California Regional Director

Who We Are American Farmland Trust (AFT) is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect nearly 8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families. Long a pioneering leader, AFT continues to evolve to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers nationwide, adapting its approach to ensure the continued strength and resilience of agriculture and rural communities nationwide.

Job purpose Reporting to the Western Managing Director, the California Regional Director (Director) provides strategic leadership for growing American Farmland Trust’s (AFT) impact in California.  

Position Summary This role is ideal for a strategic leader who understands the intersection of agriculture and conservation and brings an entrepreneurial mindset to growing programs and partnerships. The Director will play key roles with program development, external relations, and fundraising while also working closely with the California Deputy Director to manage a high-functioning team to grow American Farmland Trust’s impact in California.

Duties and responsibilities Partnerships & Fundraising

• Cultivate partnerships with farm and ranch organizations, local, state, and federal agencies in California, universities, conservation organizations, corporations and others with aligned interests.
• Collaborate with the development team to engage individual donors, foundations, government agencies and corporate partners.
• Leverage external relationships to advance funding opportunities and strategic collaborations that grow AFT’s programs and impact.
• Advance AFT’s commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice through programs, partnerships and other means.

Program Leadership

• Develop and lead programs in California to advance AFT’s mission to save the land that sustains us by protecting farmland, promoting sound farming practices and keeping farmers on the land.    
• Collaborate with regional and national staff to inform and advance program, policy and research priorities.    
• In coordination with AFT’s national policy team, support the California Senior Policy Manager in developing and implementing a plan to advance AFT’s state and federal policy priorities in California.
• Oversee the development and implementation of annual workplans and budgets for California.   
• People and Programs
• Lead a high-impact team in California that successfully achieves program, budget and other organizational goals.
• Support the recruitment, hiring, supervision, and creation of an inclusive environment for an entirely remote staff.
• Work with staff to develop and achieve annual performance goals and conduct performance evaluations.

Communications & Public Relations

• Serve as an organizational spokesperson with mainstream media, create public-facing communications and speak at public and private events.
• Lead staff in documenting and communicating about AFT’s program impact in California and across the organization.   
• Shape program messages and content for external audiences in California in collaboration with AFT’s Development, Communications, and Corporate Partnerships staff.

This is not necessarily an all-inclusive list of job-related responsibilities. Management reserves the right to revise the job or to request other or different duties be performed as assigned.