Chief Farming Officer

Rodale Institute; Kutztown (Berks County); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Rodale Institute in Kutztown, PA seeks a Chief Farming Officer to steer regenerative organic farming research and global farm operations. You will align farming and consulting with research priorities, drive innovation, and build leadership across a multi-location ecosystem.

Reporting to the CEO, you will mentor senior farm leaders, partner with scientists and universities, travel extensively, and represent the Institute at industry forums while delivering measurable impact worldwide.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or applicable experience in a related field.
• 10+ years of farm management experience, preferably in organic/regenerative research.
• Experience leading multi-location teams and cross-functional partners.
• Strong understanding of global trends in agriculture, environment, nutrition and health.
• Demonstrated openness to diverse backgrounds and cultures; proactive and responsive.

Responsibilities

• Oversee farm innovation teams across locations; ensure alignment with mission and goals.
• Lead regular cross-functional meetings to foster collaboration and innovation.
• Mentor and develop consulting and farm leadership teams.
• Partner with education and research leaders to support learning opportunities.
• Develop relationships with universities, nonprofits, and industry partners for shared impact.
• Coordinate with various teams to ensure external engagement and priority alignment.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Travel readiness

Diversity & Inclusion

Education

Master’s degree in related field

Job description

The Chief Farming Officer (CFO) is responsible for the strategic direction, operational excellence, and global integration of Rodale Institute's farming innovations and consulting teams, with a strong emphasis on collaboration, innovation, and leadership development. The CFO ensures that the Institute's farms, regional resource centers, and international farming initiatives operate as world-class platforms for regenerative organic agricultural research, scientific discovery, education, innovative practice, and shared learning.

Working closely with the Chief Scientific Officer, Dean of Education, Director of Organic Consulting, and the Senior Farm Director, the Chief Farming Officer aligns farming operations and consulting with the Institute's research priorities while fostering cross-functional collaboration, consistency, excellence, and measurable impact across all domestic and international locations.

As the Institute's principal operational farming leader, the CFO transforms research into scalable farming systems, develops innovative production models, and cultivates leadership capacity across a team of organic consultants through collaboration with scientists, farmers, universities, and strategic partners around the world.

The CFO will work closely with the Director of Organic Consulting to organize a national team of consultants around shared goals, accountability metrics, professional development, collaborative problem-solving, and measurable impact.

The CFO will also represent the Institute in the farming sector, at industry forums, and within stakeholder and partner networks. This position reports directly to the CEO and will be located at the main campus in Kutztown, PA.

Key responsibilities for this position include:

• Overseeing the Institute's expanded focus on Regenerative Organic Farming Innovation, ensuring new ideas are tested, shared, and translated into practical farming systems.
• Ensure that best practices are developed collaboratively and implemented through the Organic Consulting division and all regional campuses.
• Provide high-level mentorship, coaching, and leadership development to the Director of Organic Consulting, Senior Farm Director, farm managers, and emerging leaders.
• Represent the Institute in farming sector forums and partner conversations, sharing Rodale's innovative farming practices and lessons learned.
• Implement an organizational and funding strategy for the Organic Consulting division that supports innovation, shared accountability, and leadership growth.
• Partner with the Chief Scientific Officer to coordinate farming operations at the Regional Resource Centers and support effective collaboration between farm teams and research teams.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee farm innovation teams across all locations and ensure their work is aligned with Rodale Institute’s mission, research priorities, and operational goals.
• Lead regular meetings with farm managers and cross-functional partners to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and coordinated innovation across campuses.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and developmental coaching to Consulting team as they work with farmers to transition to organic and regenerative organic systems.
• Partner with the Dean of Education to ensure farm innovation, field expertise, and practical learning opportunities support education programs.
• Develop relationships and partnerships across the agricultural sector, research community, nonprofits, NGOs, universities, and allied organizations to support shared learning and mission impact.
• Collaborate with education, outreach, development, communications, and consulting teams to ensure farming expertise supports organizational priorities and external engagement.

Innovation and Farm Systems Development

• Lead collaborative development of innovative regenerative organic farming systems that improve productivity, resilience, environmental outcomes, and farmer adoption.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and management practices in partnership with researchers, farm teams, consultants, and external experts to strengthen research and operational performance.
• Promote cross-disciplinary collaboration among researchers, farm managers, educators, consultants, and external partners.
• Drive continuous innovation across equipment, production systems, and operational management while building team capability to lead and sustain improvement.

Leadership and Organizational Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop farm managers, the Senior Farm Director, the Director of Organic Consulting, regional managers, and operational leadership teams through clear expectations, coaching, delegation, and growth opportunities.
• Foster sustained collaboration across research, education, consulting, communications, development, and farm operations to align priorities and accelerate mission impact.
• Build high-performing, inclusive teams committed to operational excellence, scientific integrity, innovation, and shared accountability.
• Support succession planning, leadership development, and professional growth throughout the farming organization.

Leadership Competencies

• Visionary Leadership
• Operational Excellence
• Scientific Collaboration
• Strategic Thinking
• Innovation
• Change Leadership
• Global Partnership Development
• Talent Development
• Executive Communication
• Mission-Driven Decision Making

Core Values

The Chief Farming Officer is expected to embody the Institute's core values by demonstrating integrity, scientific rigor, collaboration, innovation, environmental stewardship, and an unwavering commitment to advancing regenerative organic agriculture for the benefit of people and the planet.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s Degree in related field or applicable experience
• 10+ years’ experience in Farm Management, preferably in Organic/Regenerative Organic Research.
• Experience leading multi-location teams
• High degree of familiarity with current global trends in agriculture, the environment, and food, nutrition, and human health.
• Demonstrate openness and acceptance of people of diverse backgrounds and culture.
• Be highly responsive, available to the team, and proactive.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrate strong and visionary leadership skills.
• Willingness and ability to travel.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with all audiences.

TRAVEL:

This position will require extensive regional, national, and international travel.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, sexual identity or handicap.