Job Description

About Quivira Coalition

Quivira Coalition is a Santa Fe-based nonprofit that builds resilience on working lands. We foster ecological, economic, and social health through education, innovation, and collaboration. We aim to shift current agricultural and land stewardship practices in ways that produce good food, support meaningful livelihoods in rural places, sustain biodiversity, and remedy the impacts of climate change. We conduct this work through agricultural apprenticeships, land and water restoration, and farmer- and rancher-led knowledge exchange. Knowing that it is critical to the success of our work, Quivira is committed to racial equity and inclusion, and we aspire to build and support a diverse staff, team, and community, including groups that are traditionally underrepresented within conservation and agriculture.

About Quivira’s Carbon Ranch Initiative

Quivira’s Carbon Ranch Initiative (CRI) is dedicated to research, engagement, and technical support that helps producers build soil health on working lands. We focus on engaging with land stewards around the Healthy Soil Principles, circular economies (making waste productive), and using monitoring and evaluation to inform planning and implementation to combat and build resilience to climate change.

CRI was recently awarded a USDA Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities grant to strengthen regional livestock value chains and reduce overall carbon emissions involved in producing high-quality meat and other animal-based products in the Southwest. You can see more about the project here: https://soiltosupper.org/

In this project, we will:

1) implement on-the-ground projects to support the transformation of agricultural waste into compost, biochar, and other organic amendments 

2) use organic amendments to build soil health 

3) train producers and other stakeholders in how to monitor and evaluate use of amendments both for carbon and dollar accounting 

4) support production and use of a marketing toolkit for producers making and/or using organic amendments as a climate-smart practice

About Our Hiring Process

We engage a hiring committee to evaluate candidates for most positions. This committee consists of the person who will supervise the position, as well as three other team members who will work closely with the person we hire. Two peers and the CRI director review applications to determine meeting required qualifications. Anyone who meets our required qualifications will be invited for a short initial interview (15-20 min.) with the CRI director and at that time, we will request a professional writing sample that demonstrates data analysis and interpretation. Finalists who demonstrate substantial desired characteristics will then be invited to a full interview (1 hour) with the CRI director and one or two other staff members. 

Job Title

Carbon Ranch Initiative Evaluator

Position Overview
We are seeking an evaluator to join the Carbon Ranch Initiative team. This individual will primarily focus on data collection, analysis, and evaluation of greenhouse gas benefits for the Soil to Supper project and other ongoing in-field demonstration projects. Occasionally, they will be a point person for Soil to Supper producer projects. In addition, this position may assist in designing and implementing systems to evaluate the broader CRI program, including internal culture as well as external metrics, such as survey data from educational workshop participants. In all of these endeavors, the evaluator will collaborate closely with the CRI director and team. The ideal candidate is skilled in technical data evaluation, experienced in managing in-field projects, and committed to supporting regenerative agriculture through equity, collaboration, and innovation.

Primary Responsibilities

Project Evaluation (50%)

• Collaborate with the CRI team and partners to collect, quantify, and evaluate greenhouse gas benefits associated with grant-funded activities, including soil carbon sequestration and diversion from alternative waste streams. While many of the procedures for this work have been piloted, this person will also revise and build new tools to effectively and accurately provide reports to stakeholders.
• Conduct interviews and compile data on production costs, transportation, equipment use, and carbon stocks measured in the soil
• Oversee quality assurance/quality check of all data and manage data storage and use to protect private data
• Analyze and report on greenhouse gas fluxes and the economic costs of adopting organic amendment practices
• Use literature and data to estimate the longevity of soil carbon stocks and compile metadata for interrelated datasets
• Produce comprehensive final reports summarizing findings from field tests, soil tests, COMET estimates, and other analyses for general audiences including USDA funders, ranchers, and other stakeholders
• Maintain USDA-required records, including tracking incentives, commodities, and ranch-level identification data, while adhering to strict data confidentiality guidelines
• Present findings through reports, conferences, and other communication channels to stakeholders

