Hiring: Project Manager – American Farmland Trust

American Farmland Trust 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. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.5 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres, and helped thousands of farm families make a go of it (primarily through programs that increase farm viability and/or enhance farmland access). Long a pioneering leader, AFT is now riding a new wave of growth, driven by agriculture’s most pressing needs and opportunities.

We believe diversity drives innovation. We are inclusive. We embrace differences. We recognize and respect the fundamental value and dignity of all our employees. We celebrate the unique traditions, heritages, and experiences our employees bring to the workplace. We are committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive culture that promotes and values diversity, and where everyone feels empowered to bring their authentic selves to work every day.

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, expression or identity, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, American Farmland Trust complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which we have facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

AFT has experienced significant growth over the past five years in terms of volume of projects, number of awards and increased staff. Therefore, AFT has prioritized the creation of a centralized Project Management Team (PMT) to support cross-functional staff, implement consistent project management methodologies, and ensure the successful achievement of current and future program objectives. The successful Project Manager candidate will have an interest in exploring the strategic alignment of project management best practices as they relate to the continued transformation of agriculture.

Reporting to the Project Management Director, the selected Project Manager will support our New England Regional Program and National Farm Viability Initiative by developing project plans, communicating with appropriate resources, and delivering work on time within scope and budget. Further leveraging relevant information systems to effectively advise Program Directors on operational, administrative and/or financial constraints to shape programmatic discussions and decision making. This position is fully remote, with a preference for those located in the Northeast. The PMT Recruiting Team plans to commence 1st Round Interviews the first week of April, with an expected start date in early May.

What You’ll Be Working On

• Manage the development of annual budgets, partnering with Directors to establish fiscal year objectives, funding, new hires and budgets.
• Assist with the effective allocation of staff hours, ensuring to assess impacts across current projects and evaluate multi-year workloads.
• Assist in scoping proposed projects and evaluating impacts of new work on existing timelines, staff workloads and other parameters.
• Review project proposal and internal budgets for accuracy in accordance with organizational standards.
• Support mid-year reforecast process with Finance by incorporating year-to-date actuals data in conjunction with the divisions revised expenses and revenues for the remaining year; adjusting projections as needed.
• Support Programs, Finance, and Development staff in generating data for interval reports to state or federal agencies, foundations, and funding partners.
• Facilitate contract development, management, and invoice tracking with external partners.
• Support quarterly work plan and financial reviews to establish overall program status, deviations from budget, foreseeable delays and management actions required.
• Monitor budget in accordance with the Finance team to estimate spenddown projections, identify coding discrepancies, and escalate identified issues to appropriate staff.
• Attend PMT meetings to discuss high level portfolio management, key issues/risks/constraints, cross dependencies, improvement initiatives, and framework governance.
• Develop and provide day-to-day management of systems to support staff with managing division workplans.
• Facilitate efficient and effective coordination of staff that span multiple divisions, tracking related action items as appropriate.
• Prepare project-related documentation and reports, ensuring all necessary materials are properly filed and stored.
• Engage with staff to facilitate learning and implementation of new project management strategies and approaches.
• Provide budget oversight with Directors to ensure that program funding is utilized to maximize strategic impact.
• Provide cross-functional team support to ensure that programmatic approaches are consistent, including working with Development, Communications, and other teams to improve understanding of operations within the programs team.

 The ideal candidate has a history of developing and implementing effective programs and projects.

• Strong verbal and written communication, analytical, problem solving, and organizational skills.
• Strong budget management skills and must be knowledgeable of or able to learn federal and non-profit accounting principles.
• Ability to lead others in formal and informal structures, including highly matrixed or remote environments with staff who do not report to you.
• Self-motivated and results-oriented problem-solver with strong business acumen.
• Proven ability to adapt quickly and support the effective management of conflicting priorities in a rapidly changing environment.
• Ability to translate financial concepts to individuals at all levels in the organization – including non-finance employees.
• Familiarity with state and federal grants management processes, contracting procedures and compliance, as well as other contracting and accountability systems required by universities, corporations, or foundation partners.
• Experience in using Microsoft applications such as Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Dynamics.
• Proven experience with PPM tool to manage project plans and roadmaps.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management, Information Systems, Business Administration or related field required. Additional work experience or professional certifications in one or more of the disciplines noted may substitute for these requirements.
• 3+ years’ experience working in a Project Manager role.
• Understanding of PMBOK or similar project methodologies preferred but not required.

Why you should apply

• Be a part of a purpose-driven, committed, knowledgeable, high-performing, experienced and fun team
• A diverse and inclusive work environment
• A cause and mission you can be proud of
• Competitive compensation & benefits
• Remote work opportunities
• Flexible scheduling

Ready to apply? If this job sounds like a fit for you, then click on the ‘apply’ button below.  Please answer the screener questions and be sure to include a cover letter and resume to be considered.