-op’s sales staff on conservation practices and the programs Heartland Co-op offers.
• Prepare work plans, budgets, quarterly and annual reports, and support grant developments.
• Maintain a valid driver’s license and commercial insurability at all times.
• Other duties as assigned by management.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Directly supervises employees in the location. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk, hear, taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Employee is exposed to long seasonal work hours.

Lift Level: Medium

Exerting 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly.