Climate Smart Agriculture Technical Assistance Coordinator - Bakersfield, CA, Job ID 89535

Climate Smart Agriculture Technical Assistance Coordinator – Bakersfield, CA, Job ID 89535

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources

Job Description

UC ANR is a division of the University of California (UC) system that bridges the gap between local issues and the expertise of the UC system by providing research-based information, educational programs, and technical expertise to the public in areas such as agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, and youth development. UC ANR is part of a nationwide Cooperative Extension network, which began in the early 20th century to connect research from land-grant universities with the everyday needs of people in communities across the United States. Today, we collaborate with farmers, ranchers, diverse communities, youth and adult educators, and policymakers to address local and statewide issues related to food systems, water, climate change, and sustainable agriculture through a statewide network of campus-based researchers, county-based Advisors, and community educators.

Our mission is to cultivate thriving communities, sustainable agriculture, resilient ecosystems, and economic prosperity in California and globally through equitable generation and sharing of collaborative, science-based solutions. Over 180 UCCE Advisors conduct applied research and extension education from county-based UCCE offices serving all 58 counties from 70+ locations. By working and living among those we serve, UC ANR expands the University of California's reach to engage all people and communities in California, ensuring equal access to the resources UC has to offer. Our vision is that UC ANR will be valued in every California community for meaningful engagement and making a positive difference in people's lives.

Additional Information:

• Discover our organization at UC ANR and explore our Mission.
• Through our Statewide Programs and Institutes, UC ANR academics and UC faculty collaborate in integrated teams to tackle priority problems through combined research and extension.
• Our Strategic Initiatives serve as our roadmap, helping us stay unified and effectively advocate for the work we do.
• Through our seven Public Value Statements, we share the real-world difference our research and extension work make for the public.
• We maintain a culture of equity and respect, with all UC ANR employees committed to the Civil Rights Compliance Policy.
• We champion inclusive excellence through our Principles of Community, creating a professional home where everyone, regardless of background, feels they belong and has the opportunity to grow.

Established in 2018 as a partnership between CDFA and UC ANR, the Climate Smart Agriculture Program promotes the adoption of climate smart agriculture practices targeted at soil health, manure management, and water efficiency statewide. As part of this effort, the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) Technical Assistance Coordinator will provide leadership and technical assistance for climate smart agriculture projects supported through public or private investments and practices that are voluntarily adopted by statewide producers.

The CSA Technical Assistance Coordinator will serve an important role in designing, implementing, managing, and evaluating complex education and technical assistance programs that support the adoption of science-based climate smart farming and ranching practices across California's diverse agricultural systems. These activities include technical assistance for Climate Bond (Proposition 4)-funded Healthy Soils Program (HSP) and State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) block grants, USDA-funded projects focused on sustainable rangeland management, advanced manure management, dairy sustainability, and greenhouse gas mitigation, and CDFA-funded projects to develop curriculum, training materials, and technical assistance resources for climate smart agriculture programs.

This position functions as an experienced professional with a high degree of knowledge in climate smart agriculture and expertise in specific areas including soil health, irrigation efficiency, rangeland management, manure management, greenhouse gas mitigation, and climate change adaptation. The position will play a critical role in ensuring that Climate Bond-funded HSP and SWEEP projects deliver direct and meaningful benefits to disadvantaged communities (DACs), severely disadvantaged communities (SDACs), socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (SDFRs), Tribes, and other vulnerable populations. This position serves as a statewide and regional subject matter expert and lead worker, training CDFA block grant recipients on the adoption of on-farm climate smart agriculture practices, providing direct technical assistance to farmers and ranchers for climate smart agriculture projects, and conducting data analysis and case study development for local projects to achieve local environmental and economic outcomes for farming communities.

The CSA Technical Assistance Coordinator functions with a high degree of autonomy under the general direction of the Climate Smart Agriculture Academic Coordinator in coordination with Regional Advisors and statewide CSA team members. The position is housed in a local UCCE office in Kern County.

This position requires regular on-site work at the designated office in Bakersfield, CA. Candidates must be available to work on-site as required to support business operations.

This position is a career appointment that is 100% fixed and ends 12/31/2029 with the possibility of extension if funding permits.

Pay Scale: $69,825.00/year to $97,020.00/year

Job Posting Close Date: This job is open until filled. The first application review date will be 11/5/2026.

Key Responsibilities:

25%

Statewide Program Leadership, Design, and Management

• Design, conduct, manage, and evaluate statewide and multi-county education and technical assistance programs supporting the adoption of science-based climate smart farming and ranching practices.
  
  
• Serve as a subject matter expert for UC ANR's Climate Smart Agriculture technical assistance programs supporting Climate Bond-funded HSP and SWEEP block grants.
  
  
• Use technical expertise and program management concepts to analyze, develop, and deliver statewide training curriculum, guidance materials, and standardized technical assistance packages for state, local, and regional climate smart agriculture programs.
  
  
• Identify and facilitate collaboration opportunities with partners, preparing action and implementation plans, and designing evaluation plans to measure local and regional outcomes and impacts of climate smart agriculture projects.
  
