Assistant Lands Manager

Overview

Retreat Farm, Ltd. (a 501c3 nonprofit) seeks an Assistant Lands Manager with the experience, skills, and safe work habits necessary to ensure the preservation, maintenance, security, safety, accessibility, environmental integrity, and beautification of our expansive campus. Retreat Farm includes 500+ acres of forest, farmlands, and waterways, and we steward nearly 11 miles of publicly accessible hiking trails.

A qualified candidate is someone who is skilled in operating and maintaining the land and equipment including mowers, tractors, skid steers, mini excavators, chainsaws, and string trimmers. The Assistant Lands Manager will be an integral part of the Retreat Farm team and will assist in all aspects of our property maintenance and farm operations.

This position is a full-time (40 hours per week), seasonal position (approximately April through October). Flexible scheduling is possible, with occasional weekend work required.

Responsibilities:

• Must be willing and able to work 40 hours per week, in all types of weather: hot, cold, rain, or shine.
• Must have the ability to interact with the public in a polite and professional manner.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience landscaping preferred. Landscaping duties include lawn mowing, weed whacking, leaf blower, hand raking, seeding, and mulching.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience operating a 52 +/- hp. tractor and its implements, including bush hog, york rake, rototiller, and front grapple.
• Must be able to safely and productively operate chainsaws of various sizes. Chainsaw duties include small tree felling, bucking, and pruning.
• Operate heavy equipment including skid steer, excavator, backhoe, etc.
• Other duties may include but are not limited to: assisting the farm team with animal-related chores, assisting the events team with set-up/break-down, and other assistance across the organization as required.

Qualifications and Experience

• U.S. work authorization required
• Green industry preferred: Landscaping and Arboriculture (1-3 years)
• Experience using the machines and tools referenced above, strongly preferred
• Ability to work independently and problem solve
• Farm-based experience helpful

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift 50 lbs
• Ability to perform repeated motions (bending, twisting, etc.) while carrying weight (e.g., moving hay bales)
• Ability to stand for prolonged periods, climb stairs, navigate uneven terrain
• Ability to work in indoor and outdoor environments, in a variety of weather conditions

Work Environment:

Retreat Farm is a fast-paced and dynamic work environment. The Assistant Lands Manager must be able to switch focus as needed, to address changing priorities while maintaining mental focus in an environment with occasional high noise levels and interruptions.

Reporting:

The Assistant Lands Manager reports to the Lands Manager, as part of the lands and farm team.

Compensation:

• $22-24/hour
• Paid time off
• Eligibility for enrollment in Retreat Farm’s SIMPLE IRA retirement plan with 3% employer matching
• 25% discount at the Retreat Farm Market

Instructions for applying:

Please send a resume and a detailed cover letter letting us know why you're a good fit for this position, to jobs@retreatfarm.org.

Retreat Farm is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe diverse teams make the strongest teams and encourage qualified people of all backgrounds, identities, ages, and abilities to apply.

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ABOUT RETREAT FARM

Located in Brattleboro, VT, Retreat Farm is an essential Vermont place whose mission is to connect people to the land and to one-another. This is a place where people of all ages come to learn, gather, and connect with the natural world through a variety of public programs. These programs, together with the forests, farmlands, trails, waterways, and historic barns and grounds of the Farm, are central to the health and life of surrounding communities.

Established in 1837, the original Retreat Farm was a working and therapeutic farm serving patients at the nearby Brattleboro Retreat. A prominent feature of the region for 180 years, the Farm today encompasses 500 acres of conserved forests, farmlands, trails, and waterways, and a historic eight-structure Farmstead. Retreat Farm sits adjacent to downtown Brattleboro, a gateway to Vermont, and the geographic center of New England.