<p><strong>ABOUT AMERICAN FORESTS: &nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>American Forests is a national non-profit organization committed to creating healthy and resilient forests from cities to large landscapes, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water, and wildlife. We advance our mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. We envision a world in which the significant environmental, societal, and economic benefits of forests are fully realized and equitably available to all people. Established in 1875, American Forests is the oldest national non-profit conservation organization in the U.S. working to restore urban forests and forested landscapes.</p>
<p>American Forests is proud to be a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplace. These are our shared values. We welcome individuals who bring a variety of backgrounds and experiences to be a part of our team to help make a difference individually and collectively as we work toward achieving our mission. We are committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming and respectful and provides opportunities for advancement and professional growth for every team member. We hope you find your future with us.</p>
<p><strong>PROJECT SUMMARY: &nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>America&rsquo;s forests are a critical natural climate solution. Reforestation/afforestation offers the most immediate and ample carbon removal solution. There are many opportunities for this in the U.S., with as much as 148 million acres suitable for reforestation (ReforestationHub.org). Yet, deployment of quality reforestation at scale has been limited by high upfront costs that are out of sync with the timeline for carbon removal.&nbsp;</p>
<p>American Forests&rsquo; Reforest America Carbon Program (RACP) is designed to address the financing challenges associated with reforestation/afforestation and advance the highest quality climate-adapted projects. Over the past year, American Forests has worked with landowners, forest carbon experts, carbon registries, and businesses to design RACP to help meet the country&rsquo;s growing reforestation needs.&nbsp;</p>
<p>We are currently developing a unique portfolio of climate-adapted reforestation projects with public land management agencies, Tribal Nations, and underserved private landowners who do not have access to the necessary funding to reforest severely burned lands in the western United States and other lands suitable for reforestation in other geographies throughout North America.</p>
<p>American Forests recently received a USFS grant to support the participation of federal recognized Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian organizations and&nbsp;underserved private landowners, in emerging markets for resilient reforestation, or reforestation that is resilient to future climate changes and disturbances as well as future market and economic conditions. We are working to deliver the following outcomes: &nbsp;</p>
<ul>
<li>Provide federally recognized Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian organizations and underserved private landowners, with the technical and financial resources needed for implementing resilient reforestation projects. &nbsp;</li>
<li>Create new opportunities for Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian organizations and underserved private landowners, to access new income streams and deploy climate-informed reforestation practices well suited to emerging markets for climate mitigation and resilience.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Engage with and provide technical assistance to Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian organizations and underserved private landowners, about resilient reforestation and emerging markets for joint climate mitigation and adaptation.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Implement high-integrity resilient reforestation projects yielding biodiversity, water, climate, and cultural benefits.</li>
</ul>
<p>To advance this work, American Forests is looking for a Director of the Reforest America Carbon Program to direct the continued development and implementation of the Reforest America Carbon Program, oversee contract negotiations with project suppliers and buyers, recruit and lead a team of RACP staff to efficiently originate, develop, and market high-quality RACP projects, and represent American Forests in a leadership role in related carbon initiatives including, but not limited to, a nascent U.S. Forest Carbon Coalition effort.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES</strong></p>
<p>The Director of the Reforest America Carbon Program will direct the continued development and implementation of the Reforest America Carbon Program, oversee contract negotiations with project suppliers and buyers, recruit and lead a team of RACP staff to efficiently originate, develop, and market high-quality RACP projects, and represent American Forests in a leadership role in related carbon initiatives. Additionally, they will oversee the origination, development, and implementation of a portfolio of carbon financed reforestation/afforestation projects that include traditional and innovative approaches. They will oversee the direction projects in partnership with corporate and other philanthropic funders and land managers including state and federal agencies, private landowners, and tribes; manage existing projects and partnerships and lead project execution; manage contractors and forestry consultants. Specific responsibilities include:</p>
<p><strong>Reforest America Carbon Project Development and Leadership (55%)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Lead the Program by directing the refinement and implementation of the go-to-market strategy, and finance and operations, development, program, policy, and communication teams.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Develop and maintain relationships with RACP partners, represent American Forests and RACP in the natural climate solutions community.</li>
<li>Manage budgets and timelines, secure and supervise contractors and staff, and ensure completion of program deliverables.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Be a service leader in the carbon finance arena, participating in working groups and engaging with federal and state agencies, non-profit organizations, carbon registries, leading corporations, and carbon finance experts to inform and develop our strategies.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Serve as American Forests&rsquo; expert on existing methodologies for financing afforestation/reforestation to inform our strategies and monitor the development of reforestation and carbon finance best practices to meet corporate net zero targets, biodiversity, social justice, and other outcomes.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Act as the main contact for major global clients supporting large-scale global Nature-based Solutions programs, afforestation/reforestation carbon projects.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Carbon Project Direction (30%)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Oversee the RACP team and support the origination, development, and implementation of carbon financed reforestation/afforestation projects that include traditional and novel approaches.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Oversee outreach and work with Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian organizations and underserved private landowners to assess opportunities to develop nature-based carbon projects in specific geographies and landscapes in the western US (OR, WA, CA, MT, NM) and Hawaii.</li>
<li>Oversee the origination of new projects with senior forestry staff by engaging with a broad range of stakeholders including Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian organizations and underserved private landowners, consulting foresters, project developers, and NGOs, etc.</li>
<li>Direct projects in partnership with corporate and other philanthropic funders and land managers including state and federal agencies, private landowners, and tribes.</li>
<li>Manage existing projects and partnerships and lead project execution; manage contractors and forestry consultants.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Oversee and run project financial analyses to inform project development and strategies.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Program Administration (15%)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Track and manage program finances&nbsp;</li>
<li>Develop and manage budgets in partnership with American Forests&rsquo; program and finance departments</li>
<li>Lead recruitment efforts of staff and/or contractors to meet the finance and administration needs of RACP as the program develops.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>QUALIFICATIONS&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>Successful candidates will have demonstrated experience in directing program development and implementation of nature-based carbon projects and while we do not expect any one candidate to possess all of these qualifications, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal skills and qualities:</p>
<ul>
<li>Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Non-Profit Management, Conservation, Natural Resource Economics or Management, Forestry, or Natural Resource Management desired; additional experience accepted in lieu of.</li>
<li>At least seven (7) years of experience with nature-based solutions in the carbon market, with significant project/program management experience.</li>
<li>Knowledge of, and/or experience working in carbon markets, carbon accounting standards and methodologies in a technical capacity, and experience in nature-based solutions projects are strongly desired. &nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Experience leading partnerships with public agencies, Tribal Nations, private landowners, and/or non-profits, and work with corporations on climate and environmental programs.</li>
<li>A proven ability to get things done and a proven track record of excellence in project management and execution.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The ideal candidate will be a self-starting problem solver with a background in forest science and management, forest policy, and/or collaborative conservation. An ability to learn and adapt quickly is also important.</li>
<li>Strong interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral) and comfortable with public speaking</li>
<li>Ability to work both independently without close oversight, but also a team player who will productively engage with others at varying levels of seniority within and outside American Forests.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Results-orientation and passion for American Forests&rsquo; mission is essential.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>LOCATION:&nbsp;</strong><br />This is a hybrid position that is primarily remote (70%) and requires frequent travel (up to 30% of time) within the western United States to engage in key stakeholder meetings, program events, and projects as funded. American Forests headquarters is in Washington, DC; occasional travel may be required to engage with colleagues. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Subject to applicable laws, American Forests requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. We will consider requests for accommodation to this vaccination requirement during the recruiting process. Any requested accommodation(s) must be reviewed and approved (if applicable) in advance of your start date.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS</strong></p>
<p>The individual must be comfortable with prolonged periods of sitting and/or standing at a desk and working on a computer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to provide access to all individuals along the continuum of human ability and experience.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS</strong><br />This position will oversee up to three (3) Senior Managers of Carbon Projects.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span id="isPasted" dir="ltr"><strong>BENEFITS&nbsp;</strong></span><span id="isPasted" dir="ltr"><br /></span><span id="isPasted" dir="ltr">American Forests offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental and vision; disability and life insurance; 401(k) retirement plan with a 6% employer match; paid leave including 16 holidays, vacation, sick, parental leave, FMLA, bereavement and military leave; pet benefits and employee assistance programs.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>American Forests is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Reasonable accommodations may be made to provide access to all individuals along the continuum of human ability and experience.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><em>Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran/LGBTQ+</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>- - -&nbsp;</em></strong></p>
<p><em>In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA&rsquo;s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information is also available in languages other than English.</em></p>

American Forests is a national non-profit organization committed to creating healthy and resilient forests from cities to large landscapes.

Director, Reforest America Carbon Program

<div><span style="font-size:24px;">About The Role</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Yard Stick is looking for a </span><b style="font-size:11pt;">Principal Soil Scientist </b><span style="font-size:11pt;">to help us fight climate change with soil.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">The Principal Soil Scientist will spearhead our science team. This looks like designing and implementing Yard Stick’s research goals and roadmap, defining the scientific partnership strategy, and making sure high quality soil science principles are integrated across all Yard Stick functions. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Yard Stick’s mission is clear: We must replace lab analysis of soil carbon with in situ spectroscopy if carbon removal via soils is to have meaningful climate impact. Beyond markets, of course, improved quality of measurement will also increase our ability to understand the nature of changing soil carbon stocks around the world. The ideal candidate is a soil scientist who is passionate about high-quality proximal sensing research and mapping, particularly in regards to soil carbon. This candidate will have demonstrated successful leadership and motivation of a small team and values radical candor and company culture. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">This role will lead a team of our current Senior Soil Scientist, Sarah Coffman, and report to our cofounder and Chief Technology Officer, Kevin Meissner. This scientist can be based anywhere in US time zones, with the ability to travel ~10-20% (combination of field work, science meetings, as well as company and scientific partner on-sites). </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">This is a dream job for a pedometrician or soil scientist with proximal sensing experience who enjoys applying their knowledge to real world problems through high-quality and rigorous lab and field research. Someone who wants to nurture engaged and multidisciplinary research teams without the red tape of government and academic institutions will enjoy this work at Yard Stick.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">We would like to hire this role ASAP. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:24px;">About Yard Stick PBC</span></div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.useyardstick.com/" style="font-size:11pt;">Yard Stick</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> is a remote-first climate tech startup with cofounders based in Boston, MA and Oakland, CA. We are on a mission to reverse climate change with agriculture. Scientists and farmers alike know that climate-friendly agricultural practices have the potential to remove atmospheric CO2 at gigaton/year scale. When these practices are adopted, more carbon is stored in soils, improving soil health and fighting climate change. But significant measurement challenges have held soil carbon efforts back - until now.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">By reducing the cost of soil carbon measurement by 70-90%, Yard Stick will dramatically expand the opportunities for evidence-based regenerative practices to simultaneously improve ecosystem health, increase farmer income, and combat climate change. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Current soil carbon measurement technologies are slow, expensive, and cumbersome, relying on conventional soil cores and labs to quantify carbon stocks. In contrast, Yard Stick is fast and cheap - without sacrificing accuracy. As a testament to our technology’s potential, alongside our scientific collaborators, we were awarded </span><a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220921005377/en/Yard-Stick-and-Partners-Secure-225M-in-USDA-Grants-for-Climate-Smart-Agriculture" style="font-size:11pt;">$18M across six USDA Climate-Smart Commodities projects</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, and we have additional grant financing from </span><a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/soil-health-institute-awarded-3-25-million-from-arpa-e-to-develop-soil-carbon-measurement-and-monitoring-system-301124040.html" style="font-size:11pt;">ARPA-E</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, </span><a href="https://seedfund.nsf.gov/awardees/history/details/?company=yard-stick-pbc" style="font-size:11pt;">NSF</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, CDFA, and other discerning grant-makers. We’ve also raised another nearly $18M from top climate VCs, including Toyota Climate Venture Fund, Lowercarbon Capital, Breakthrough Energy Ventures (Bill Gates’ climate fund), Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Extania, Pillar VC, MCJ Collective… the list goes on!</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">For more background, check out some coverage of Yard Stick in </span><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/17/yard-stick-measure-soil-carbon/?ref=ctvc.co&amp;guccounter=1" style="font-size:11pt;">TechCrunch</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90796487/is-regenerative-agriculture-the-future-of-farming-or-the-next-greenwashing-fad" style="font-size:11pt;">Fast Company</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, and </span><a href="https://agfundernews.com/yard-stick-lands-18m-to-equip-agrifood-with-faster-cheaper-soil-carbon-measurement-tools" style="font-size:11pt;">AgFunder</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">We offer competitive salary and equity (benchmarked to 75th percentile of high-growth US tech compensation), health/dental/vision insurance, a 401k, and home-office reimbursements. We have many team members with young families and have a strong track record of creative, flexible approaches to hours and communication expectations which let folks feel great about their commitments both to Yard Stick and their lives outside of work. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">We’re also a </span><a href="https://www.helloresolve.com/analysis/public-benefit-corporations-what-they-are-and-why-you-should-care/" style="font-size:11pt;">PBC</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, or public benefit corporation, which is an alternative corporate structure which protects our ability to prioritize climate impact over profits if the two are in conflict. You can read more about PBCs in </span><a href="https://www.protocol.com/climate/public-benefit-corporations-climate-esg" style="font-size:11pt;">this article</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> which also features Yard Stick.</span></div><br><br><h3>Responsibilities</h3><ul><li>Manage Yard Stick’s Soil Science Team, currently one full-time scientist with the potential to grow in the near future.</li><li>Develop and refine methods and best practices for measurement of SOC, IC, bulk density, etc. via conventional laboratory analyses.</li><li>Manage our science roadmap and experimental strategy for advancing the state of the art of rigorous SOC measurement. </li><li>Proactively identify any lab data or experimental sampling challenges and develop creative experiments, solutions, and initiatives to solve them.</li><li>Represent Yard Stick alongside our outside grants strategy partner to identify, evaluate, and apply for grant opportunities that advance our objectives. Help deliver on grant projects that we win.</li><li>Own our publication strategy and collaborate with our industry and academic partners to publish and present on Yard Stick’s work.</li><li>Ensure that Yard Stick’s offering satisfies relevant MRV protocols (e.g. CAR SEP, Verra VM0042).</li><li>Collaborate with the software, hardware, and data science teams to accelerate the testing and deployment of Yard Stick’s in-situ probe.</li><li>Support marketing, business development, and sales efforts to effectively communicate soil science concepts to non-scientist stakeholders and collaborators.</li></ul><h3>Qualifications (Must Have)</h3><ul><li><b>Advanced degree or comparable expertise in soil science and pedology. </b>Whether or not you have an MS or PhD, you have the expertise of one. You have a working understanding of how soils vary across a landscape, ecosystems, and farming systems. </li><li><b>Strong understanding of soil carbon and GHG dynamics of soils and soil use, especially in broadacre agricultural contexts. </b>You understand how agricultural practices and climate impact intersect. You’re an expert in the principles of soil science especially insofar as they are related to quantification of soil carbon stocks and stock changes over time.</li><li><b>Familiarity with public soil data sets, stratification techniques, and/or digital soil mapping technologies and strategies.</b> Yard Stick thinks about soil sampling and its intersection with soil datasets with regularity. You have a demonstrated understanding of field- and region-scale soil variability. You know how soil characteristics change across the US, ideally with an emphasis on the Midwest, and can use that understanding to inform experimental plans. You’ll comfortably go explore the use of SSURGO data sets, emerging stratification techniques for designing soil carbon sampling plans, and you’ll happily dig into a carbon market’s guidance on quantifying stock uncertainty for an afternoon.</li><li><b>Ability to link scientific insight to company strategy. </b>You instinctively interpret information in terms of what Yard Stick should <b>do</b>, and you proactively highlight emerging science’s implications for Yard Stick’s offerings. You’re constantly interrogating Yard Stick’s worldview against what you’re learning from research to ensure we’re truly prioritizing real climate impact. You’re not afraid to confront senior leadership with conflicting evidence that may require an adjustment to the company’s direction.</li><li><b>Ability to advance company strategy via focused research.</b> You understand the business strategy and commercial intent of Yard Stick and proactively identify gaps between our current capabilities and where we need to be. You lead the soil science team to design experiments and conduct research in order to close that gap. </li><li><b>Utmost confidence to communicate Yard Stick’s scientific approach to multiple audiences. </b>Not only are you able to direct Yard Stick’s’ scientific approach based on your above qualifications, but you can clearly articulate and defend our approach to the wider soil science and climate science communities, investors, your team members or even your next door neighbor. You can direct who goes to which scientific meetings, what we present, and who we prioritize networking with.</li><li><b>Experience leading a small to large research team. </b>You have led and managed a team of graduate students or entry to senior level employees. You know how to motivate a team, contribute to company culture and enthusiastically lead tactical efforts.</li></ul><h3>Qualifications (Nice to Have)</h3><ul><li><b>Awareness of current issues in soil carbon MRV. </b>You’ve heard of soil carbon marketplaces, you’ve at least perused emerging protocols and you’re interested to learn more about how they work, and how measurement, reporting, and verification, Yard Stick’s field, is a key part of how they can grow in credible climate impact and commercial attractiveness.</li><li><b>Successful leadership of high-value grant proposals. </b>Yard Stick has already won over $4M in grants, including large awards from DOE and an NSF SBIR. Currently, our grant work is led by our partner <a href="https://www.climatefinancesolutions.com">Climate Finance Solutions</a>. You would liaise closely with this partner and experience navigating the grant writing (and grant winning!) landscape is highly attractive to us.</li><li><b>Experience working with commercial hardware and software offerings.</b> You can anticipate challenges that come with deploying new technologies and softwares. You are adaptable to new tech and can articulate clear bugs or feature needs to a technical team.</li><li><b>Personal, durable enthusiasm for the challenge of climate change. </b>It matters to you that you’re working on a problem of existential significance. You get fired up by the fact that your work can help avoid others’ suffering. You’re briefly overwhelmed by the scale of the problem... and then you’re right back in the ring doing your part.</li></ul><br><div><span style="font-size:24px;">Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Yard Stick’s impact goals go well beyond climate science. Why? Our company operates primarily in the US agricultural sector, which is predicated on centuries of mass land theft and disenfranchisement of Native and Black people. This harm continues today. If we’re going to work in this sector, we need to leave it better than we found it.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Consistent with our core value of “</span><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RhQub_w6f-N6d05pgYsCyDC8wNOvVwCvSALg6Wh-itw/edit?usp=sharing" style="font-size:11pt;">Pursue Justice</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">,” we speak up about these issues, and we support emerging solutions and relevant policy efforts such as </span><a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/hr40" style="font-size:11pt;">H.R.40</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> and </span><a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/s300" style="font-size:11pt;">S.300</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">. We also </span><a href="https://myclimatejourney.substack.com/p/the-growing-climate-solutions-act" style="font-size:11pt;">publicly highlight the risk of further racial discrimination</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> in emerging agricultural legislation like the Growing Climate Solutions Act and in press coverage ensure that the discrimination in past and present US agriculture is part of the conversation right alongside more typical topics like who our customers are, or how our tech works.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Regarding hiring and culture, we work to create a work environment where everyone feels confident sharing their ideas, problem-solving happens openly and collaboratively, and mistake-making is welcomed. We’ve recently organized lunchtime all-team discussions on issues like </span><a href="https://floridafarmworkers.org/articles/documentary-the-fields-of-immokalee/" style="font-size:11pt;">labor equity in Florida produce</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/society/black-farmers-pigford-debt/" style="font-size:11pt;">Pigford v. Glickman</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> (the largest US civil rights settlement in history), and other contemporary moral concerns in agriculture. When hiring, we standardize our interview process and questions to reduce “likeability” bias, benchmark salaries against industry databases to reduce negotiation, and utilize tools like the </span><a href="http://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com" style="font-size:11pt;">Gender Decoder</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">. Climate change is arguably the most complex challenge ever faced by humanity - we need all of humanity activated to fight back, and that motivates us to build a diverse team.</span></div>

