This senior manager provides leadership and management direction of all USDA NRCS administrative and technical functions involved in planning, organizing, and implementing complex soil, water, and natural resource conservation for the state. This person develops and manages partnerships with public and private entities and prioritizes natural resource concerns for the state to ensure that staff and resources are in alignment to have the greatest impact.
Job Duties
Provides overall soil, water, and natural resource conservation leadership including coordination and collaboration to establish appropriate state-specific policy, standards, and procedures needed to resolve state natural resource concerns
Manages fiduciary and civil rights requirements associated with directing financial and administrative programs including procurement and property, human resources, budget and financial management, and communications to staff and external stakeholders
Builds partnerships for the agency and enters into and maintains various effective relationships at the local, state, tribal, and federal levels and with private organizations that share our common conservation goals
Recommended Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering; the study must have included 30 semester hours in a natural resource or agricultural field, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science; of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science
In some instances, a bachelor’s degree can be substituted for the specific semester hours listed above, plus appropriate experience or additional education
Sample NRCS Work Experience
Develop, debate, review, and execute the state conservation program budget
Supervise multi-disciplinary staff
Work with a diverse group of partners (e.g., NGOs, state agencies, federal agencies, tribes, and other groups trying to do conservation work)
Implement oversight and quality review processes throughout the state
Implement or manage Farm Bill conservation programs
Perform conservation planning and watershed planning
Direct and provide resource support for an operational unit that is gathering watershed information, facilitating partnership/community support, and identifying and quantifying the natural resources attributes and concerns
Synthesize information and weigh alternative solutions in the formulation of policies, procedures, budgets, and staffing; and implement decisions based on this information to achieve the desired natural resource outcomes for the watershed
Sample NRCS Training
Strategic Leadership Development Program (SLDP)
Appropriations Law
Occupational Competencies
Conservation Planning and Natural Resources Disciplines
