Agriculture Technical Assistance Specialist

ORGANIZATION:

Accelerating Appalachia (ACAP) is a groundbreaking pioneer of regenerative agriculture business accelerators, with a vision of creating networks in regenerative agriculture that foster resilient communities and local economies, and support commodity supply chains across the Central/Southern Appalachian region. Working directly with producers–including those impacted by job losses in mining, forestry and the textile industry–across the 8-state underserved regions,  ACAP is a global leader when it comes to creating and growing producer pipelines to regenerative commodities. ACAP is committed to building a robust economy that benefits the agricultural sector, farmlands, the health and prosperity of people and communities in Central/Southern Appalachia and the rural southeast.  

In 2023, ACAP launched Building Appalachian Agricultural Resilience (BAAR), an innovative program to incentivize farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture practices across eight states in Central/Southern Appalachia and the rural Southeast. Funded by the USDA, donors, and foundations, the BAAR program offers direct cash payments and training and marketing assistance. 

POSITION:

The Technical Assistance Specialist will focus on service for our growing farmer participant network, including but not limited to advising farmers on practice selection, assisting with document gathering, and developing relationships. Qualified candidates should have experience in USDA conservation programs, regenerative agriculture and farmer technical assistance. This position is supported by a tight-knit team with program, data, communications and operations expertise, and will involve consistent communication and collaboration. Experience in telephone, email and database use (like Airtable) are especially valued. Experience working with USDA-NRCS programs and practices is preferred. ACAP employees work primarily remote. This position will be expected to travel throughout our 8 state service area to provide farmer support and technical assistance, to conferences and learning opportunities, and to team meetings.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical Assistance Specialist:

• Work closely with the CPO and the leadership team to ensure ACAP's goals regarding farmer enrollment and experience are achieved 
• Manage farmer incentives, farmer technical assistance staff or contractors to deliver successful outcomes for participating farmers
• Provide weekly updates to the ACAP team leadership on the farmer’s journey in the BAAR program, utilizing the farmer journey template for tracking and reporting
• As the number of enrolled farmers grows and partners implement plans to support them, work with the CPO/COO to determine the additional administrative and financial capacity needed to meet programmatic goals
• Ensure legal and financial requirements (i.e. staff policies, USDA compliance reporting, etc.) of the organization in the delivery of farmer services 

Program Participant Management:

• Assist with farmer onboarding, and recruitment processes, in consultation with the CPO and relevant functional leads and partners.
• Organize farmer participation content in conjunction with CPO 
• Onboard new farmers and provide assistance in developing implementation plans, preparing and submitting CPA-52’s, and . 
• Support existing design frameworks for farmer peer to peer support development as well as expand and refine peer to peer systems design. 
• Prepare regular reports for leadership team and assist with quarterly reporting for granting agencies, including key metrics and insights to inform decision-making
• Assist Chief Database Manager with data collection and entry in order to streamline reporting and maintain necessary information on program participants. 

• Other duties as assigned.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A minimum of 2 years experience working with producers in the project footprint; candidates should have experience in farm planning, familiarity with NRCS practices and implementation requirements, knowledge of regenerative agricultural practices, and farmer technical assistance.
• Strong leadership and communications skills, including excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Self-starter comfortable working independently in start-up environments and navigating agile operations. 
• Values-driven and dedicated to incorporating equity, transparency, and non-hierarchical approaches into organizational best practices.
• Possesses a proven track record of strategic thinking and analytical abilities
• Highly organized with the ability to plan across thematic areas, geographies, and timelines. 
• Operational expertise and process improvement skills
• Excellent decision-making and problem-solving skills
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively across diverse stakeholders and partner organizations

LOCATION, HOURS, AND TRAVEL

ACAP is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. While working hours are flexible, the TA Specialist must be reasonably available and responsive to the ACAP team, partners, and farmers. There may be some evening and weekend work from time to time, though this will not be extensive. The TA Specialist must be willing and able to travel regularly to meet with farmer participants in the program and attend in-person meetings throughout the project area. Thus, the TA Specialist must live in the project footprint - which includes Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, northern Georgia, and southern Ohio.

ACAP strives to design compensation and benefit packages to be mutualistic between the organization and the individual, allowing each person to thrive in their role with autonomy, support, encouragement, and energy.

• Salary range starting at $58,000, commensurate with experience.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including flexible time off (consisting of vacation, sick, mental health, and family leave), health insurance, and retirement.
• Collaborative and supportive work environment with passionate colleagues and partners.
• Opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of farmers, communities, and ecosystems in Central Appalachia and the rural Southeast.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Accelerating Appalachia offers equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression or marital status. We are committed to a diverse and culturally inclusive workplace.

For best consideration apply by Friday, September 26, 2025.