Company description

Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment (WNC) is a fast-growing, nonprofit organization based on a campus of over 600 acres of coastal farmland in Freeport, Maine. Our work is dedicated to creating a world where agriculture and food systems support farmer viability, thriving ecosystems, and vibrant communities. Through regenerative farming demonstration and training, innovative research, direct farmer support, and collaborations, Wolfe's Neck Center works to advance agriculture - on our own farm, regionally, and nationally - to accelerate holistic change in food systems and mitigate the effects of a changing climate.

Job description

About the Northeast Farmers Fund

The Northeast Farmers Fund, a project of Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment, provides farmers with funding, technical assistance, and soil analysis services to support the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices and expand market opportunities. This program combines direct farmer funding with structured technical support and coordinated data tracking to ensure measurable environmental and market outcomes.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Director of Research & Innovation, the Project Manager provides critical operational support to the Northeast Farmers Fund. This role oversees the day-to-day management of Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs), maintains farmer data and payment tracking systems, and ensures that contracting and payment milestones are properly triggered and documented to align with program milestones. While TAPs are the primary point of contact for farmers participating in the Northeast Farmers Fund, the Project Manager will play a behind-the-scenes role helping to ensure that farmers are moving through the program in a timely and supported manner. As a key member of the project team, this role will collaborate on internal data systems and workflow development, with the goal to effectively deliver maximum impact to farmers in the Northeast. This position is well suited for someone with excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, and a passion for farm and food systems impact.

This position is grant funded through April 2028, with the potential for continuation beyond that period. The Project Manager must be based in the Northeastern United States (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI, NY). This position may be required to travel to Wolfe's Neck Center's campus in Freeport, Maine a few times per year. This position can be structured as a hybrid or fully remote role.

Key Responsibilities:

Contractor Oversight and Coordination

• Provide day-to-day oversight of contracted Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs)
• Connect farmers with TAPs upon enrollment and answer farmer application questions when needed
• Provide operational guidance and troubleshoot workflow issues
• Monitor TAP workload and flag capacity concerns

Data Management

• Create and maintain farmer profiles in Airtable and other data management systems upon application approval
• Oversee milestone tracking from application through final payment
• Approve farmer project proposals prior to contract initiation
• Ensure TAPs are accurately triggering contracting and payment events in Airtable and other data management systems
• Monitor and track farmer payments in collaboration with TAPs and the WNC Finance Team
• Provide feedback on data management systems and workflow

Payment Coordination

• Track contract milestones that trigger program payments
• Coordinate with program staff to confirm required documentation before payment requests are submitted
• Provide the finance team with accurate documentation to support payment processing and reimbursement requests
• Maintain records of payment status and related documentation

Other Responsibilities

• Provide support and input to all program and donor reporting and communications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience in program management, agriculture, nonprofit management, public administration, or a related field
• Experience supporting complex programs or federally funded grants
• Demonstrated ability to supervise contractors and/or support distributed teams
• Strong systems management experience (Airtable, CRM, database, or project management platforms)
  Experience supporting milestone-based workflows and payment tracking
• Exceptional organizational skills
  High attention to detail and ability to track complex payment flows
• Strong written communication skills
• Strong team player who can build relationships and work collaboratively across the organization and region and with partners and farmers

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working within agricultural, conservation, or food systems programs
• Familiarity with USDA grant requirements and federal compliance standards
• Knowledge of financial tracking systems and reimbursement-based grant structures
• Comfort navigating evolving systems and building operational processes from the ground up
• Familiarity with the opportunities and challenges of farming and food systems in the Northeast (ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY)

The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform this job successfully. If you do not fit this description perfectly but believe that you would be a good fit for this position, please do not hesitate to reach out with questions or apply. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Benefits

As a full-time employee of Wolfe's Neck Center, this position is eligible for benefits including health insurance, dental insurance, three weeks paid vacation and six sick days, Maine state holidays off, and our retirement savings plan. Compensation commensurate with experience: $60,000-$70,000.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $50,000 - $75,000

Location

job can be done remotely

Application instructions

If you are not registered, you'll be prompted to do so. Don't worry, it's free!

Deadline

no deadline