Policy Associate

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Job Title: Policy Associate

Post Date: May 20, 2026

Land Core’s Policy Associate position is well-suited for someone who aims to grow a meaningful career in federal policy, agriculture and non-profit organizations while advancing the adoption and scalability of soil health and resilient agricultural systems in the U.S.  

The Policy Associate will lead our Bill Tracker tool, monitoring legislation (and related policies) dealing with soil health, conservation, risk mitigation and crop insurance, and the connection between soil health and human health. This person will also have the opportunity to help track, manage and advance the organization’s federal policy and advocacy work, including through annual appropriations, the farm bill or other legislative vehicles, and through implementation of policies at federal agencies, including USDA. The ideal candidate will have strong communication and interpersonal skills, and an aptitude for detailed project organization. (See role description below.)

The position will report to the Executive Director, work day to day with our Programs Manager, and have the opportunity to meet and build relationships with our external stakeholders and partners. 

The outcomes of this work will shape not only Land Core’s public-sector policy goals, but also our wider education, communications, and cross-sector initiatives.  

Role & Responsibilities:

  • Manage Land Core’s Soil Health Bill Tracker, including updating the tracker and preparing quarterly bill tracker alerts

    • Conduct background research on relevancy of the bill to soil health, and identify cosponsors, press releases, supporting organizations, and progress of the bills as they make their way through Congress

    • Prepare, and present as needed, information related to soil health legislation

  • Support policy materials development, including drafting and research of relevant policy analysis, public comments, policy memos, advocacy sign-on letters, and summaries of policy news and work for Land Core’s monthly newsletter

  • Lead development of Land Core’s annual appropriations requests, including drafting justifications for the organization’s proposed funding levels for key programs and submitting the appropriate forms to members of the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture

  • Support outreach to and engagement with Congressional offices, including research, meeting scheduling, and note-taking

  • Attend and support meetings with partner organizations and stakeholders; represent the organization during coalition meetings and other forums

  • Monitor relevant policy news and regularly share highlights with team

  • Help create social media content, posting, and management of social media channels

Skills and Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, relevant work experience 

    • Relevant areas of study and experience include Political Science, Agriculture, Economics/Finance, Food Studies

    • ~2 years of additional experience in the workplace preferred

  • Demonstrable interest in Land Core’s mission 

  • Be fluent with Google Suite and familiar with (or able to quickly learn) cloud-based applications, including Asana and Slack

  • Willingness to learn and work in areas where you are not an expert 

  • Strong attention to detail, deadlines, formatting and consistency 

  • Well organized, affinity for creating and maintaining systems and structures

  • Strong research, writing, and verbal communication skills

  • Comfortable working autonomously and in a remote setting with distributed teams; self-directed, asks questions, follows up and takes initiative

  • U.S.-based

Position Details:

  • Hours: Part-time (W-2), approximately 20-30 hrs per week

  • Location: The work can largely be performed virtually and flexibly; time zones aligned with the continental US (PST - EST) are strongly preferred  

  • Compensation: $27-32/hour, based on experience

  • Term: 1-year minimum commitment

Land Core is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law. People of all backgrounds and abilities are encouraged to apply.

Please send a written expression of interest and your CV to staff@landcore.org with the subject line “Policy Associate” 

Applications accepted on a rolling basis until filled. Please note: due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly for next steps. All applicants will be notified once the posting has closed.

About Land Core:

Land Core is a 501(c)3 organization with a mission to advance soil health programs and policies that create value for farmers, businesses, and communities. We are hyper-focused on soil health, understanding that it is a keystone issue that directly solves a plethora of urgent economic and natural resource-related issues. We believe that creating the necessary infrastructure and market-based economic incentives will make the rapid adoption and scalability of regenerative soil health possible.

Land Core's work spans federal policy, risk mitigation, statistical model development (managing a team of academics and partners), as well as communication and education around soil health issues more broadly. By focusing on the risk-mitigation associated with soil health, as a way to connect American farmers and ranchers to much-needed economic incentives, the organization has developed a track record of quickly and effectively finding common ground, building diverse coalitions, and supporting legislation. 

The organization’s work and mission is executed and amplified through a range of partnerships, including with universities, coalitions, companies, and other non-profit organizations.