Quantify soil carbon stocks easily and affordably with Yard Stick's measurement solutions, enabling gigaton-scale agricultural carbon sequestration

Principal Soil Scientist (Remote)

<p class="p1"><strong>Job Summary</strong></p>
<p class="p2">Hudson Carbon is hiring a Research Director to lead our research team in the design, planning, and execution of new and ongoing research projects. The Research Director will play an important role in developing and advancing research priorities, as well as developing and coordinating a team of researchers to carry out our work.</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>Key Responsibilities</strong></p>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2">Collaborate with the Executive Director, other HC research staff, and advisors, on developing research priorities.</li>
<li class="li2">Provide support to the research team in carrying out aspects of ongoing research projects, including problem-solving, experimental design, data analysis, participating in field and lab work, etc.</li>
<li class="li2">Design and develop successful grant proposals for new research projects, and effectively develop &amp; execute experimental designs and research plans.</li>
<li class="li2">Be able to develop detailed, precise and accurate project budgets.</li>
<li class="li2">Manage grant reporting requirements, and ensure that reports and supporting materials are submitted in a timely fashion.</li>
<li class="li2">Work with research team and collaborators at other organizations on developing manuscripts for publication.</li>
<li class="li2">Stay abreast of emerging trends and technologies related to measurement, monitoring, reporting &amp; verification (MMRV) protocols for the voluntary carbon market, regulatory markets, and corporate insetting.</li>
<li class="li2">Work with the Executive Director and Policy Coordinator on policy initiatives related to our research.</li>
</ul>
<p class="p4">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>Education &amp; Experience</strong></p>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2">PhD in biogeochemistry, soil science, or a related field of environmental/ecosystem science</li>
<li class="li2">Proficiency in the use of GIS software (preferably ArcGIS), including geospatial data processing and analysis workflows</li>
<li class="li2">Proficiency in statistics &amp; data science, including in the use of R &amp; Python languages</li>
<li class="li2">Experience with predictive soil mapping and/or greenhouse gas flux data analysis (eddy covariance &amp; chamber flux)</li>
<li class="li2">Experience in field research, including experimental design, field data collection, and data management &amp; analysis</li>
<li class="li2">Experience in writing successful research grant proposals</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>The Ideal Candidate...</strong></p>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2">Is inspired by the potential for regenerative organic agriculture, agroecology, sustainable forestry, and landscape restoration to address climate change, desertification, and other major threats to our planet's ecosystems.</li>
<li class="li2">Is a systems-thinker with an appreciation for the complexity of ecological systems, and a passion for holistic solutions.</li>
<li class="li2">Is a self starter that is comfortable problem-solving, troubleshooting, and learning new skills through practical application.</li>
<li class="li2">Is a team player who works well with others in a collaborative setting, and is open to learning from peers with a diverse set of skills and backgrounds.</li>
<li class="li2">Is organized, punctual, attentive to detail, and highly skilled at written and verbal communication.</li>
<li class="li2">Has a genuine interest in food and agriculture, particularly regenerative organic production systems, biodynamics, agroecology, and agroforestry.</li>
<li class="li2">Is interested in a unique opportunity to gain practical research experience with access to world-class advisors from reputable institutions, and to advance their career outside traditional academic programs.</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s2"><strong>Compensation</strong>:</span> $80K-$100K annual salary, based on experience, including a robust benefits package</p>
<p class="p4">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>About Hudson Carbon</strong></p>
<p class="p2">Hudson Carbon is an on-farm research institute and soil lab based at Old Mud Creek Farm &amp; The Churchtown Dairy, in Hudson, New York. Our work is focused on developing and implementing research projects that are aimed at better understanding the dynamics of soil &amp; biomass carbon, and greenhouse gas cycling in regenerative, organic agricultural systems &amp; regenerative forest management. Beyond contributing to the literature, our goal is to operationalize our research to catalyze the adoption of regenerative organic agriculture and forestry as a solution to climate change, ecological degradation, and food sovereignty. We achieve this by contributing to state and federal policy development, and collaborating on food system development projects more broadly.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>To that end, we work with world-class research institutions like Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, The Woodwell Climate Research Center, the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, as well as other local and regional stakeholders, including farmers, land conservancies, cooperative extensions, and state &amp; federal legislators. Hudson Carbon was founded and built by organic farmers, bringing a unique perspective to the space, grounded in practical domain knowledge, systems-thinking, and a passion for ecologically-minded agricultural production.</p>
<p class="p3">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">Interested applicants, please send resume and cover letter, as well as any other relevant resources highlighting your skills and experience, to: <a href="mailto:matt@hudsoncarbon.com"><span class="s3">matt@hudsoncarbon.com</span></a></p>

