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
- IFAI’s partner agencies, including members of the Native Farm Bill Coalition
Have a job you’d like to see added to the job board?
Email Joseph Damaso at jdamaso@uark.edu
(NOTE: Please include application submission deadlines with job postings.)
Federal Jobs
Consumer Safety Inspector
USDA: Food Safety and Inspection Service
Location: Multiple locations on the USDA website: Delaware, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey, and Virginia
Closing Date: Varies depending on location; DE and NC position date is May 14, 2025
Duties Include:
- Ensure that regulated establishments produce a safe product by executing appropriate inspection methods, determining non-compliance with regulatory requirements, documenting noncompliance and initiating enforcement action, where warranted.
- Verify that meat and poultry slaughter and/or processing establishment’s Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plans meet regulatory requirements.
- Verify execution of Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plans effectively to prevent unsanitary conditions and adulteration of product.
Consumer Safety Inspector
USDA: Food Safety and Inspection Service
Location: Various locations in NJ and WV
Closing Date: July 1, 2025
Duties Include:
- Ensure that regulated establishments produce a safe product by executing appropriate inspection methods, determining non-compliance with regulatory requirements, documenting noncompliance and initiating enforcement action, where warranted.
- Verify that meat and poultry slaughter and/or processing establishment’s Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plans meet regulatory requirements.
- Verify execution of Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plans effectively to prevent unsanitary conditions and adulteration of product.
Environmental Health Specialist
DHHS Indian Health Service
Location: Rhinelander, WI
Closing Date: December 31, 2025
Duties Include:
- Plan, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive environmental health program on assigned reservations that emphasizes safe water, solid and hazardous waste management, food protection, pool safety, healthy homes, occupational health and safety, safe childcare environments, vector control, community injury prevention, radon gas, and institutional health.
- Conduct comprehensive environmental health surveys of all Indian Health Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Tribal facilities including schools, daycare centers, gaming facilities, health care, etc.
- Build Tribal capacity to manage environmental health hazards in their community by assisting with the development of environmental health and occupational safety policies, procedures, regulations, employee training programs, and public education materials.
Research Animal Scientist (Research Associate)
USDA: Agricultural Research Service
Location: Clay Center, NE
Closing Date: November 12, 2025
Duties Include:
- Will focus research efforts on management practices and dietary factors that influence greenhouse gas emissions in beef cattle.
- Evaluates the impact of management systems, and supplementation strategies on enteric methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from beef calves.
- Develops treatments applied, conducts research, and publishes the research results during their postdoc program under the guidance of their Postdoctoral Mentor.
State Jobs
Natural Resources Deputy Director
Arkansas Department of Agriculture
Location: Little Rock, AR
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
Duties Include:
- Supervises a professional staff by making recommendation for hire, training, assigning, and reviewing work, counseling, evaluating performance and disciplining incumbents.
- Develops plans, programs, and procedures to accomplish department and division goals, while complying with state laws and department policies.
- Provides input in developing and implementing goals, objectives, policies, and procedures for the Natural Resources Division in coordination with the director and subordinate supervisors and employees.
Agri Program Manager
Arkansas Department of Agriculture
Location: Little Rock, AR
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
Duties Include:
- Provides general supervision of the work of a subordinate professional, para-professional, and administrative support staff by assigning and prioritizing work assignments, providing instructions, reviewing work performed, and evaluating employee performance.
- Monitors budgets and expenditures, provides approvals for transactions based on available budget and sponsoring agency restrictions, and monitors internal controls, procedures, and compliance issues for grants and/or contracts.
- Develops and monitors federal grants used to fund special projects within the program by preparing grant proposals, establishing evaluation methods, and reviewing and approving expenditures.
Grants Project Specialist
Arizona Department of Agriculture
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Closing Date: May 2, 2025
Duties Include:
- Development of grant criteria and application manual.
- Facilitating statutorily required sixty-day public comment periods when applicable.
- Conducting regional workshops and providing technical assistance.
- Distributing and managing awarded grant funds, ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations.
Natural Resources Director
Arkansas Natural Resources Commission
Location: Little Rock, AR
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
Duties Include:
- Supervises a professional staff by making recommendation for hire, training, assigning, and reviewing work, counseling, evaluating performance and disciplining incumbents.
- Develops plans, programs, and procedures to accomplish department and division goals, while complying with state laws and department policies.