  
• Exercise autonomy in formulating program strategies, designing processes, and addressing complex issues related to climate adaptation, resilience, and the equitable distribution of CDFA funding resources statewide.
  
  
• Provide technical expertise and training on specialized topics such as soil health, irrigation efficiency, rangeland management, manure management, greenhouse gas mitigation, and climate change adaptation.
  
  

25%

Technical Assistance to Block Grant Recipients and Partners

• Provide consultation to eligible organizations applying for Climate Bond-funded HSP and SWEEP block grants, as well as other state, local, or federally funded climate smart agriculture programs.
  
  
• Co-develop grant applications and scopes of work with partners, outlining UC ANR's role in extending technical assistance capacity, developing curriculum and training materials, and ensuring the delivery of direct and meaningful benefits to underserved and priority populations.
  
  
• Support block grant recipients and other funded partners in administration of awarded projects, including planning, logistics, development of outreach strategies, refinement of project selection processes, and coordination of technical assistance delivery.
  
  
• Lead or contribute to the development of curriculum, guidance documents, and training resources for technical assistance programs such as CDFA's Alternative Manure Management Program and Dairy Plus Program, dairy sustainability initiatives, sustainable rangeland management projects, and related climate smart agriculture efforts.
  
  
• Train block grant recipients, partner organizations, technical assistance providers on quantification tools, practice standards, reporting requirements, and implementation strategies associated with climate smart agriculture adoption. Partner training may require travel outside of specified county regions.
  
  

35%

Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance to Producers

• Lead outreach, education, and technical assistance activities that promote climate smart agriculture practices, including soil health, manure management, and irrigation efficiency, to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change impacts.
  
  
• Serve as a subject-matter lead for climate smart agriculture initiatives, directing high-level technical assistance, cross-disciplinary teams, and stakeholder engagement. Manage projects such as sustainable rangeland health grants, strategic economic case studies on CSA adoption, and advanced management training courses.
  
  
• Provide regional and statewide technical assistance to producers including DACs, SDACs, SDFRs, Tribes, and other vulnerable populations including supporting project consultation, design, application, implementation, verification, and outcome reporting.
  
  
• Coordinate and conduct multilingual outreach activities through site visits, workshops, webinars, field days, train-the-trainer events, and one-on-one project consultations or site visits.
  
  
• Support producers with soil sampling, vendor coordination, project modifications, invoicing, advance payment requests, and documentation required by BGRs and CDFA.
  
  
• Facilitate connections between producers and UC Cooperative Extension Advisors, researchers, technical service providers, and partner organizations.
  
  

15%

Data Analysis, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Independently gather, analyze, and synthesize data to evaluate progress toward achieving program goals and objectives.
  
  
• Identify opportunities to improve program effectiveness and provide data-driven recommendations to the Climate Smart Agriculture Program leadership team, CDFA expert panels, and other partner or community forums.
  
  
• Develop and contribute to program evaluations including impact reports and case studies documenting producer, community, and ecosystem benefits of implemented practices.
  
  
• Maintain enrollment data, educational curriculum, and documentation required for grant management, audits, and program evaluation.
  
  
• Synthesize scientific, policy, and programmatic information to support internal decision-making and external reporting to CDFA and other partners
  
  

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, natural resources, social sciences, or a related field, and/or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Advanced knowledge of climate smart agriculture practices, including soil health, irrigation efficiency, manure management, greenhouse gas mitigation, and climate adaptation strategies.
• Advanced knowledge of CDFA climate smart agriculture financial incentive programs, block grants, and Climate Bond priorities.
• In-depth experience in community education, outreach, and technical assistance with agricultural producers.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including experience communicating technical information to diverse audiences and partners.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Preferred Skills:

• Post-baccalaureate coursework or degrees related to agriculture, sustainability, climate change, water resources, or public policy.
• Experience working with disadvantaged or underserved farming communities, including SDFRs and Tribes.
• Bilingual proficiency (Spanish/English or other languages commonly spoken by California agricultural producers).
• Experience with state or federal grant-funded programs and reporting requirements.

Special Conditions of Employment:

• Must possess valid California Driver's License to drive a County or University vehicle. Ability and means to travel on a flexible schedule as needed, proof of liability damage insurance on vehicle used is required. Reimbursement of job-related travel will be reimbursed according to University policies.
• Travel to farms, partner organizations, and other sites within assigned regions and statewide, including occasional evening or weekend work.
• The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check. This is a designated position requiring a background check and may require fingerprinting due to the nature of the job responsibilities. UC ANR does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities.
• As of January 1, 2014, ANR is a smoke- and tobacco-free environment in which smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco products, and the use of unregulated nicotine products (e-cigarettes), is strictly prohibited.
• As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs, as may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.
• Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.
  
  

1. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:
   
   

• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
  
  
  • UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
    
    
    • Abusive Conduct in the Workplace
      
      

To apply, please visit: https://careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psc/ucanr/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&JobOpeningId=89535&PostingSeq=1&SiteId=17&languageCd=ENG&FOCUS=Applicant









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