Research Director

<p><strong>ABOUT US</strong><br />American Forests is a national non-profit organization committed to creating healthy and resilient forests from cities to large landscapes, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water and wildlife. We advance our mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. We envision a world in which the significant environmental, societal and economic benefits of forests are fully realized and equitably available to all people. Established in 1875, American Forests is the oldest national non-profit conservation organization in the U.S. working to restore urban forests and forested landscapes.<br /><br />American Forests is proud to be a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible workplace. These are our shared values. We welcome individuals who bring a variety of backgrounds and experiences to be a part of our team to help make a difference individually and collectively as we work toward achieving our mission. We are committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming and respectful and provides opportunities for advancement and professional growth for every team member. &nbsp;We hope you find your future with us.</p>
<p><strong>PROJECT SUMMARY</strong><br />America&rsquo;s forests are a critical natural climate solution. Reforestation/afforestation offers the most immediate and ample carbon removal solution. There are many opportunities for this in the U.S., with as much as 148 million acres suitable for reforestation (ReforestationHub.org). Yet, deployment of quality reforestation at scale has been limited by high upfront costs that are out of sync with the timeline for carbon removal.&nbsp;<br /><br />American Forests&rsquo; Reforest America Carbon Program (RACP) is designed to address the financing challenges associated with reforestation/afforestation and advance the highest quality climate-adapted projects. Over the past year, American Forests has worked with landowners, forest carbon experts, carbon registries, and businesses to design RACP to help meet the country&rsquo;s growing reforestation needs.&nbsp;<br /><br />We are currently developing a unique portfolio of climate-adapted reforestation projects with public land management agencies, Tribal Nations, and underserved private landowners who do not have access to the necessary funding to reforest severely burned lands in the western United States and other lands suitable for reforestation in other geographies throughout North America.<br /><br />American Forests recently received a USFS grant to support the participation of particularly eligible federally recognized Tribal Nations and Native Hawaiian organizations as well as underserved private landowners, in emerging markets for resilient reforestation, or reforestation that is resilient to future climate changes and disturbances as well as future market and economic conditions. Our primary goals are to provide Tribal Nations and Native Hawaiian organizations as well as underserved private landowners with the technical and financial resources needed for implementing resilient reforestation and accessing new income streams and deploy climate-informed reforestation practices.&nbsp;<br /><br />This position will work to deliver the following outcomes and focus outreach and partnership development with federally recognized Tribal Nations in the Continental US: &nbsp;</p>
<ul>
<li>Work in close collaboration with our partners including the National Indian Carbon Coalition, a program of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation, to establish new relationships and grow existing relationships and partnerships with Tribal Nations that lead to the creation of forest restoration and carbon projects.</li>
<li>Create new opportunities for Tribal Nations to access private markets for resilient reforestation and its climate and ecosystem service benefits.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Engage with and provide technical assistance about resilient reforestation and emerging markets for joint climate mitigation and adaptation.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Implement high-integrity resilient reforestation projects yielding biodiversity, water, climate, and cultural benefits.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES</strong><br />To advance this work, American Forests is looking for a Senior Manager that is a skilled relationship-builder and excellent communicator who is grounded in cultural competency gained through lived experience and motivated by working collaboratively with others to develop high quality forest restoration and nature-based solution carbon projects with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities. They will advance this work as part of the implementation of American Forest&rsquo;s new Forest Landowner Support Cooperative Agreement with the USFS.&nbsp;<br /><br />The Senior Manager will serve as a liaison with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities and organizations to establish, grow and maintain effective relationships. The Senior Manager will work in close collaboration with our partners, including the National Indian Carbon Coalition, a program of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation, to establish new relationships and grow existing relationships and partnerships that lead to the creation of forest restoration and carbon projects. The Senior Manager will support the team in the origination, development, and implementation of carbon financed reforestation/afforestation projects that include traditional and new approaches.<br /><br />Specific responsibilities include:<br /><strong>Partnership Development with Tribal Nations (85%)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Develop organization's outreach strategy to engage Tribal Nations in reforestation in partnership with National Indian Carbon Coalition and conduct outreach to Tribal Nations to assess opportunities to develop nature-based carbon projects in specific geographies and landscapes in the western US (CA, ID, MT, NM, OR, WA).</li>
<li>Serve as an organizational liaison and trusted point of contact for&nbsp;Tribal Nations&nbsp;and tribal representatives and work in close collaboration with the National Indian Carbon Coalition to facilitate introductions and establish, grow and maintain effective working relationships and partnerships with&nbsp;Tribal Nations.</li>
<li>Build trusted relationships among tribal members and representatives, keeping&nbsp;Tribal Nation&nbsp;governments and their membership informed about project development and progress, scheduling while actively soliciting input at all stages.</li>
<li>Build on an existing network of place-based partners to meaningfully engage and form lasting partnerships with at least ten federally recognized&nbsp;Tribal Nations&nbsp;to generate forest restoration and carbon projects that integrate Indigenous Knowledge and socio-cultural benefits to restore forest ecosystems.</li>
<li>Facilitate comprehensive, efficient, thoughtful, and meaningful dialogue with tribal communities to receive feedback on project proposals and reviews, including new ideas and creative opportunities for collaboration.</li>
<li>Synthesize and effectively communicate concerns and ideas raised by tribal communities to the development team and senior management and find effective solutions and responses.</li>
<li>Coordinate with Tribal Nation Councils, natural resource departments and officers.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Program Administration (15%)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Track and manage the development of a portfolio of relationships, scopes of work and projects simultaneously</li>
<li>Develop associated work plans, track progress to program goals and manage time and resources appropriately</li>
<li>Participate in American Forests and Resilient Forest program actions and meetings as appropriate</li>
<li>Assist with development and management of budgets in partnership with American Forests&rsquo; program and finance departments</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>QUALIFICATIONS</strong><br />While we do not expect any one candidate to possess all these qualifications, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal skills and qualities:</p>
<ul>
<li>Bachelor&rsquo;s degree in conservation, Indigenous studies, public policy or related field desired; additional experience accepted in lieu of</li>
<li>At least 3 years of experience in a relevant field, which may include working in tribal government and/or Indigenous led organizations.</li>
<li>Experience with Tribal Nation outreach, cultural competency gained through lived experience and knowledge of tribal governments&nbsp;</li>
<li>An active, solutions-oriented approach that seeks to facilitate dialog and collaboration with&nbsp;Tribal Nation&rsquo;s&nbsp;interests while seeking mutually beneficial solutions to any issues that arise.</li>
<li>Experience building relationships and working with Indigenous nations, communities, and organizations in a culturally appropriate manner.</li>
<li>Established relationships with Tribal Nations, communities, and organizations in the western US.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Experience communicating the priorities and interests of Tribal Nations, communities, and organizations to a variety of audiences, including decision-makers.</li>
<li>Knowledge of relevant laws, treaties, and policies that affect Tribal Nations, communities, and organizations in the Western U.S and/or Hawaii.</li>
<li>Demonstrated understanding of Indigenous Knowledge (IK), Tribal Nation data sovereignty, and associated protocols for engagement.</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;<strong>LOCATION &amp; WORKING CONDITIONS</strong><br />This is a hybrid position that is primarily remote (70%) and requires frequent travel (up to 30%) across the western United States and/or to American Forests headquarters in Washington, DC to engage in key stakeholder meetings, program events, and projects as funded.<br /><br />Subject to applicable laws, American Forests requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. We will consider requests for accommodation to this vaccination requirement during the recruiting process. Any requested accommodation(s) must be reviewed and approved (if applicable) before your start date.&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS</strong><br />The individual must be comfortable with prolonged periods of sitting and/or standing at a desk and working on a computer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to provide access to all individuals along the continuum of human ability and experience.&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS</strong><br />This position does not have any supervisory requirements.&nbsp;</p>
<p><span id="isPasted" dir="ltr"><strong>BENEFITS&nbsp;</strong><br />American Forests offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental and vision; disability and life insurance; 401(k) retirement plan with a 6% employer match; paid leave including 16 holidays, vacation, sick, parental leave, FMLA, bereavement and military leave; pet benefits and employee assistance programs.</span></p>
<p><em>American Forests is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law. Reasonable accommodations may be made to provide access to all individuals along the continuum of human ability and experience.&nbsp;</em><br /><strong><em>Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran/LGBTQ+</em></strong><br /><strong><em>- - -&nbsp;</em></strong><br /><em>In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA&rsquo;s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information is also available in languages other than English.</em></p>

