Jobs - Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative

Jobs

IFAI’s job board is intended to be a resource for Native Americans and Alaska Natives interested in employment and internship opportunities that focus primarily on Indigenous food and agriculture policy and law. However, the job board is also open to other types of opportunities in the following:

US Federal / State Departments and Agencies
Federally Recognized Tribes and organizations
Educational Institutions

Submit to the job board: please include application submission deadlines

Federal | State | Tribal | Partners | Education | IFAI

State Jobs

Deputy Commissioner

Virginia Department of Agriculture

Location: Richmond, VA

Closing Date: February 23, 2026

Duties Include:

Provides managerial direction for the Divisions of Animal and Food Industry Services; Consumer Protection; Marketing and Development; Commodity Services; and the Offices of Administrative and Financial Services; and Policy, Planning and Research.
Strategic partner to executive leadership, serving as a primary advisor to the Commissioner and working closely with Human Resources and Communications.
Responsible for operational and financial stewardship, serving as a strategic liaison with both central agencies and other operational agencies.; coordinate and lead operational activities with division leaders and program managers; be responsible for coordinating legislative and policy activities of the agency.

Senior Attorney

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Location: Tallahassee, FL

Closing Date: May 5, 2026

Duties Include:

Responsible for all matters about agriculture except as otherwise provided by law.
Renders requested legal advice and counsel to the Commissioner, the Commissioner’s staff, and other employees of the department.
Handles complex cases on all levels of trial and appellate courts in the state and federal system as well as administrative proceedings under the Florida Administrative Procedures Act.

Assistant Director for Community Operations

Texas Department of Agriculture

Location: Primary in Houston; Various ( Austin, Lubbock, and San Antonio)

Closing Date: February 26, 2025

Duties Include:

Assist the Director for Community Operations in directing and coordinating activities of staff operations statewide to include planning, developing, overseeing, and evaluating projects, schedules, and work plans.
Provide direct supervision to section staff, including, but not limited to, objective assessment of staff performance and productivity, identification of appropriate education and training needs for staff, time and leave reporting, staff workflow, partnering meetings, coaching sessions, and other associated staff meetings.
Ensure all administrative review and technical assistance processes and activities required for the Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs) administered by the Community Operations section follow all federal and state rules and regulations and make recommendations to correct behaviors and processes that increase risk to the Agency.

Fish and Wildlife Technician (Wildlife Habitat Technician)

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Location: Corvallis, OR

Closing Date: February 25, 2026

Duties Include:

Will assist in the management of the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program to protect and manage lands, wildlife and public use to provide mitigation for habitat impacted by the federal hydropower system, as outlined in the Willamette Wildlife Settlement Agreement.
Day-to-day operations include easement monitoring, data entry, GIS mapping, maintenance of habitat and land facilities, equipment, habitat development, and programs to facilitate public use on these properties.

Agriculture Law Enforcement Chief

Arkansas Department of Agriculture

Location: Little Rock, AR

Closing Date: For a hire date of June 2026 or after

Duties Include:

Direct and manage agricultural law enforcement operations across the state. Supervise, train, and evaluate a team of law enforcement officers, investigators, and administrative personnel.
Develop and implement law enforcement policies, procedures, and strategic initiatives to ensure compliance with state law and agricultural rules.
Coordinate with local, state, and federal agencies to support agriculture-related law enforcement efforts.

Compliance Specialist 1 (Meat Inspector)

Oregon Department of Agriculture

Location: Klamath Falls, OR

Closing Date: March 1, 2026

Duties Include:

Ensure each step—stunning, bleeding, evisceration—is performed properly and safely.
Identify and report deviations from approved methods or humane handling protocols.
Review interpretation of lab results for compliance with state and federal standards.
Verify compliance with the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.

Environmental Engineer I

South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Location: Pierre, SD

Closing Date: February 18, 2026

Duties Include:

Conducting initial engineering evaluations of preliminary engineering reports and facilities plans to determine if proposed projects are technically viable, environmentally sound, and eligible for funding;
Working within a team concept to develop grant and loan financing packages;
Determining the level of environmental review necessary projects and preparing the appropriate environmental documentation;
Reviewing plans and specifications and addendums for water, wastewater, and storm water projects for compliance with accepted design standards and programmatic requirements.

Agriculture Division Director

Arkansas Department of Agriculture

Location: Little Rock, AR

Closing Date: Open until filled

Preferred Qualifications Include:

Demonstrated experience overseeing or administering large-scale food and nutrition programs, including programs funded or regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, such as child nutrition, commodity distribution, farm to school, or emergency food assistance initiatives.
Experience developing and implementing initiatives that integrate locally produced agricultural commodities into institutional food systems, including school meal programs and other public nutrition settings.

