Position Overview:
The Investments Associate is a key driver of our impact-first financial strategy, with responsibility for evaluating, underwriting, structuring, and recommending farmland investment opportunities in partnership with best-in-class regenerative farmers throughout the US. Building on a passion for regenerative agriculture, this role is the primary person building farmer partnerships and investment workstreams from initial outreach through closing of a transaction. This role includes rigorous financial and impact underwriting, creative transaction structuring, independent analysis, and accountable collaboration with our farmers through the process. Providing informed guidance and investment recommendations is critical to developing relationships with our farmers.

Success in this position requires balancing this partnership-driven approach with detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis. We approach our underwriting as a collaborative exercise, ensuring that every farmer emerges better prepared for their financial future and with a stronger grasp of their business. The role includes responsibility for developing proposed transaction structures and investment models, with opportunities over time to expand into broader business development initiatives and lead larger deal structuring and execution workstreams.

This role will:
• Independently review and track farmer partnership opportunities, providing initial screening and prioritization based on urgency, investment fit, and fund goals
• Own financial and impact analysis and underwriting of potential investments, working in- depth with farmers to understand their current business and develop rigorous projections for a new property
• Manage communications with farmers and partners to advance the underwriting and closing process, developing a relationship of transparency and collaboration
• Develop proposed investment structures and create transaction-specific financial models for investments to best match the needs of each farmer, property, and fund objective
• Evaluate conservation potential for a particular geography and property and identify partnership opportunities with local land trusts
• Conduct research and analysis of industries and markets for each transaction in a wide range of topics, including crop-specific issues, market pricing dynamics, and physical real estate constraints such as water risks or environmental factors
• Manage assigned acquisition and disposition closing diligence workstreams, including coordinating with third-party vendors and counsel, reviewing diligence outputs, identifying transaction issues, and recommending resolutions involving legal contracts, title, or other matters
• Prepare analyses, financial models, underwriting conclusions, and Investment Committee memorandums relied upon by senior team members and the Investment Committee in evaluating, structuring, approving, and closing new investments and development opportunities
• Exercise independent judgment in screening and prioritizing opportunities, evaluating financial and impact data, assessing transaction risks, and recommending investmentstructures, diligence priorities, resolutions, or escalation for internal review
• Develop presentations for business development to build pipeline of farmers
• Travel to attend conferences and visit properties across the US

This role requires:
• 4-7 years of experience in investments, including demonstrated experience independently analyzing investment opportunities, building financial models, preparing investment recommendations, and exercising judgment in transaction diligence or portfolio decision- making
• BA, BS, or MBA in Finance, Real Estate Finance, Accounting, Mathematics, Economics, Statistics or related disciplines
• Strong academic record
• Passion for regenerative agriculture and working with historically underserved farmers
• Experience in agriculture, preferably as a farmer or rancher
• Expertise with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint
• Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical ability, including the ability to evaluate transaction risks, interpret investment and impact data, and develop recommendations for internal decision-making
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Self-motivation, determination and initiative in a team environment
• Demonstrated high attention to detail
• Ability to communicate effectively and handle multiple tasks in a small team
• Permanent US work authorization