Senior Manager, Tribal and Indigenous Partnerships

<p><strong>ABOUT AMERICAN FORESTS: &nbsp;</strong><br />American Forests is a national non-profit organization committed to creating healthy and resilient forests from cities to large landscapes, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water, and wildlife. We advance our mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. We envision a world in which the significant environmental, societal, and economic benefits of forests are fully realized and equitably available to all people. Established in 1875, American Forests is the oldest national non-profit conservation organization in the U.S. working to restore urban forests and forested landscapes.</p>
<p>American Forests is proud to be a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplace. These are our shared values. We welcome individuals who bring a variety of backgrounds and experiences to be a part of our team to help make a difference individually and collectively as we work toward achieving our mission. We are committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming and respectful and provides opportunities for advancement and professional growth for every team member. We hope you find your future with us.</p>
<p><strong>PROJECT SUMMARY: &nbsp;</strong><br />America&rsquo;s forests are a critical natural climate solution. Reforestation/afforestation offers the most immediate and ample carbon removal solution. There are many opportunities for this in the U.S., with as much as 148 million acres suitable for reforestation (ReforestationHub.org). Yet, deployment of quality reforestation at scale has been limited by high upfront costs that are out of sync with the timeline for carbon removal.&nbsp;</p>
<p>American Forests&rsquo; Reforest America Carbon Program (RACP) is designed to address the financing challenges associated with reforestation/afforestation and advance the highest quality climate-adapted projects. Over the past year, American Forests has worked with landowners, forest carbon experts, carbon registries, and businesses to design RACP to help meet the country&rsquo;s growing reforestation needs.&nbsp;</p>
<p>We are currently developing a unique portfolio of climate-adapted reforestation projects with public land management agencies, Tribal Nations, and underserved private landowners who do not have access to the necessary funding to reforest severely burned lands in the western United States and other lands suitable for reforestation in other geographies throughout North America.</p>
<p>American Forests recently received a USFS grant to support the participation of federal recognized Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian organizations and underserved private landowners, in emerging markets for resilient reforestation, or reforestation that is resilient to future climate changes and disturbances as well as future market and economic conditions. We are working to deliver the following outcomes: &nbsp;</p>
<ul>
<li>Provide federally recognized Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian organizations and underserved private landowners, with the technical and financial resources needed for implementing resilient reforestation projects.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Create new opportunities for Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian organizations and underserved private landowners, to access new income streams and deploy climate-informed reforestation practices well suited to emerging markets for climate mitigation and resilience.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Engage with and provide technical assistance to Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian organizations and underserved private landowners, about resilient reforestation and emerging markets for joint climate mitigation and adaptation.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Implement high-integrity resilient reforestation projects yielding biodiversity, water, climate, and cultural benefits.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES</strong><br />The Senior Manager of Carbon Projects will oversee the origination, development, and implementation of carbon financed reforestation/afforestation projects that include traditional and new approaches. They will direct projects in partnership with corporate and other philanthropic funders and land managers including state and federal agencies, Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian organizations and underserved private landowners; manage existing projects and partnerships and lead project execution; manage contractors and forestry consultants. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:</p>
<p><strong>Carbon Project Development (85%)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Conduct outreach and work with Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian organizations and underserved private landowners to assess opportunities to develop nature-based carbon projects in specific geographies and landscapes in the western US (OR, WA, CA, MT, NM) and Hawaii</li>
<li>Originate new projects with senior forestry staff by engaging with a broad range of stakeholders including Tribal Nations, underserved private landowners, consulting foresters, project developers, and NGOs, etc.</li>
<li>Conduct initial project due diligence including site evaluations and project assessments</li>
<li>Educate landowners on reforestation program requirements and carbon markets</li>
<li>Work with American Forest staff to complete carbon project feasibility assessments modeling forest growth and suitability for carbon project methodologies or commodity-embedded carbon benefit sale</li>
<li>Develop tree planting design, project budgeting, placing seedling orders, selecting and supervising contractors, overseeing planting, ongoing maintenance, and forest inventory</li>
<li>Oversee execution of all stages of project development: Pre-feasibility studies, PDD, validation and verification, management and monitoring&nbsp;</li>
<li>Experience and familiarity with carbon certification schemes, specifically Verra&rsquo;s new VM 0047&nbsp;<u>Methodology for Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation (ARR) Projects and&nbsp;</u>Verra&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://verra.org/programs/sd-verified-impact-standard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta) Program</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Other related work as needed</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Program Administration (15%)</strong><br />The Sr. Manager of Carbon Projects will be responsible for tracking and managing the development of a portfolio of carbon projects, develop and manage several projects simultaneously, develop associated work plans, track progress to program goals and manage time and resources appropriately. &nbsp;Participate in American Forests and Resilient Forest program actions and meetings as appropriate. &nbsp;Help develop and manage budgets in partnership with American Forests&rsquo; program and finance departments.</p>
<p><strong>QUALIFICATIONS&nbsp;</strong><br />Successful candidates will have demonstrated experience in directing program development and implementation of nature-based carbon projects and while we do not expect any one candidate to possess all of these qualifications, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal skills and qualities: &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<ul>
<li>Bachelor's degree in&nbsp;<span id="isPasted">Business Administration, Non-profit Management, Conservation, Indigenous studies, Natural Resource Economics or Management, Forestry or natural resource management, Environmental Science, or a related field desired; additional experience accepted in lieu of.&nbsp;</span></li>
<li>At least five (5) years of experience with nature-based solutions in the carbon market, with significant project/program management experience.</li>
<li>Knowledge of, and/or experience working in carbon markets, carbon accounting standards and methodologies in a technical capacity, and experience in nature-based solutions projects are strongly desired. &nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Nature based carbon project-development experience including landowner outreach, initial feasibility assessment and due diligence, forest growth and carbon modelling, forest carbon inventory, financial modeling, in-depth knowledge of market protocols, contracting and managing forestry consultants, and working with carbon project developers and registries</li>
<li>Experience leading partnerships with public agencies, Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian organizations and underserved private landowners, and/or non-profits, as well as experience working with corporations on climate and environmental programs</li>
<li>A proven ability to get things done and a proven track record of excellence in project management and execution.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The ideal candidate will be a self-starting problem solver with a background in forest science and management, forest policy, and/or collaborative conservation. An ability to learn and adapt quickly is also important.</li>
<li>Creative thinker and desire to achieve measurable, on-the-ground results, and ability to grasp and summarize complex concepts quickly&nbsp;</li>
<li>Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, including in public speaking environments.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Ability to influence and engage a wide range of partners and build long-term relationships. Strong organizational skills.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Ability to work both independently without close oversight, but also a team player who will productively engage with others at varying levels of seniority within and outside American Forests.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Results-orientation and passion for American Forests&rsquo; mission is essential.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>LOCATION:&nbsp;</strong><br />This is a hybrid position that is primarily remote (70%) and requires frequent travel (up to 30% of time) within the western United States to engage in key stakeholder meetings, program events, and projects as funded. American Forests headquarters is in Washington, DC; occasional travel may be required to engage with colleagues. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Subject to applicable laws, American Forests requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. We will consider requests for accommodation to this vaccination requirement during the recruiting process. Any requested accommodation(s) must be reviewed and approved (if applicable) in advance of your start date.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS</strong><br />The individual must be comfortable with prolonged periods of sitting and/or standing at a desk and working on a computer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to provide access to all individuals along the continuum of human ability and experience.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS</strong><br />This position does not have any supervisory requirements.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>BENEFITS&nbsp;</strong><br />American Forests offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental and vision; disability and life insurance; 401(k) retirement plan with a 6% employer match; paid leave including 16 holidays, vacation, sick, parental leave, FMLA, bereavement and military leave; pet benefits and employee assistance programs.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>American Forests is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.</em>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Reasonable accommodations may be made to provide access to all individuals along the continuum of human ability and experience.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><strong><em>Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran/LGBTQ+</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>- - -&nbsp;</em></strong></p>
<p><em>In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA&rsquo;s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information is also available in languages other than English.</em></p>

Senior Manager, Carbon Projects

<p><strong>Job Opening:</strong><strong> Director of Research</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Savanna Institute invites applications for a</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Director of Research to lead current and future research work at the Savanna Institute.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We seek applicants who share our passion for ecological and equitable agriculture as a nature-based climate solution and who are motivated to widen the circle of who has the opportunity to inform, support, and benefit from its development. To that end, we are seeking a diversity of voices at the table and strongly encourage people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Who We Are</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Savanna Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Madison, WI and Urbana, IL. Established in 2013, we work in collaboration with farmers, businesses, and scientists to lay the groundwork for widespread agroforestry in the Midwest US. Inspired by the native savanna ecosystems that once covered much of this region, we envision a transformed agricultural system, centered on trees and other perennial crops, that fosters ecological resilience, climate stability, economic prosperity, and vibrant, equitable communities. For more information, please visit </span><a href="http://www.savannainstitute.org"><span style="font-weight: 400;">savannainstitute.org</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Job Description</strong><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>Hours: </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">Full-time</span></p>
<p><strong>Location: </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">Midwest (IL, WI, MN, IA, MO, IN, or MI)</span></p>
<p><strong>Start Date:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Fall 2024</span></p>
<p><strong>Salary: </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">$90,000-$110,000</span><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This position is eligible for the Institute&rsquo;s benefits package. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Benefits for full-time employees include 30 days paid time off per year, 3 weeks of paid family leave, a health reimbursement arrangement that can be applied to insurance premiums and approved healthcare costs, a 401(k) retirement savings plan, and a monthly home office stipend</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This position reports to the Director of Agroforestry Innovation</span></li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Duties/Responsibilities</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Agroforestry is poised for a potential major expansion in the coming years and decades, and our research team is working to prepare the improved tree crop varieties and refined systems and practices knowledge base needed to support this scale-up. The Director of Research will lead the Savanna Institute&rsquo;s agroforestry research efforts (80% time) and have the opportunity to carry out relevant research or scholarship in their field (20%).&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">More specifically, they will:&nbsp;</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lead current and future research work at the Savanna Institute:</span></li>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A tree crop cultivar development program with a staff of six plant breeders and other research professionals, applying methods like genomic selection and digital imagery-based phenotyping to six key tree crop species</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Programs in the landscape ecology, ecosystem science, and agronomic / horticultural management dimensions of agroforestry, with a staff of four (soon to be five) plant and soil scientists and other research professionals</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Potential future research areas, such as ag engineering or social sciences</span></li>
</ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Act as the direct supervisor to most research staff&nbsp;</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ensure strategy &amp; mission alignment and operational excellence in the department</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coordinate department staff in setting and implementing a grant writing strategy and personally participate in grant writing, developing sponsored research partnerships, or securing other funds to help fund research programs</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cultivate external research partnerships, and coordinate with internal and external agroforestry outreach and education professionals to help inform research goals with on-the-ground farmer and other stakeholder needs</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If desired, carry out individual research or scholarship at the intersection of the Director of Research&rsquo;s individual expertise and Savanna Institute&rsquo;s research scope (Estimated time available: 20%)&nbsp;</span></li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Required Qualifications</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We&rsquo;re looking for someone who is passionate about the future of agroforestry, and has:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A core commitment to using rigorous science as a tool to generate real results for people and planet</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A PhD in the agricultural or biological sciences, or a PhD in any discipline plus substantial demonstrated experience in interdisciplinary collaboration with agricultural or biological science researchers</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Direct work experience as a researcher or scholar, accompanied by a meaningful peer-reviewed publication record</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Demonstrated success in soliciting and stewarding external funding from grantmaking agencies, foundations, or donors</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prior experience managing a team of researchers, or a brief description of what makes you ready for your first people management job</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interest and ability in being an effective external collaborator and communicator, and as a leader and participant in external research partnerships</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Candidates are required to locate in the Savanna Institute&rsquo;s Midwest US service area of IL, WI, MN, IA, MO, IN, or MI. Preference may be given to candidates willing to locate within convenient driving distance of our primary field sites in southwestern WI and central IL</span></li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you're excited about this job, we're excited to learn about your experience! Please be sure to address each of the following qualifications in your cover letter &mdash; paint us a picture of how your unique skills, experiences, and/or education meet or exceed the qualifications. Cover letters should be no longer than 1 typed page.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>How To Apply </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">Submit a resume/CV and cover letter to the position on our jobs page: </span><a href="https://www.savannainstitute.org/jobs/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.savannainstitute.org/jobs/</span></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Deadline </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">All applications must be received by </span><strong>11:59 pm CT on April 29th, 2024</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, but position will re-post until filled.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Questions?</strong><strong> </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">Email Kathleen Fitzgibbon, Operations Manager, </span><a href="mailto:kathleen@savannainstitute.org"><span style="font-weight: 400;">kathleen@savannainstitute.org</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Diversity Commitment</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Savanna Institute affirms the value of diversity of staff and stakeholders, and aims to foster inclusive environments and equitable outcomes of our work. We seek individuals who are committed to these goals.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Equal Employment Opportunity</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Equal Opportunity is and shall be provided for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without unlawful discrimination on the basis of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable state or federal law.</span></p>

