Senior Cost-Share Administrative Coordinator
Practical Farmers of Iowa is Hiring a Senior Administrative Coordinator
Practical Farmers of Iowa is seeking a diligent, respectful and passionate person to serve as a senior administrative coordinator for the farm viability department.
For more than 35 years, Practical Farmers has worked to equip farmers to build resilient farms and communities. This work has always been rooted in our value of welcoming everyone and creating a culture of mutual respect. We believe that a diversity of people, ideas and perspectives strengthens our ability to find creative solutions, enriches our understanding and broadens our impact.
At Practical Farmers, we celebrate this diversity and are committed to ensuring that our policies and practices create an equitable and inclusive workplace. We take equal opportunity seriously, and seek to empower and support all applicants and teammates.
About the Position
The farm viability department provides innovative, personalized support to help farmers achieve their goals. We partner with farmers to implement new on-farm practices, develop markets and create robust farm business plans.
Within this department, the field crops team manages PFI’s flagship cost-share program, which in 2022 supported over 1,200 farmers adopting cover crops, diverse rotations and fertilizer management through consultations and financial assistance. Administering this program requires a large-scale, well-organized team effort to help each farmer enroll and complete our program.
We’re seeking a senior administrative coordinator to support our cost-share program as it continues to grow and serve more farmers implementing regenerative practices on more acres. You will play a pivotal role in shaping our administrative systems by building, testing and scaling creative solutions, supporting farmers and helping your team members contribute to large administrative projects while focusing on their areas of technical expertise.
If you enjoy managing data, building efficient processes and providing direct customer service to others as part of a tight-knit, fast-paced team, this role is for you!
The senior administrative coordinator will support the field crops viability team by:
- Leading our cost-share program administration team and overseeing the cost-share administrative assistant
- Designing, implementing and managing processes that support farmer enrollment, participant administration and reporting to ensure efficiency and farmer satisfaction
- Planning large administrative projects, delegating roles to fellow field crops team members and monitoring team progress
- Drafting and preparing work estimates and invoices, and tracking corresponding participation and expenses to generate progress reports for funders
- Supporting farmers by responding to inquiries, supporting document submission and reaching out via phone and email to ensure successful program participation
Practical Farmers offers a flexible, fast-paced work environment with opportunities for independent initiative and professional development.
Duties
Oversee contractors, staff members and volunteers who conduct field crops cost-share administrative projects and work
- Supervise the cost-share administrative assistant
Manage field crops cost-share administrative projects
- Design and implement processes that ensure consistency and efficiency in field crops cost-share programs
- Plan workflow during program administrative pushes, including enrollment and practice verification
- Delegate work to team members and monitor team progress
Design and implement data collection and management tools for field crops cost-share programs
- Create and send forms and surveys for farmers
- Create and maintain systems to track program participation
Coordinate with funders to process and finalize contracts, invoices and reports
- Prepare work estimates to send to funders
- Correspond with funders to help complete contracts and invoicing
Analyze materials and information for cost-share program budgets, invoices and contracts
- Assign farmer participants to specific programs
- Track enrollment and evaluate progress toward goals
- Generate progress reports for funders
Administer field crops cost-share programs
- Draft and send correspondence related to cost-share
- Organize and record cost-share information
- Process incoming cost-share applications
Other duties as assigned or volunteered to support department or team projects
Required Qualifications and Characteristics
- Strong project management skills
- Experience managing other employees or contractors
- Strong data collection, organization and reporting skills
- Strong process design and improvement skills to ensure efficiency and quality
- Excellent customer service
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
- Experience working within databases
- Highly organized
- Diligent and detail-oriented
- Ability to give and take constructive, respectful feedback
- Self-motivated and outgoing; willing to make cold calls and initiate communication with participants
- Ability to work efficiently and accurately in a fast-paced team environment
- Ability to plan ahead, meet deadlines and manage time effectively
- Attentive to the needs of others
- Ability to learn and adapt quickly
Desired Qualifications and Characteristics
- Experience with database management
- Experience with survey design or survey software
- Experience working with budgets
- Knowledge of agriculture in the Midwest and row-crop agricultural systems
- Appreciation of and passion for Practical Farmers of Iowa’s vision and mission
This is a full-time position based in our Ames, Iowa, office with remote work potential in the Midwest. Applicant must be in the Ames office at least once a month for in-person meetings. The starting salary for this position is $54,500 with annual opportunity for merit salary increases and position advancement.
PFI values its employees and is a flexible and supportive work environment. Employees are offered a competitive benefits package including health insurance with employer-paid premium, generous paid time off, flexible hours, paid parental leave, 4% automatic 401k contribution after one year of employment and additional learning opportunities. Practical Farmers is a family-friendly employer.
Please apply by completing the application form (including contact information, cover letter, resume and references) at the bottom of this page. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.