Agriculture Animal Industry – Meat Inspector 1 or 2

Georgia Department of Agriculture

Location: Macon, GA (Plus 3 other locations)

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Duties Include:

Under direct supervision, he learns to inspect red meat, products, and meat processing facilities to determine compliance with legal standards.
This includes antemortem and post-mortem inspections.
This position requires access to a personal vehicle or reliable transportation. Incumbents must work in adjoining areas as program requirements dictate, although travel outside of the assigned area is expected to be less than 15% of total travel.

Tribal Jobs

Associate Tribal Attorney

Hoopa Valley Tribe

Location: Hoopa, CA

Closing Date: February 18, 2026

Duties Include:

Responsible for providing advice, negotiation, research, representation, drafting, interpretations, and opinions on all legal matters without limitation as requested by Tribal Administration, Tribal Programs, and Enterprises.
Work closely with the Tribe’s Legal Team and other attorneys with whom the Tribe has contracted for specific additional legal representation.
Conduct civil lawsuits, drafts and/or draws up legal documents, and advises the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council, Departments and its Entities as to legal rights, including other duties as assigned by the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council, Chairman, or his designee.

Intern I – WIC Public Health, Summer 2026

Cherokee Nation

Location: Tahlequah, OK

Closing Date: April 15, 2026

Duties Include:

Operate standard office equipment and computer software
Frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
Occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions.

Chief Operating Officer

Bishop Paiute Tribe

Location: Bishop, CA

Closing Date: February 28, 2026

Duties Include:

Assists with the development and implementation of a strategic plan to maintain capacity to deliver services that result in a positive and appropriate outcome for Tribe.
Assists with the implementation and communication of goals, objectives, policies, procedures, programming, and public relations in accordance with strategic plan and applicable laws, regulations, ordinances, and regulatory agencies.
Supervises assigned Directors/Managers and carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws.

Deputy Director of Natural Resources

Quileute Tribe

Location: LaPush, WA

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Duties Include:

Assist in the management of personnel and their activities within the program.
Help to ensure that all activities within the program are in accordance with the Quileute Tribal laws, policies and ordinances.
Assists in the implementation and activation of several programs that are to perform as outlined under Article II Section 201 of the Scope of Bureau Programs to be performed under the P.L. 638 contract and codes.

Partners Jobs

Tribal Engagement Coordinator

Indigenous Conservation Council of Chesapeake Bay

Location: Remote within the Chesapeake Bay watershed

Closing Date: March 14, 2026

Duties Include:

Responsible for coordinating outreach and engagement programs and events, and communicating and engaging with tribal leadership and communities to support conservation needs.
Support the coordination and implementation of a new Listening to Our Lands program. This place-based program initiative is designed to bring Tribal Nations together with property rights holders of their ancestral lands to support land access and reconnection, conservation collaboration, and knowledge exchange within the lower Chesapeake Bay watershed and other regional watersheds within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Stewarding Native Lands Program Officer

First Nations Development Institute

Location: Longmont, CO or Albuquerque, NM

Closing Date: March 14, 2026

Duties Include:

Responsible for the planning, implementation, and management of multi-year, complex projects.
Direct the efforts of program officers and program associates on various aspects of projects.
Responsible for the management and supervision of direct reports (e.g., consultants, grantees, and fellows), providing direction, setting goals, giving feedback, employee coaching, and ensuring professional development and training.

Staff Attorney

Intertribal Agriculture Council

Location: WFH / Remote

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Duties Include:

Draft, review, negotiate, and interpret contracts, including those related to grants, sponsorships, services, and vendor agreements
Assist in ensuring compliance with nonprofit regulations, including IRS requirements, charitable solicitation laws, and municipal procurement processes
Provide legal counsel on employment/HR matters, including policy development, wage/hour compliance, and benefit plan compliance, in coordination with HR
Provide legal support for fundraising initiatives, including gift agreements and donor restrictions

Principal Legal Counsel and Department Manager

Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC)

Location: Portland, OR

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Duties Include:

Serve as CRITFC’s principal legal counsel on treaty rights, tribal sovereignty, environmental and natural resource law, and organizational compliance.
Lead a team of attorneys and legal staff, overseeing litigation support, policy development, and intergovernmental negotiations.
Build partnerships with tribal governments, federal and state agencies, and regional stakeholders to advance CRITFC’s mission and protect tribal treaty rights.
Guide CRITFC’s legal and policy strategies while supporting organizational systems, risk management, and compliance efforts.