Savanna Institute works in collaboration with farmers, businesses, and scientists to lay the groundwork for widespread agroforestry in the Midwest US.

Director of Research

<div><span style="font-size:24px;">About the Role</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Yard Stick is looking for a Data Scientist to help us fight climate change with soil. This role will coordinate with our hardware team to improve data collection from our novel spectral soil probe for building machine learning models, will partner with our soil science team to collect and analyze soil and geospatial data sets, and will collaborate with our business development team to accurately and effectively communicate soil carbon results to our customers.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">On a typical day, our field team is out collecting data on farms. Raw data from spectrometers and other sensors get uploaded (once internet is available) and ingested by our data pipeline. Your job is to take this real-world messy data, process and normalize it, deal with partial collections and find inconsistencies. You’ll collaborate across the company to combine that data with lab analyses and other data sources to build statistical and machine learning models that estimate carbon stocks. Your work drives the incentives for climate-friendly agriculture.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Yard Stick is a remote-first company and the technology team is distributed around the U.S. This role will report directly to Yard Stick’s VP of Software, and will work under the technical leadership of the Head of Data Science. This is a dream job for someone who loves working with data, is curious about soil science, and wants to join a growing startup with literal planetary-scale impact.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">We’d like to hire this person to start ASAP.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:24px;">About Yard Stick PBC</span></div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.useyardstick.com/" style="font-size:11pt;">Yard Stick</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> is a remote-first climate tech startup with cofounders based in Boston, MA and Oakland, CA. We are on a mission to reverse climate change with agriculture. Scientists and farmers alike know that climate-friendly agricultural practices have the potential to remove atmospheric CO2 at gigaton/year scale. When these practices are adopted, more carbon is stored in soils, improving soil health and fighting climate change. But significant measurement challenges have held soil carbon efforts back - until now.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">By reducing the cost of soil carbon measurement by 70-90%, Yard Stick will dramatically expand the opportunities for evidence-based regenerative practices to simultaneously improve ecosystem health, increase farmer income, and combat climate change. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Current soil carbon measurement technologies are slow, expensive, and cumbersome, relying on conventional soil cores and labs to quantify carbon stocks. In contrast, Yard Stick is fast and cheap - without sacrificing accuracy. As a testament to our technology’s potential, alongside our scientific collaborators, we were awarded </span><a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220921005377/en/Yard-Stick-and-Partners-Secure-225M-in-USDA-Grants-for-Climate-Smart-Agriculture" style="font-size:11pt;">$18M across six USDA Climate-Smart Commodities projects</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, and we have additional grant financing from </span><a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/soil-health-institute-awarded-3-25-million-from-arpa-e-to-develop-soil-carbon-measurement-and-monitoring-system-301124040.html" style="font-size:11pt;">ARPA-E</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, </span><a href="https://seedfund.nsf.gov/awardees/history/details/?company=yard-stick-pbc" style="font-size:11pt;">NSF</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, CDFA, and other discerning grant-makers. We’ve also raised another nearly $18M from top climate VCs, including Toyota Climate Venture Fund, Lowercarbon Capital, Breakthrough Energy Ventures (Bill Gates’ climate fund), Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Extania, Pillar VC, MCJ Collective… the list goes on!</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">For more background, check out some coverage of Yard Stick in </span><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/17/yard-stick-measure-soil-carbon/?ref=ctvc.co&amp;guccounter=1" style="font-size:11pt;">TechCrunch</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90796487/is-regenerative-agriculture-the-future-of-farming-or-the-next-greenwashing-fad" style="font-size:11pt;">Fast Company</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, and </span><a href="https://agfundernews.com/yard-stick-lands-18m-to-equip-agrifood-with-faster-cheaper-soil-carbon-measurement-tools" style="font-size:11pt;">AgFunder</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">We offer competitive salary and equity (benchmarked to 75th percentile of high-growth US tech compensation), health/dental/vision insurance, a 401k, and home-office reimbursements. We have many team members with young families and have a strong track record of creative, flexible approaches to hours and communication expectations which let folks feel great about their commitments both to Yard Stick and their lives outside of work.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">We’re also a </span><a href="https://www.helloresolve.com/analysis/public-benefit-corporations-what-they-are-and-why-you-should-care/" style="font-size:11pt;">PBC</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, or public benefit corporation, which is an alternative corporate structure which protects our ability to prioritize climate impact over profits if the two are in conflict. You can read more about PBCs in </span><a href="https://www.protocol.com/climate/public-benefit-corporations-climate-esg" style="font-size:11pt;">this article</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> which also features Yard Stick.</span></div><br><br><h3>Responsibilities</h3><ul><li>Develop processes to transform, visualize, and analyze information from soil spectroscopy, lab results, plus geospatial and soil data sources</li><li>Understand and apply various statistical and machine learning models of soil properties</li><li>Partner with our soil science group to collect and evaluate data about soil samples, soil organic carbon, and geospatial data</li><li>Coordinate with our hardware team to improve data collection with our novel spectral soil probe</li><li>Collaborate with the greater Tech team to experiment with novel ways of extracting actionable data from large soil data sets</li><li>Critically engage with the scientific literature to identify state-of-the-art approaches worth pursuing</li><li>Analyze and describe your results and findings to tell a story with data to non-technical audiences</li><li>Work with the software team to build, operate, automate, and scale these processes as Yard Stick grows</li></ul><h3>Qualifications</h3><ul><li>2+ years of relevant data science work experience</li><li>Ability to take a dataset and a question, and independently and/or collaboratively devise thoughtful, defensible approaches to answering that question</li><li>Experience with data wrangling and analysis in SQL, Python, pandas, scipy, sklearn, etc.</li><li>Experience assessing data quality, designing experiments to understand mechanisms underlying data behaviors, and devising solutions for data improvement</li><li>Background in statistics and modeling techniques (Linear Regression, Partial Least Squares, Random Forest, Neural Networks (nice to have), etc.) </li><li>Ability to analyze and draw conclusions from modeling results</li><li>Work experience interfacing with a software team that is producing professional, production quality software</li><li>Passion for climate impact!</li><li>Enthusiasm to learn, teach, and collaborate</li></ul><h3>Bonus Qualifications</h3><ul><li>Background in applied math/statistics with experience in natural science domains OR background in natural science with modeling/computational experience</li><li>Experience with soil science, carbon modeling, and/or soil mapping</li><li>Experience with spectroscopy or other signal processing techniques</li><li>Experience with geospatial data, mapping, pathing, and public sources of such data</li><li>Familiarity with Jupyter and/or DeepNote</li><li>Work experience producing professional, production quality software</li><li>Work experience collaborating with a hardware team on a hardware product</li></ul><br><div><span style="font-size:24px;">Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Yard Stick’s impact goals go well beyond climate science. Why? Our company operates primarily in the US agricultural sector, which is predicated on centuries of mass land theft and disenfranchisement of Native and Black people. This harm continues today. If we’re going to work in this sector, we need to leave it better than we found it.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Consistent with our core value of “</span><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RhQub_w6f-N6d05pgYsCyDC8wNOvVwCvSALg6Wh-itw/edit?usp=sharing" style="font-size:11pt;">Pursue Justice</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">,” we speak up about these issues, and we support emerging solutions and relevant policy efforts such as </span><a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/hr40" style="font-size:11pt;">H.R.40</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> and </span><a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/s300" style="font-size:11pt;">S.300</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">. We also </span><a href="https://myclimatejourney.substack.com/p/the-growing-climate-solutions-act" style="font-size:11pt;">publicly highlight the risk of further racial discrimination</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> in emerging agricultural legislation like the Growing Climate Solutions Act and in press coverage ensure that the discrimination in past and present US agriculture is part of the conversation right alongside more typical topics like who our customers are, or how our tech works.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Regarding hiring and culture, we work to create a work environment where everyone feels confident sharing their ideas, problem-solving happens openly and collaboratively, and mistake-making is welcomed. We’ve recently organized lunchtime all-team discussions on issues like </span><a href="https://floridafarmworkers.org/articles/documentary-the-fields-of-immokalee/" style="font-size:11pt;">labor equity in Florida produce</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/society/black-farmers-pigford-debt/" style="font-size:11pt;">Pigford v. Glickman</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> (the largest US civil rights settlement in history), and other contemporary moral concerns in agriculture. When hiring, we standardize our interview process and questions to reduce “likeability” bias, benchmark salaries against industry databases to reduce negotiation, and utilize tools like the </span><a href="http://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com" style="font-size:11pt;">Gender Decoder</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">. Climate change is arguably the most complex challenge ever faced by humanity - we need all of humanity activated to fight back, and that motivates us to build a diverse team.</span></div>

