Conservation Technician – Agronomist – AVA

This non‑federal position, funded through an agreement between NRCS and NEW Solutions, provides direct support to farmers and landowners by implementing conservation practices on the ground. It enhances NRCS capacity in field offices and ensures timely assistance to producers, freeing up NRCS staff for high‑priority responses.

• 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 SRC with a wide range of conservation agronomy technical tasks, including:
• Planning & Implementation of conservation agronomist practices and associated training and soil health.
• Planning & implementation of formal web‑based or in‑person training on RUSLE2 and associated cropland soil erosion assessment and prevention principles and practices.
• Planning & implementation of formal outdoor field training on assessment and prevention of erosion and collection of associated data for running RUSLE
  2.
• Providing web‑based or in‑person small group or one‑on‑one assistance to conservation planners on RUSLE2 and soil erosion assessment and prevention.
• Planning and development of technical documents, videos, and other resources to assist conservation planners with RUSLE2 and soil erosion assessment and prevention.
• Maintaining VA NRCS RUSLE2 resources including databases and FOTG library.
• Researching educational needs of VA conservation planners and opportunities to enhance their technical capacity with respect to RUSLE2 and erosion assessment and prevention.
• 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%).

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.

• 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.

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

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’s policy to comply with all applicable laws that provide equal opportunity and to prohibit unlawful discrimination in enrolling participants in the federal programs.