Transformation Specialist

Rural PM Academy; United States; Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work

Field visits

Exposure to agriculture

Small team

Continuous learning

Impactful work

Job summary

Rural PM Academy seeks a Transformation Specialist to support projects, learning activities and field-based collaborations across agriculture and food systems. You will work near operational realities, observing farms, kitchens, cooperatives and local initiatives to identify improvement opportunities.

The role emphasizes practical problem solving, field work and collaboration with diverse stakeholders to drive durable improvements in rural development and food systems.

Qualifications

• Curiosity, judgement and willingness to learn.
• Experience in agriculture, food systems or rural development.
• Strong attention to detail and systems thinking.
• Ability to work independently and communicate clearly.

Responsibilities

• Support field visits, assessments and improvement initiatives.
• Contribute to the development of practical tools, exercises and learning materials.
• Help organise workshops, site visits and stakeholder activities.
• Document observations, insights and lessons from projects and field work.
• Support research, mapping and analysis related to agriculture and food systems.
• Contribute to conversations around operational improvement, resource efficiency and implementation challenges.
• Help connect practical realities from the field with broader programmes, projects and initiatives.

Skills

Agriculture

Regenerative farming

Food production

Hospitality & HORECA

Rural development

Food systems

Job description

About Us

Rural PM is a management academy focused on agriculture and food systems.

We develop practical tools, learning programmes and collaborative initiatives that help farmers, food businesses, HORECA professionals and institutions strengthen their capacity to improve operations, navigate uncertainty and create lasting value. Our work sits at the intersection of agriculture, hospitality, organisational learning and rural development. Over the years, our projects and learning activities have connected us with farmers, food businesses, cooperatives, educational institutions, NGOs, public bodies and European initiatives working across the farm to fork cycle.

We are particularly interested in how implementation, coordination and management capability shape outcomes in practice. From farms and food businesses to local initiatives and food system projects, we work closely with the people responsible for producing, processing, serving and governing food.

The Role

We are looking for a Transformation Specialist to support projects, learning activities and field based collaborations across agriculture and food systems. This role is suited to someone who enjoys spending time close to operational realities. Someone curious about how farms, food businesses, kitchens, cooperatives and local initiatives function in practice and how improvement happens over time. You will contribute to projects involving:

• Farms and agricultural producers
• Food processing and value added operations
• Restaurants, hotels and HORECA environments
• Cooperatives and local initiatives
• Rural development and food system projects

Much of our work involves observation, collaboration and practical problem solving. We rarely apply standard solutions. Instead, we work alongside stakeholders to understand local realities and identify opportunities for meaningful improvement.

Tasks

What You Will Do

• Support field visits, assessments and improvement initiatives
• Contribute to the development of practical tools, exercises and learning materials
• Help organise workshops, site visits and stakeholder activities
• Document observations, insights and lessons emerging from projects and field work
• Support research, mapping and analysis related to agriculture and food systems
• Contribute to conversations around operational improvement, resource efficiency and implementation challenges
• Help connect practical realities from the field with broader programmes, projects and initiatives

Requirements

Who You Might Be

We are less interested in perfect career paths and more interested in curiosity, judgement and willingness to learn. You may come from:

• Agriculture or regenerative farming
• Food production or processing
• Hospitality and HORECA operations
• Rural development
• Food systems, sustainability or policy
• Organisational improvement or project work

You are likely someone who:

• Pays attention to details others overlook
• Enjoys understanding how systems work in practice
• Communicates clearly and respectfully
• Is comfortable working independently
• Appreciates both field work and analytical thinking
• Has a genuine interest in food, agriculture and rural communities

Benefits

What We Offer

• Flexible working arrangements
• Opportunities to participate in field visits, workshops and collaborative projects
• Exposure to agriculture, food businesses and food system initiatives across different contexts
• A small and supportive team environment
• Continuous learning through projects, partners and practical experiences
• The opportunity to contribute to work that connects operational realities with long-term improvement across agriculture and food systems

Formal titles and perfect CVs matter less to us than curiosity, commitment and a genuine interest in agriculture and food systems.

@ruralpm