Farmland Preservation Manager

About the role

The Farmland Preservation Manager is a program management position responsible for leading and administering Wake County’s Farmland Preservation Program. The position provides strategic, operational, fiscal, and regulatory oversight of conservation easement acquisition, Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) and Enhanced VAD (EVAD) programs, and long-term agricultural land protection initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic, operational, fiscal, and regulatory oversight of conservation easement acquisition, VAD and EVAD programs, and long-term agricultural land protection initiatives.
• Has direct fiscal oversight of the Farmland Preservation Fund within the County’s budget, including revenues generated through Present-Use Value (PUV) roll back taxes, and ensures funds are accurately tracked, allocated, and expended in compliance with County policy, grant requirements, and program objectives.
• Works closely with the County Manager’s Office to prepare Board of Commissioners agenda items, funding actions, and policy materials.
• Serves as the County’s primary liaison to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services – Agricultural Development & Farmland Preservation Trust Fund (NCADFP) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service – Agricultural Conservation Easement Program(USDA-NRCS ACEP).
• Leads competitive state and federal grant development and administration, and oversees contracts and agreements with external partners.
• Ensures full compliance with applicable state and federal laws, grant agreements, and County policies, and coordinates monitoring and enforcement actions with the County Attorney’s Office.
• Supervises program staff, analyzes program performance and funding trends, represents the program at local, state, and national levels, and supports departmental leadership through strategic initiatives and acting leadership duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Natural Resources, Environmental Studies, Sustainability or related field.
• 4 years of experience in farmland preservation, land conservation, conservation easements, real estate transactions, project management, land use planning, natural resource management, or related fields.

Qualifications

• Experience administering or securing funding through programs such as USDA Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP-ALE) and North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund.
• Experience using ArcGIS Pro to identify priority farmland, analyze development pressures, and create maps for conservation easement applications.
• Certified FAA Drone Pilot.
• Certified Farm Succession Coordinator.

Skills

• Demonstrated experience leading and managing comprehensive farmland preservation programs, including operations, policy alignment, and long-term strategic planning.
• Proven background administering VAD, EVAD, and conservation easement programs, and working collaboratively with state and federal partners such as NCDA&CS and USDA.
• Track record of preparing, submitting, and managing competitive grants (e.g., NCADFP Trust Fund, USDA ACEP) and overseeing contracts to ensure compliance and timely deliverables.
• Expertise directing easement review, approval, monitoring, and compliance processes in coordination with internal departments, legal counsel, and external partners.
• Experience supervising staff, analyzing program performance, preparing reports and presentations, and representing program initiatives across local, state, and national forums.

Benefits

Equal Opportunity Statement
Background Check Statement
Emergency Service Worker Statement

Pay

Hiring Range: $76,986 - $92,386
Market Range: $76,986 - $107,785

Schedule

Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm