Description:
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING:
You’ll be joining a growing team of professionals working to conserve some of the world’s most important animals. The California Pollinator Habitat Specialist (Food Industry and Supply Chain) will support Xerces’ private-sector partners in designing and implementing cutting-edge conservation systems for bees and beneficial insects on farms across California and the Western U.S.
Supervised by Senior Pollinator Habitat Specialist, Food Systems and Living Farms Project Lead, this position will collaborate closely with farm managers, as well as key staff at some of the largest food companies in the world to design and implement biodiversity and regenerative practices on farms that serve the manufactured food and fresh produce industries.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Work with key staff at select food companies to identify and reach out to farms that will implement habitat restoration.
- Develop large-scale habitat restoration plans, including protocols for site preparation, planting methods, and ongoing maintenance.
- Manage and provide technical support for habitat restoration projects both remotely and onsite.
- Directly participate in the establishment of hedgerows, wildflower meadows and cover crop systems in heavily managed agricultural settings, including direct collaboration with farm staff and labor.
- Perform extensive monitoring of on-farm pollinator and beneficial insect habitats throughout the region.
- Document pest management practices on farms and work with farmers and Xerces’ pest management specialists to foster the adoption of reduced-risk/ecologically-based pest management strategies.
- Support partners with science-based advice and consulting on native bee and beneficial insect conservation and on-farm ecosystem services.
- Communicate our conservation model and the impact of our work to diverse stakeholders including farmers, food companies, and government agencies at conferences, workshops, and business meetings.
- Support the promotion, recruitment, and on-boarding of farms into Xerces’ Bee Better Certified farm and food product certification program, including technical assistance throughout the application process.
- Travel frequently to job sites within California and occasional travel to job sites out of state