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Form of workFarm Business Consultant (formally known as Field Staff)
Job Summary:
We are Illinois Farm Business Farm Management (FBFM). We advise and consult Illinois farmers in making smart, business management decisions.
As a Farm Business Consultant, we support our farmers with their short- and long-term business goals, their business and family records, financial and production analysis. We help them interpret reports, offer counseling on management problems, and provide income tax preparation and management. As consultants, we are valuable, unbiased advisors to the farmer. We are responsible for analyzing and assessing the farmer's financial health, educating and counseling them on Farm Business decisions, and offering them best financial practices in the Ag industry.
Duties:
- Assist the Member to complete a full set of production and financial records for each year
- Complete periodic visits with the Member to update information
- Prepare tax plan annually
- Establish effective work processes with support staff
- Prepare income and payroll tax returns
- Produce analysis reports annually
- Responsible for generating revenue for FBFM to support your office.
- Build and maintain relationships with the Members through delivering outstanding service.
- Collect information about the member’s farm through detailed production and financial records.
- Analyze and interpret data to unearth weaknesses, and assist to comprehend the causes, and identify solutions
- Assist with income tax planning and preparation.
- Analyze needs of the members and counsel on special topics, such as farm succession planning, estate planning, diversification, expansion
- Research and keep up to date with any relevant developments in agriculture, tax, and business.
- Collaborate with other professionals (i.e., other FBFM staff, lenders, attorneys, ag finance professionals).
- Conduct recruiting activities to enroll new Members.
- Provide members with all services provided by FBFM.
- Participate in continuing education efforts to maintain a high level of proficiency in technical subject matter areas relating to the job responsibilities.
- Schedule tasks accordingly to meet deadlines.
Important Qualities:
- Analytical skills to grasp distinctive points of business strength and improvement
- Strong attention to detail.
- Outstanding organizational skills and ability to prioritize workload.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, problem solving and analytical skills.
- A self-starter who can manage time wisely and work under limited supervision.
- The desire to work with farm families on business and tax matters.
- Ability to handle a heavy workload from November through April.
- Communication skills to explain their recommendations in confident conversation that others can easily understand.
- Computer skills to be adept at using software tools to analyze financial & production data and prepare tax returns.
- Ability to work effectively in a professional workplace
- Detail oriented to properly complete production, financial and tax documents
- Math skills to properly complete production, financial and tax documents
- Willingness to work longer hours in fall and winter with more flexibility in other seasons
Required Qualifications and Educational Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in Ag Business, Ag Education, Accounting, Business, Finance or a related field.
- Agriculture/Farming background or a working knowledge of farm operations, the ag industry, and accounting/finance principles.
- The ability to travel throughout the region to conduct farm visits
- A valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
Preferred Skills:
- Master’s degree in Ag Business, Ag Education, Accounting, Business, Finance, or a related field.
- Enrolled Agent (EA) with the IRS
- CPA
- Successful experience with current software applications
- Successful experience with tax return preparation
- Successful experience working with Farm Business operations
- Willingness to live in the service area.
Pay & Benefits:
- We offer a competitive salary that recognizes experience.
- Annual Pay adjustments
- Vacation, Sick, Holidays & Personal Days
- Health, Dental, Vision, Life, LTD Insurances
- Employer contributions to 401k annually
Illinois FBFM