- Provides input in developing and implementing goals, objectives, policies, and procedures for the Natural Resources Division in coordination with the director and subordinate supervisors and employees.
Agricultural Inspector Technicians
Montana Department of Agriculture
Location: Manhattan / Bozeman (website identifies other locations in MT)
Closing Date: Ongoing
Duties include:
- Collects agricultural samples of potato tubers, ensuring representative sampling and inspections of potato tubers to determine overall quality and grade for certification purposes. This involves inspecting representative samples and comparing characteristics (e.g., size, shape, decay, soft rot, etc.) with grading standards and tolerance levels. Compiles and calculates numerical grading results to determine overall grade and issues official certificates declaring the grade of the potatoes.
- Maintains regular communications with growers to assess inspection needs, respond to questions, and provide advice and assistance related to shipping certification.
Managing Attorney
Arkansas Department of Agriculture
Location: Little Rock, AR
Closing Date: Open until filled
Duties Include:
- Supervises and manages support staff and subordinate attorneys by interviewing, hiring, providing training, assigning workloads, and evaluating performance of incumbents.
- Provides legal services and advice to management and divisions on a broad range of matters.
- Represents the agency in negotiations. Represents the agency in litigation including all administrative and court proceedings. Interprets and analyzes all state and federal laws.
Tribal Jobs
Intern – Legal (Summer 2025)
Cherokee Nation
Location: Tahlequah, OK
Closing Date: May 19, 2025
Overview:
- Assists directorate, supervisors, and/or other staff members with projects as assigned.
- High school diploma or general education degree (GED) or six months related experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts. The employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions; extreme heat and risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Partners Jobs
President
Indian Land Tenure Foundation
Location: Little Canada, MN
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
Duties Include:
- Leadership & Strategic Direction – Provides leadership to the Foundation, guiding all aspects of its operations and ensuring that the programs, services, and policies align with the mission.
- Program & Sight Oversight – Responsible for selecting, developing, and evaluating staff to ensure the efficient operation of the Foundation
- Board Relations – Works closely with the Board of Directors to ensure the execution of long-term and short-term strategic plans.
Executive Director
Intertribal Buffalo Council
Location: Rapid City, SD
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
Duties Include:
- Provide leadership and management to ensure that the mission and core values of ITBC are put
into practices. - Foster a success-oriented, accountable environment where employees can grow and succeed.
- Oversee all ITBC staff to ensure grants, contracts, finance, personnel, membership outreach,
policies and ITBC commitments are executed in a timely manner.
Education Jobs
Indigenous Summer Research Scholars
Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Location: Geneva, NY
Closing Date: Applications are accepted until January 20, 2025 (until the program is full)
Objectives for Scholars include:
- Conduct an independent research project focused on the agricultural plant or food sciences.
- Develop professional and soft skills necessary for research.
- Be mentored by Cornell faculty, who are experts in entomology, horticulture, food science or plant pathology.
- Note: Scholars receive a $6,200 stipend and are provided housing.
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.
IFAI Jobs
Law and Policy Fellow
Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative
Location: Fayetteville, AR (Remote flexibilities)
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
How to apply: Send a resume and letter of interest to Kelli Case at kellic@uark.edu
Description:
The IFAI Law and Policy Fellowship is a six-month program for a third-year law student or new lawyer interested in gaining practical experience working on a wide array of legal topics across Indian Country agriculture. The Fellowship begins in May 2025 and concludes in December 2025. IFAI offers flexibility for those studying and sitting for the bar exam during the Fellowship period. The fellow will have the opportunity to work on a range of topics, including Tribal governance, food and nutrition, natural resources and conservation, food safety, agriculture policy, and more. IFAI’s work focuses on promoting Tribally-driven solutions to revitalize and advance traditional food systems and diversified economic development throughout Indian Country. IFAI provides Tribal governments, producers, and food businesses with educational resources, policy research, and strategic legal analysis as a foundation for building robust food economies.
20 hours/week at $25/hour
Communications Director
Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative
Location: Fayetteville, AR
Closing Date: May 7, 2025
Duties Include:
- Responsible for developing, executing, and maintaining 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 supervising the IFAI communications staff as they manage IFAI’s social media presence, website, and assist in developing communications reports on IFAI’s grant portfolio.