Trust In Food™, Farm Journal’s climate-smart ag division, is looking for a Farmer Engagement Director to work on the innovative Connected Ag Climate-Smart Commodities Pilot Project. Trust In Food™, is gearing up to implement a $40M Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant program enrolling growers in at least 15 states and focusing on practices related to row crop, specialty crop, and livestock.  Our project has a wide partner group providing support and technical assistance, and is designed to support producers in using data to quantify their positive impact and access climate-smart markets. The USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program focuses on building markets for commodities using regenerative, sustainable, and conservation agriculture techniques across the country and value chain. 

We’re looking for a seasoned audience development and media planning leader with familiarity of sustainable agriculture and Historically Underserved producers who will be responsible for directing all efforts to reach, engage and interface with producers across all platforms, including and especially Farm Journal owned platforms (print, digital media and education, broadcast, events, webinars, partnerships, etc.). This position will work closely with farmers and ranchers building relationships, in multiple forms, and platforms on climate smart agriculture practices.

The Farmer Engagement Director will join a team that is revolutionizing how farmers and ranchers connect with regenerative and climate-smart agriculture and helping future proof America’s environment, food and commodity marketing system.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work closely with the team to build engagement strategy to interface with producers in all regions with clear expectations of leadership and management.
• Develop best in class strategy and oversee all efforts to reach, engage and interface with producers across all platforms: digital media and education, broadcast, events, seminars and partnerships in the grant and beyond.
• Build audience development strategy and execute in coordination with internal teams.
• Will manage the Historically Underserved Coordinator to ensure the project maintains best practice and integrity in conducting outreach to Historically Underserved communities.
• Traffic project deliverables across multiple internal teams and systems (including, digital, print, broadcast).
• Interface with producers regularly, securing input, and ongoing relationship building to help increase confidence in climate smart agriculture practices and outcomes.
• Measure project performance using appropriate tools and techniques and provide ongoing performance reporting to leadership.

SKILLS + ATTRIBUTES REQUIRED

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in media planning and audience development leadership position.
• Interest and experience with agriculture/sustainability a requirement.    
• Unparalleled producer-facing and internal communication skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and multiple projects at once with high attention to detail.
• Adaptable, flexible, thrives in ambiguous and evolving environments.
• Team player. Belief that communication, collaboration and accountability are keys to be a great teammate.
• Proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint.