Job Description

Rodale Institute is seeking a Director of Farming Innovations to oversee all farming operations and Farm Innovations teams across Rodale Institute campus. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can operate at the intersection of production agriculture, applied research, and people leadership. The Director will serve as a thought leader and innovator within the regenerative organic agriculture movement, and as a builder and mentor to the national Farm Innovations team, ensuring consistent, science-based, and forward-thinking farming practices across all Rodale locations. The Director will collaborate on organizational strategy with the Executive Team and present the Farming Innovations’ work to the Board of Directors. A forward-thinking leader, the Director will bring Consulting, Research, Education, and the regional campuses together, and will partner with Marketing to tell the story of how Rodale tests, integrates, and scales new farming practices.

This role will collaborate closely with the Chief Scientific Officer and ensure that all research trials at all campuses get implemented on time and within project scope.

This role is ideal for an experienced farm manager or agricultural operations leader who is equally comfortable in the field, in front of a team, and at a conference podium — someone who can translate research into practice and practice into scalable, teachable systems for farmers everywhere.

Key Responsibilities

Farm Operations Leadership

• Oversee day-to-day farming operations across all Rodale Institute campuses in the U.S., ensuring consistency with organic and regenerative organic standards and practices.
• Set and manage annual farm operating plans, crop plans, budgets, and capital equipment needs in partnership with individual farm managers, research and finance leadership.
• Ensure farm infrastructure, equipment, and land resources are maintained and utilized effectively across all sites.
• Monitor farm performance metrics (yields, soil health indicators, input costs, labor efficiency) and drive continuous improvement.
• Bring fresh vision and new ideas for how our farm campuses can become destinations for inspiration and serve as model farms for the regenerative organic movement.

Team Building & Mentorship

• Build, lead, and mentor a national Farm Innovations team, including farm managers and farm staff at each campus.
• Establish clear standards, training programs, and career development pathways for farm personnel.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, safety, and continuous learning across geographically dispersed farm teams.
• Serve as a hiring partner and people leader for farm operations roles across the network.

Innovation & Thought Leadership

• Identify, pilot, and scale new farming techniques, technologies, and regenerative organic practices across Rodale campuses.
• Bring a forward-thinking perspective to the Farm Innovations work, anticipating emerging challenges and opportunities in agriculture and positioning Rodale’s farms to lead rather than follow.
• Partner with Rodale's research and science teams to translate research trial findings into practical, farm-ready protocols.
• Partner with the Marketing team to tell the testing, integrating, and scaling story of Rodale’s farming innovations, from early trials on our campuses to proven practices adopted at scale, so farmers, partners, and supporters can see where regenerative organic agriculture is headed.
• Partner with Rodale Institute’s Visitor Experience team to ensure that all Rodale campuses are representing the highest standard in regenerative organic farming.
• Represent Rodale Institute as a subject-matter expert at industry conferences, farmer trainings, media engagements, and partner events.
• Stay current on trends in regenerative organic agriculture, precision farming tools, and climate-resilient practices, bringing new ideas back to the organization.
• Regularly attend and speak at conferences and in and through Rodale Institute’s Education channels and serve as a global educator and thought leader for the regenerative organic movement.

Cross-Team Collaboration & Communication

• Lead collaboration and communication across teams, bringing Consulting, Research, Education, and the regional campuses together around shared priorities, joint planning, and a unified approach to farming innovation.
• Establish regular communication rhythms, such as cross-team meetings, updates, and shared reporting, so every team understands Farm Innovations priorities, progress, and where they can contribute.
• Serve as the connective link between farm teams at different campuses, and the Education, Research and Consulting teams ensuring best practices and lessons learned are shared network-wide.
• Regularly meet with our programmatic partners (St. Luke’s, Cornwall Manor, Augusta Health, and Phoebe Ministries) to ensure that our farming operations are operating on budget and within the partnership scope.
• Collaborate with the Education team to ensure farms serve as effective, safe, and instructive learning environments for farmer training programs.
• Coordinate with research scientists to support the integrity and execution of on-farm research trials.
• Support Rodale's broader strategic goals, including the 10 million Acre Solution.

Strategy & Board Engagement

• Participate in organizational strategy development with the CEO and Executive Team, bringing the Farm Innovations perspective to long-term planning and priority setting.
• Evangelize the Farm Innovations team’s work to the Board of Directors, presenting progress, results, and the case for where innovation should go next.
• Champion the Farm Innovations team’s work across the organization and with external partners, building understanding of and support for its role in Rodale’s mission.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in agriculture, agronomy, horticulture, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on farm management experience.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in farm management or agricultural operations, including direct supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in organic and/or regenerative farming practices.
• Proven experience building, leading, and mentoring teams, ideally across multiple locations.
• Strong project management, budgeting, and operational planning skills.
• A forward-thinking, innovative mindset, with a track record of anticipating trends and turning new ideas into practical results.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, including experience bringing multiple teams or departments together around shared goals.
• Experience contributing to organizational strategy and presenting to senior leadership or a board of directors.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly, including internationally, to Rodale campuses.

TRAVEL:

Annual travel to Regional Resource Centers and select conferences is expected

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, sexual identity or handicap.