Data Scientist

<div><span style="font-size:24px;">Overview</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Yard Stick is looking for a number of </span><b style="font-size:11pt;">Soil Carbon Field Technicians</b><span style="font-size:11pt;"> to help us fight climate change with soil. This role is an essential part of Yard Stick’s primary on-the-ground operations, deploying our novel soil carbon measurement technology as well as traditional soil testing methodology on fields across the US.  This is a contracted seasonal/part-time 1099 position. We are a small company with big ambitions, and therefore we need people who are highly entrepreneurial, reliable, comfortable with travel, and committed to working towards solving climate change. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Location flexible, and significant cross-country travel is required. Hourly pay (including pay for time spent travel), and travel expenses will be paid for. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:24px;">About Yard Stick PBC</span></div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.useyardstick.com/" style="font-size:11pt;">Yard Stick</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> is a remote-first, seed-stage company, with founders based in Boston and Oakland. We are on a mission to reverse climate change with agriculture. Scientists and farmers alike know that climate-friendly agricultural practices have the potential to remove atmospheric CO2 at gigaton/year scale. When these practices are adopted, more carbon is stored in soils, improving soil health and fighting climate change. But significant measurement challenges have held soil carbon efforts back - until now.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">By reducing the cost of soil carbon measurement by 90%+, Yard Stick will dramatically expand the opportunities for evidence-based regenerative practices to simultaneously improve ecosystem health, increase farmer income, and combat climate change. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Current soil carbon measurement technologies are slow, expensive, and cumbersome, relying on conventional soil cores and labs to quantify carbon stocks. In contrast, Yard Stick is fast and cheap - without sacrificing accuracy. As a testament to our technology’s potential, alongside our scientific collaborators, we were </span><a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/soil-health-institute-awarded-3-25-million-from-arpa-e-to-develop-soil-carbon-measurement-and-monitoring-system-301124040.html" style="font-size:11pt;">awarded a $3.6M grant from the DOE ARPA-E Smartfarm</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">  as well as other highly competitive grant programs which reward technical merit like NSF SBIR. For more background, check out some coverage in </span><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/17/yard-stick-provides-measurement-technology-to-combat-climate-change/" style="font-size:11pt;">TechCrunch</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> or </span><a href="https://www.treehugger.com/can-soil-save-us-company-intends-find-out-5198965" style="font-size:11pt;">Treehugger</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">We've also raised money from top climate VCs, including </span><a href="https://www.breakthroughenergy.org/" style="font-size:11pt;">Breakthrough Energy Ventures</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> (Bill Gates' climate fund), </span><a href="https://lowercarboncapital.com/" style="font-size:11pt;">Lowercarbon Capital</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> (Chris and Crystal Sacca's climate fund), </span><a href="https://www.mcjcollective.com" style="font-size:11pt;">MCJ Collective</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, and others. Details of the financing aren’t announced in a press release or article, because that can feel a bit cart before the horse, but we're happy to share more detail about our funding when we chat.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:24px;">About The Role</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">This Soil Carbon Tech role is critical to the success and rollout of Yard Stick’s offerings and works in-field across the country and a variety of project types to meet our R+D and client goals. The Yard Stick team and our client base is spread across the country, but our current focus is primarily in the Midwest. We’re growing quickly, and this position will be an essential role with significant responsibility. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">You will be primarily responsible for testing our hardware and software in fields across the US to help us evaluate and improve our technology’s accuracy, durability, and usability. You will be leading projects geared towards calibrating our technology, as well as collecting measurements to quantify stocks on client lands using a variety of different methodologies. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">You’ll provide feedback on hardware and software tools alike, as Yard Stick has innovative offerings in both domains. Obviously, when stuff breaks, you’ll document why and help us brainstorm ways to improve. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Yard Stick’s offerings combine a large number of disparate disciplines, including highly technical hardware, a web app which manages carbon measurement and GIS data, and ML pipelines which connect the two. This person ultimately will work cross-disciplinarily along with our hardware, software, soil science, and business teams alike to maximize the pace of Yard Stick’s R&amp;D and therefore climate impact, so the ability to communicate clearly to a wide range of people is a must.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">We need someone who can handle rigorous field work with efficiency and exceptional precision. The ideal candidate for this role is comfortable traveling, working outdoors, handling a wide array of equipment, and working in a team off 2-6 people through projects that can include rapid schedule changes, long days, and inclement weather. </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Currently, Yard Stick is focused on proof of concept of our in situ spectral probe. Generating high-quality, publishable data requires excellent field operations. In parallel, we’re also creating our commercial offerings. This role will be crucial in carrying out both streams of work.</span></div><br><br><h3>Qualifications - Must Have</h3><ul><li><b>Some combination of education and/or experience in natural sciences, agriculture, conservation, soil science, natural resource management or another related field of study. </b>We don’t require formal education, but one way or another, you have the experience that’ll make you comfortable on farms and around producers, and are no stranger to having your hands in the dirt. </li><li><b>Extensive experience and comfort with physical field work. </b>Experience working with your hands out in the field is key to this role. You don’t flinch at the idea of 8 hours in the sun moving from customer farm to farm, sometimes for two weeks straight.</li><li><b>Comfort with field tools, technologies and strategies. </b>Our offerings use technologies like GPS, ATVs, and mobile app-based sample inventory tracking systems. You can drive an ATV, or you’re not afraid to learn. You use mechanical tools comfortably. Note: Yard Stick will provide a vehicle if you don’t have one for this role, or will generously reimburse if you do.</li><li><b>Attention to detail and commitment to craft. </b>When you take a 30 cm soil core, it’s 30 cm. You care deeply about the details. You take written instructions well, triple-check your work by nature, and will follow an SOP to the letter. You are proud to do your work very well.</li><li><b>Strong personal independence and entrepreneurial autonomy. </b>If you can’t get your boss on the phone, you figure it out. You assess the situation, consider solutions, make a plan, and execute, even if your closest coworker is 100 miles away.</li><li><b>Comfort with extended travel. </b> Projects can often be in remote areas of the country -- spending a week or two at a time away from home is essential to this role.</li><li><b>Personal enthusiasm and comfort in agricultural contexts. </b>You care about farming or ranching. The idea of helping activate agriculture to fight against climate change excites you. It matters to you that you’re working on a problem of existential significance.</li><li><b>Ability to share product feedback to improve systems. </b>When you’re asked for feedback, you pay attention and communicate observations clearly, especially in writing. You document things carefully and are curious when using new products or technologies.</li><li><b>Existing permanent authorization to work in the United States.</b></li></ul><h3>Qualifications - Nice To Have</h3><ul><li><b>Personal, durable enthusiasm for the challenge of climate change.</b></li><li><b>Awareness of current issues in carbon markets - particularly carbon removal. </b>You’ve heard of offsets/credits and some of the attendant criticism of low-quality projects of the past and present. You’ve got some basic knowledge about how carbon markets work, and you’ve heard about how carbon removal is a new, exciting, and controversial approach to climate challenges.</li><li><b>There will be a significant portion of the year that we’re not sampling, and we’re interested in other skills you can bring to the team! </b>Specifically if you have any of the following, we’d love to hear about it: GIS or other mapping software; vehicle and equipment maintenance; equipment + logistics management; agricultural sales or similar; agronomy; data science, etc.</li></ul><h3>Compensation and Other Details</h3><ul><li>$30-40/hr to start, with travel expenses (including time) paid. Performance raise after a set number of projects have been completed. </li><li>Remote first, Midwest/Plains preferred (NE/KS/CO/IA)</li></ul><br><div><span style="font-size:16pt;">Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Yard Stick’s impact goals go well beyond climate science (although our #1 core value is Climate Impact). Why? Our company operates primarily in the US agricultural sector, which is predicated on centuries of mass land theft and disenfranchisement of Native and Black people. This harm continues today. If we’re going to work in this sector, we need to actively work to make it better.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Consistent with our core value of “</span><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RhQub_w6f-N6d05pgYsCyDC8wNOvVwCvSALg6Wh-itw/edit?usp=sharing" style="font-size:11pt;">Pursue Justice</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">,” we speak up about these issues, and we support emerging solutions and relevant policy efforts such as </span><a href="http://H.R.40" style="font-size:11pt;">H.R.40</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> and </span><a href="http://S.300" style="font-size:11pt;">S.300</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">. We also </span><a href="https://myclimatejourney.substack.com/p/the-growing-climate-solutions-act" style="font-size:11pt;">publicly highlight the risk of further racial discrimination</a><span style="font-size:11pt;"> in emerging agricultural legislation like the Growing Climate Solutions Act.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Regarding hiring and culture, we work to create a work environment where everyone feels confident sharing their ideas, problem-solving happens openly and collaboratively, and mistake-making is welcomed. We also standardize our interview process and questions to reduce “likeability” bias, benchmark salaries against industry databases to reduce negotiation, and utilize tools like the Gender Decoder (this one is</span><a href="http://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com/results/bb901375-3e5e-4307-a4da-a5397bdcfc4b"> feminine-coded</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">, fwiw). Climate change is arguably the most complex challenge ever faced by humanity - we need all of humanity activated to fight back, and that motivates us to build a diverse team.</span></div>