Education Jobs

Native American Nutrition and Food Systems (Associate or Full Professor)

University of Minnesota

Location: Twin Cities

Closing Date: Applications will be reviewed starting mid to late January 2026

Duties Include:

Involves research and teaching that supports the mission of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition.
Expected to develop a strong extramurally funded research program that investigates the relationship between diet, lifestyle and health of Native American individuals, urban and/or tribal communities.
Expectations include leadership in organizing nutrition and food-related scholarly and community events, such as the Native American Nutrition Conference.

Land Grant Program Manager

Navajo Technical University

Location: Crownpoint, NM

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Duties Include:

Research and review USDA and other federal, state, tribal and local agricultural program grant announcements for funding of land grant programming including community outreach projects, education projects, research projects, and for funding the LGP Manager position and other positions within the NTU Land Grant Department.
Develops new funding or grant streams of revenue.
Develop concepts and write grant proposals for possible funding under identified grant opportunities.

Federal Jobs

Vice President of College Operations

DOI Bureau of Indian Education

Location: Albuquerque, NM

Closing Date: February 20, 2026

Duties Include:

Serve as Vice President of College Operations supporting the President on multi-functional, technical, and administrative programs establishing policy, providing direction, guidance and management of all support service programs including but not limited to: IT, Finance, Facilities, Safety and Contract/Acquisitions.
Act as key advisor to President and as such liaise and coordinate human resources management actions, budget and finance, acquisitions, property management, and other administrative support to SIPI.
Administer general support/operations programs for SIPI and coordinates the property and supply management program; facilities management; and Security management.

Attorney Advisor (General)

USDA Office of the General Counsel

Location: Washington, DC

Closing Date: February 27, 2026

Duties Include:

Provide legal advice and counsel to agencies of the USDA.
Serve as liaison between agencies of the USDA and the Department of Justice in litigation concerning USDA programs.
Represent agencies of the USDA in formal administrative adjudication.
Conduct legal research.
Draft and review legal documents, including briefs, contracts, legal opinions, and agency documents.

Attorney Advisor (Senior Counsel)

USDA Office of the General Counsel

Location: Washington, DC

Closing Date: February 27, 2026

Duties Include:

Serves as a senior attorney providing authoritative legal advice and litigation support on complex, high-impact matters involving the federal nutrition programs.
Develops and advises on litigation strategy for complex cases coordinating closely with the Department of Justice.
Advises senior leadership on litigation risk.
Provides expert legal counsel on administrative law and statutory interpretation.

Regional Supervisory Training Program Specialist

USDA Forest Service

Location: Negotiable after selection

Closing Date: January 30, 2026

Duties Include:

Provide oversight for the scheduling and coordination of mid-level aviation, fire prevention, fire suppression, fuels management, and fire management courses that are beyond the capability of Forest units.
Coordinate the development of annual program of work and budget proposals to support regional training and workforce development programs.
Coordinate budget development with other staff areas and coordinates the annual reporting of the program accomplishments.

Legal Assistant

DOI Office of the Secretary of the Interior

Location: Albuquerque, NM

Closing Date: January 30, 2026

Duties Include:

Receive and transfer phone calls, take and timely communicate phone messages in a professional manner; answer basic and routine questions and inquiries from interested parties; prepare and send faxes and emails; prepare and review time and attendance records.
Process all incoming mail, including correspondence from parties or attorneys, returned mail from notices and decisions, additional document submissions from agencies or other parties. Copy, mail, and scan documents.
Review incoming probate case material to ensure it is current and complete; maintain case files from initial filing to completion, correctly input data into docketing system on a timely basis, and search various system records when additional information is required. Maintain complete and orderly files in a manner that expedites retrieval; understand and ensure record and privacy requirements are followed.

IFAI Jobs

Communications Manager

University of Arkansas: Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative

Location: Fayetteville, AR (Remote work is an option)

Closing Date: February 24, 2026

Duties Include:

Responsible for developing, executing, and maintaining a comprehensive communication, outreach, and engagement strategy to increase the visibility and profile of IFAI and its major national initiatives.
- This involves strategic planning, public relations, and direct outreach through social media, webinars, teleconferences, written materials, public speaking, and attending in-person meetings and events.
Responsible for designing and developing external long and short-form print and media publications, leading webinars, and publicizing IFAI through social media and web content.