Agricultural Management Consultant

Alliance for the Great Lakes; Ohio; Remote; USD 2,000 - 15,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player focused on preserving the Great Lakes is seeking an Agriculture and Water Quality Consultant to enhance its technical capacity. This role involves providing strategic advice on agricultural practices that impact water quality, analyzing policy implications, and recommending conservation strategies. The position is remote, with a focus on the Great Lakes Basin, particularly in states like Ohio and Wisconsin. If you have a passion for sustainable agriculture and water quality, this is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact in environmental conservation.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in agronomy and water quality.
• Strong understanding of state-level policy related to agriculture.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic technical advice on water quality impacts.
• Recommend conservation practices to mitigate nutrient losses.

Skills

Agronomy

Soil Health

Conservation Implementation

Water Quality Analysis

Policy Understanding

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Management

Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Crop and Soil Science

Job description

The Alliance for the Great Lakes is a non-partisan non-profit organization based in Chicago with staff across the Great Lakes region working to advance policies and programs that preserve and protect Great Lakes water for current and future generations. The Alliance has worked on agriculture policy issues for decades and is looking to expand its technical capacity with a specific emphasis on agronomy, soil health, conservation implementation, and the connection to downstream water quality. To accomplish this, the Alliance is seeking an Agriculture and Water Quality Consultant (Consultant) to provide strategic technical advice and recommendations on a range of priority topics under the Agriculture and Source Water Program. These topics will vary throughout the year but may include:

• Analysis on the potential water quality impacts from proposed modifications to fertilizer and manure application rates
• Recommended conservation practices to mitigate nutrient losses
• Review of livestock permits to ensure water quality goals are achieved
• Strategies for improving soil health

Knowledge/Skills

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Management, Agricultural Engineering, Crop and Soil Science, or other related degree.
• 5+ years working in agronomy, agricultural engineering, soil science, conservation implementation, and water quality.
• Strong working understanding of state-level policy and legal requirements related to fertilizer and manure application, soil management, and water quality.

Job Parameters

• This is a one-year contract with the potential for renewal in future years. The Consultant will bill the Alliance hourly, with a minimum commitment by the Alliance of $2,500, and a maximum of $15,000 in the first year, dependent on needs as the work progresses.
• Great Lakes Basin (remote) with strong direct experience in Wisconsin, Ohio, and/or Michigan.

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Applications will be accepted until the job is filled – we are looking for the Consultant to start by June 1, 2025. Materials should be compatible with Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat. Applicants will receive confirmation of receipt of their materials and further guidance and updates about the hiring process by e-mail, with interviews provided for finalists. No phone inquiries please.

About the Alliance for the Great Lakes

The Alliance for the Great Lakes is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The search process will reinforce the Alliance’s belief that achieving diversity requires an enduring commitment to inclusion that must find full expression in our organizational culture, values, norms, and behaviors.

Our mission is to protect, conserve and restore the Great Lakes ensuring healthy water in the lakes and in our communities for all generations of people and wildlife. We advance our mission as advocates for policies that support the lakes and communities, by building the research, analysis and partnerships that motivate action, and by educating and uniting people as a voice for the Great Lakes. Learn more about the Alliance at www.greatlakes.org.

The Alliance envisions a thriving Great Lakes and healthy water that all life can rely on, today and far into the future. We aspire to be a voice for the lakes, and to support the voices of the communities that depend on the lakes and their waters.