Open Call - Soil Carbon Field Tech (Contract - Central US based)

<p><strong>Full-stack Developers</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Sustainable Agriculture SaaS start-up</li>
<li>Hybrid (able to travel to our shared office in London regularly)</li>
<li>&pound;4-7.5k per month (depending on experience) + equity options</li>
<li>Flexible working hours, support for professional development, working directly with our co-founders in a fun, fast-paced environment.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>Are you a developer wanting to apply your skills in way that has a positive impact on the planet?</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>At Soil Benchmark we&rsquo;re on a mission to restore the health of soils around the world via our Digital Soil Management platform. We&rsquo;re a fast-growing start-up and need more awesome developers like you! Join us to help shape a future where healthy soils support profitable farms delivering nutritious food, clean rivers, thriving wildlife, and carbon removal.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Do you want to make a real difference to one of the biggest challenges of our time? (And how can you answer &lsquo;no&rsquo; to that one?)</strong></p>
<p>Unsustainable agricultural practices are degrading our soils. This is awful news for both farm businesses and for the environment. When soils are degraded, the farms no longer reap the benefits of natural soil functions in supporting the profitability of their businesses. At the same time those soils no longer function properly in their roles of cleaning water, storing carbon and promoting biodiversity.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>If you&rsquo;re our ideal candidate, you'll care about how humanity is impacting our planet, and you might already be aware that the health of global soils is at crisis point. Soil Benchmark helps solve this crisis. Our independent, data-driven, software assists Farm Advisors (currently in the UK but you will help us expand elsewhere) in defining and implementing sustainable soil management practices.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>Our software utilises the wealth of existing environmental datasets and on-farm records to ensure that sustainable soil management is intuitively defined and easily communicated. We are growing really quickly (&gt;170,000ha since we launched out of beta in November 2023). This growth means that we are looking for a couple of developers to join the team and use their skills and enthusiasm to make some tangible impact.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>OK nice idea. But why should I quit my nice cushy job to work at a start-up?</strong></p>
<p>We&rsquo;re a start-up but we&rsquo;ve shown we are onto something. We were initially backed by grant funding from DEFRA, Ordnance Survey, the European Space Agency and the University of Edinburgh. Off the back of that and pre-seed funding we&rsquo;ve built a great product that is now generating recurring revenues from farms across the country. But we want to accelerate our growth even further, and to do that we need more developers like you!</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>So, yes, we&rsquo;re early-stage and you&rsquo;d have to be ready to roll your sleeves up and get stuck in, but we also think we&rsquo;ve shown we&rsquo;re going places. We&rsquo;d love you to come on board and help make sure we achieve our ambitious mission.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Great, I&rsquo;m sold. How can I get involved?</strong></p>
<p>We have a clearly defined plan of what we need to build (both new product development and also the optimisation of our sales funnel to drive growth). We are looking for a couple of developers to come on board and play a key role in delivering this plan. You&rsquo;d be working closely with Ben (our co-founder and CSO), as well as our other developers (Henry, Anastasiia, and Richard) and directly with our customers (farm advisors and farmers) to build useful, intuitive software that they really want to use!</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>What we&rsquo;re after:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Green: </strong>you want to make a tangible difference to improving the environment and helping lighten our impact on the planet &ndash; (please, please don&rsquo;t apply if you aren&rsquo;t passionate about this, it&rsquo;s<strong> by far</strong> the most important qualification).</li>
<li><strong>Team player: </strong>we're building a tribe, not just a team! Think stupid gifs on slack. Away days. Attending inspiring conferences/events. That sort of thing. We want someone who&rsquo;s willing to get stuck in with us.</li>
<li><strong>Love learning</strong>: we really don&rsquo;t mind if you don&rsquo;t have experience in exactly what we do or our full tech-stack. As long as you like learning and pick things up you&rsquo;ll be brilliant!</li>
<li><strong>Problem solver</strong>: we exist to solve problems for our amazing customers. They are fantastic at giving us lots of feedback, and hopefully you&rsquo;d enjoy the chance to help come up with neat ways to sort things out for them. And then get more feedback... We&rsquo;re looking for someone who wants to work with short feedback cycles like this.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>What will I actually be doing day-to-day?</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Building our software based on the features that our users have already asked us to add to our platform. In the short term this would focus on adding features to our Soil, Manure and Nutrient Management Plans.</li>
<li>Using your experience in software development to read between the lines of feedback and identify the problems that users are facing &ndash; and then come up with and build novel features that solve those problems. Even if users aren&rsquo;t telling us explicitly what the problem is - e.g. making a feature more intuitive if you see on a live demo that users aren&rsquo;t quickly working out how it should be used.</li>
<li>Refining how we sell the platform and also building out our internal dashboards to work out which bits of the customer journey we should focus on improving.</li>
<li>Working with and deriving national scale geospatial datasets</li>
<li>Speaking with our customers (farm advisors and farmers) to get their feedback (this could be watching them use the product live on a call which we do frequently, or just them getting in touch with feedback). Then working with them and the team to define new features and products.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Our tech stack:</strong></p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s our current tech stack to whet your appetite (but to re-iterate what we said earlier, we really don&rsquo;t mind if you don&rsquo;t have experience in the full stack below, as long as you like learning and picking up new things up):</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Programming Languages:</strong> R, Python, Javascript, CSS, SQL, PL/pgSQL, HTML</li>
<li><strong>Frameworks</strong>: Shiny, Leaflet</li>
<li><strong>Database</strong>: PostgreSQL, PostGIS</li>
<li><strong>Tools</strong>: Git, Docker</li>
<li><strong>Google Cloud Platform</strong>: Cloud Run, Cloud Build, Cloud SQL</li>
</ul>
<p>We think this is a unique opportunity to join a rapidly scaling start-up and make a tangible contribution to our mission.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>Of course, the package will include salary (&pound;4-7.5k per month depending on experience) and generous equity options so that you share in our success. We also know that working towards our mission needs to fit into both your life and your career:</p>
<ul>
<li>We are open to in-office or remote working options. We have a shared office space in Farringdon, London. It would be ideal if you are able to get to London fairly easily as we try to meet up as a team at least every few weeks in person. But if you want to be in the office every day, or work mainly from home, either is fine with us!</li>
<li>We know that there are other things in life than work, so we have flexible working hours. Work when suits you (within reason) and take holiday when you need to. We are all committed to our mission and trust each other to work hard to achieve our ambitious goals.</li>
<li>We are also really proud to support professional development for all our team. We want Soil Benchmark to be a driver not just of soil health on our customers' farms, but of the careers of all our team.</li>
<li>And finally, a job should be fun! You spend too much of your life doing it to not enjoy yourself. So while we do work hard to build tools that our customers are asking for, we don't take ourselves too seriously. You will be working alongside our co-founders in a fun, fast-paced environment.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Ready to join our mission and be part of a dynamic team that's making a real difference? If you are a passionate developer with a drive to create positive environmental impact, we'd love to hear from you!</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Apply now and join us in this rewarding journey to restore the health of our soils and contribute to a sustainable future!</strong></p>

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