Project Management (25%)

• Conduct multi-day site visits, facilitate trainings/workshops and in-field monitoring, and work remotely using remote sensing or model-based data collection and analysis
• Work remotely and independently to plan and organize logistics and resources for multi-day site visits, implementation activities, or workshops
• Track time and expenses for each project/deliverable to ensure the project is on time and on budget, or provide sufficient advance notice of issues
• Write reports for funding or collaboration
• Supervise coordinators, interns, volunteers as needed
• Coordinate with outside contractors, including assembling documentation for payment as needed
• Work with the CRI team to manage projects in other aspects of the program
• Engage in research processes and teach evidence-based techniques in regenerative agriculture
• Contribute to and use evaluation tools to adaptively manage projects to achieve program objectives and mission

Program Evaluation and Development (15%)

• Collaborate with the CRI director and team to create systems for evaluating the effectiveness and impact of CRI programs
• Contribute to the design and implementation of methods, protocols, and strategies to operationalize and evaluate CRI activities
• Assist in revising and improving systems to better meet the needs of stakeholders, including historically underserved communities in agriculture

Outreach and Communication (5%)

• Facilitate engagement opportunities and develop educational materials that support regenerative ranching and soil health practices
• Write for newsletters, social media, and stakeholder updates to highlight program activities
• Represent the CRI team at conferences, field days, and other events through presentations and tabling
• Support the annual REGENERATE Conference and other organizational events

Administrative and Collaborative Activities (5%)

• Report regularly to the CRI director and participate in team meetings
• Contribute to Quivira’s internal culture by engaging with staff across programs and supporting cross-program activities
• Assist with tracking and managing the time and expenses of staff and volunteers contributing to CRI projects

Qualifications and Experience

We recognize and value the many ways to learn, grow, and succeed professionally, and acknowledge that individuals acquire skills, knowledge, and perspectives through diverse educational, professional, personal, and volunteer experiences. We take all relevant experiences into account when reviewing applications and ask that you share with us the unique strengths and experiences that you will bring to Quivira and to your work.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience gathering and evaluating ecological, economic, and social data
• Strong data management, analysis, and visualization skills, with attention to confidentiality
• Demonstrated experience with greenhouse gas flux evaluation and soil health metrics
• Professional communication and presentation skills, including technical report writing and stakeholder engagement
• Ability to work with diverse communities, including Hispanic, Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color
• Capacity to travel to remote locations, camp if necessary, and drive long distances
• Strong organizational skills and experience managing projects with multiple stakeholders
• Ability to both work independently and initiate projects and procedures in a collaborative way
• Ability to lift 25 lbs. and work outdoors for extended periods
• Have a valid U.S. driver’s license

Desired Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience in data analysis, natural resource management, or a related field
• Knowledge of and experience using CARE and FAIR data management principles
• Experience with grant writing, personnel management, and fundraising
• Multi-lingual skills, particularly in Spanish or Native languages
• Proficiency with G Suite, R statistical software, and project management software like Asana
• Experience working directly with farmers and ranchers
• Experience communicating about agriculture, natural resource management, or both

This position is an excellent opportunity for someone passionate about regenerative agriculture and eager to contribute to a collaborative and impactful program. The successful candidate will have a blend of technical and scientific expertise, project management skills, and a commitment to fostering equity, inclusivity, and sustainability in agriculture.

How to Apply

• Reports to the Carbon Ranch Initiative director
• Full-time (36 hours per week), salaried*
• Salary range for manager-level positions: $55,598 - $67,954 (max) depending on experience, paid bi-weekly. Quivira uses a wage scale to determine pay rates and ranges for all positions within the organization.
• This position is primarily remote, but based in New Mexico or Colorado*
• No relocation compensation
• After two months, benefits include health, dental, vision, simple IRA, paid time off, and short- and long-term life disability insurance

Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 40,000 - 60,000.

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