Conservation Technician - Agronomist

Job Description

Job Description

Conservation Technician - Agronomist ID: AVA1-024 Location: Richmond Program: ACE
Wage/Hr: $28.50 Hours/Week: 28 Minimum Age: 55

Disclaimer: This is not a federal position. This role is offered through a partnership agreement and does not constitute an NRCS hiring action.

This position is a non-federal role funded through an existing agreement between NRCS and NEW Solutions. The enrollee will provide direct support to farmers and landowners, enabling the implementation of conservation practices on the ground. This role contributes to NRCS's mission by enhancing capacity in field offices and ensuring timely assistance to producers. It is designed to free up NRCS staff for emergency and high-priority responses, not to replace federal staff.

This role helps ensure continued progress on conservation planning, practice implementation, and technical assistance, especially in high-demand or disaster-affected areas. It aligns with the Administration's priorities for farmer-first, field-facing, and partner-enabled capacity expansion.

For over 25 years, National Experienced Workforce Solutions (NEW Solutions) has specialized in connecting experienced workers (ages 55+) with full-time and part-time job opportunities that support the critical missions of Federal Agencies across the United States.

NEW Solutions connects experienced workers (ages 55+) with the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS). These are experienced professionals who provide technical and professional assistance to the Department of Agriculture for the Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services (ACES) Program.

Benefits: Paid Health Insurance Premium for positions budgeted at 60+ hours per pay period, Accrued Vacation and Sick Leave, Paid Federal Holidays, and optional Vision and Dental Insurance available for positions budgeted at 35+ hours per pay period.

Positions listed here do not guarantee employment for any definite period. Enrollment in the Experienced Worker Programs administered by NEW Solutions is temporary. The enrollment relationship between NEW Solutions and the Enrollee is an at-will relationship. This means that an Enrollee is free to terminate enrollment at any time during the enrollment period, and NEW Solutions and the Agency have the right to terminate the relationship with the Enrollee.

PLEASE NOTE: An ACES Enrollee is not a federal employee, nor an employee of NEW Solutions. An ACES Enrollee is a participant in a grant program established through a Cooperative Agreement funded by the USDA-NRCS and administered by NEW Solutions.

This opportunity applies to applicants legally eligible to work in the United States.

Qualifications:

Minimum of 15 year(s) of experience in Conservation agronomy planning & agricultural erosion, soil health assessment in VA, including previous training and certification from VA NRCS in these subjects. OR BA/BS Degree in Agronomy, engineering and/or other technical field.

• Minimum 15 years of experience in agronomy, conservation planning, conservation practices & agricultural erosion assessment in Virginia, plus the specialized skills & abilities listed below. Must have demonstrated professional experience (10 to 15 years) using the NRCS Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, Version 2 (RUSLE2) in Virginia. Must have received previous training and certification from Virginia NRCS in RUSLE2 and conservation planning. Must have adequate organizational, technical, and interpersonal skills and experience to independently plan, organize, and oversee training for Virginia conservation professionals. Must have demonstrated video editing skills and ability to create webcasts and other video-based educational products. Must have valid driver's license.
• Experience required with Windows, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint
• Video editing & webcast production software such as Camtasia.

Duties:

This position is part of the Ecological Sciences / State Resource Conservationist (SRC) team for NRCS in Virginia. The primary purpose of the position is to provide statewide technical support to State, Area, and Field Office staff on conservation agronomy and associated planning and practices, with special emphasis on all aspects of cropland soil erosion assessment, soil health and prevention.

• Assist State Resource Conservationist (SRC) with wide range of conservation agronomy technical tasks, including: (a) Planning & Implementation of conservation agronomist practices and associate planning and training and soil health. (b)Planning & implementation of formal web-based or in-person training on RUSLE2 and associated cropland soil erosion assessment and prevention principles and practices. (c) Planning & implementation of formal outdoor field training on assessment and prevention of erosion and collection of associated data for running RUSLE2. (d) Providing web-based or in-person small group or one-on-one assistance to conservation planners on RUSLE2 and soil erosion assessment and prevention. (e) Planning and development of technical documents, videos, and other resources to assist conservation planners with RUSLE2 and soil erosion assessment and prevention. (f) Maintaining VA NRCS RUSLE2 resources including databases and FOTG library. (g) Researching educational needs of VA conservation planners and opportunities to enhance their technical capacity with respect to RUSLE2 and erosion assessment and prevention. (h) Assist as assigned with other SRC tasks and projects that directly or indirectly promote enhanced understanding and implementation of conservation agronomy principles and practices in Virginia.   100%

• Travel Requirements: Visiting VA USDA Service Centers and field sites, use of GOV and possibly POV.
• Overnight travel: Rarely, maybe 4 times per year to attend meetings or give presentations.
• Physical requirements: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

NEW Solutions is committed to promoting equal opportunity and to an environment free from discrimination and harassment in any form administering Experienced Worker Programs under cooperative agreements with federal agencies. It is NEW Solutions' policy to comply with all applicable laws that provide equal opportunity and to prohibit unlawful discrimination in enrolling participants in the federal programs.