Hiring: Farmer Training Senior Program Administrator – New Entry

Farmer Training Senior Program Administrator

We are seeking a dynamic, entrepreneurial leader to guide our Farmer Training Team in developing innovative programs that support beginning farmers—from the initial spark of interest to launching successful, economically viable agricultural careers in New England. This role provides strategic direction and oversight for New Entry’s Farmer Training initiatives, working collaboratively with staff, regional partners, and farmer communities to shape and strengthen our programming.

The Farmer Training Sr. Program Administrator will lead efforts to design, implement, evaluate, and continuously improve our beginning farmer training programs. Key responsibilities include grant writing and management, program and financial management, staff supervision, oversight of New Entry’s Incubator Training Farm campus, and stewardship of curriculum development, resource creation, and long-term sustainability strategies.

This position requires expertise in agriculture and food systems, along with a passion for hands-on education. The position will also deliver classroom and field-based instruction, manage online learning platforms, support farm operations, and contribute to national outreach and knowledge-sharing efforts among beginning farmer programs.

This is a full-time, year-round position on-farm in Beverly, MA (North Shore). Budgeted salary is $68,000-72,000 per year with generous University benefits.  To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume through the Tufts Jobs Portal. We strongly encourage native Spanish speakers to apply, as we are committed to expanding bilingual educational programming to better serve diverse farming communities.

Key Job Responsibilities include:

Management and Leadership for Farmer Training Programs (60% job effort):

• Provides organizational leadership to shape the strategic vision, goals, and performance metrics for beginning farmer education and training at both local and national levels. Develops actionable strategies to achieve objectives, monitors progress and implements adjustments as needed.
• Manages all aspects of grants administration, including proposal development, project planning, timeline and deliverable tracking, evaluation, reporting, and budget oversight.
• Supervises and supports the Farmer Training Team, including hiring, onboarding, workflow evaluation, productivity monitoring, and performance reviews. Oversees student interns and temporary staff.
• Oversees financial operations for farmer training programs, including budget development, forecasting, resource allocation, and revenue generation strategies to sustain program activities.
• Ensures proactive stewardship of New Entry’s Incubator Farm Training campus, including soil health, equipment maintenance, infrastructure management, and partner engagement.
• Supports outreach, marketing, and advertising efforts to broaden program reach and engage historically underserved producers. Evaluates outreach effectiveness and adapts strategies to improve impact.
• Supports the planning and execution of producer meetings, workshops, and special events. Participates in delivering seminars, lectures, and public presentations to share program insights and outcomes.

Technical Assistance and Training for Beginning Farmers (30% job effort):

• Expand and enhance curriculum for New Entry’s core programs, including the Farm Business Planning Course, Crop Production Course, experiential training modules, online learning platforms, and specialty crop production workshops tailored to regional needs.
• Design and implement new bilingual programming (Spanish-English) and develop targeted educational initiatives for historically underserved audiences, including veterans, immigrants, refugees, and under-resourced communities, ensuring equitable access to agricultural education.
• Lead and participate in instruction across New Entry’s educational offerings, including Explore Farming!, Practicum, Crop Production, Business Planning, Certificate Programs, and the annual workshop series. Collaborate with regional farming organizations and urban agriculture programs to co-develop and deliver impactful, community-based training.
• Oversee farmer progress tracking and evaluation, utilizing contact database systems, annual program surveys, and coaching/mentoring analytics to assess outcomes, identify trends, and inform continuous program improvement.

Build Stakeholder and Institutional Awareness to Enhance Beginning Farmer Support (10% job effort):

• Independently conducts research, analyzes outcomes, and drafts comprehensive reports to share results with key stakeholders. Participates in outreach efforts and presents findings to diverse audiences.
• Facilitates knowledge exchange among national land-based farmer training programs, integrating best practices and innovative approaches into New Entry’s programming.
• Represents New Entry at conferences and industry events to explore emerging trends, conduct outreach, and present programmatic work—bringing back fresh ideas to enhance our training models.
• Identifies and advocates for policy solutions that strengthen farmer success and resilience within the broader food system.

Key Qualifications to be a successful candidate for this role:

Education & Leadership:

• Advanced degree or minimum 5 years of progressive program management and leadership experience.
• At least 3 years of supervisory experience with a proven ability to lead, mentor, and motivate staff and volunteers.

Program & Financial Management:

•  Demonstrated success in grant writing, grant administration, budgeting, and financial oversight.
•  Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines under pressure.

Agricultural Expertise:

•  Hands-on experience in diverse aspects of farming and farm enterprise.
•  Preferred experience in farm management, business ownership, or agricultural entrepreneurship.
•  Experience developing and delivering adult education curricula in crop production, marketing, financial planning, infrastructure, and business development.

Strategic & Inclusive Program Development:

•  Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to assess needs and design responsive programming, especially for underserved communities.
•  Experience building multilingual and culturally relevant educational programs.
•  Fluency in Spanish or other languages is a strong asset.

Community Engagement & Cultural Competency:

•  Experience in community organizing and cross-cultural engagement.
•  Ability to build trust and relationships with beginning, immigrant, and refugee farmers.
•  Demonstrated success working with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

Farm Site & Technical Operations:

•  Experience managing shared-use farm training sites, equipment, and land stewardship.
•  Ability to provide technical assistance and support farm operations.

Technology & Communication Skills:

•  Proficiency in software tools such as Salesforce, Microsoft Office/Excel, Canvas, and social media platforms.
•  Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, public speaking ability, and interpersonal empathy.

Personal Attributes:

•  Strong leadership, diplomacy, coaching, and team-building abilities.
•  Self-directed and adaptable in fast-paced, team-oriented environments.
•  High attention to detail and commitment to excellence.

To apply, please submit a detailed resume and cover letter through the Tufts Jobs Portal.  In your cover letter, please describe your interest in the position, how your experience matches the skills we are looking for, and how you can contribute as a member of the New Entry team and to the broader field of beginning farmer training.