Extension Agent I - III - Sustainable Food Systems
Transcription
Extension Agent I - III - Sustainable Food Systems
Position # 0001-4090 Requisition # 0908421 Sustainable Food Systems Extension Agent I, II, or III University of Florida/IFAS Extension at Collier County Naples, FL (South Central Extension District) Application deadline: June 9, 2015 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES University of Florida/IFAS Extension and Collier County seek to fill a 12-month, permanent status-accruing Sustainable Food Systems Extension Agent position. This agent will plan, organize, develop, implement, teach, evaluate, and report on community outreach programs that focus on sustainable food systems and agricultural practices including production, harvesting, packaging, and marketing in Collier County. The successful candidate will coordinate partnerships and teach clientele (e.g., land owners, farmers, schools, entrepreneurs, community organizations, citizens, industry groups and local and state government agencies ) how to create urban-rural community economic opportunities that support and strengthen Collier County’s agricultural industries and local food systems. Example duties include but are not limited to the following: Provide technical assistance, training, outreach, and facilitative support for food entrepreneur operations associated with Collier County’s Agribusiness Accelerator. Enhance the social relationships between farmers and consumers and keep local agricultural economies viable by assisting the establishment of community-supported agriculture, community gardens, farmers markets, agri-tourism opportunities, and other marketing efforts. Partner with schools to initiate school gardens, and/or strengthen existing farm-toschool initiatives. Use traditional and innovative educational methods to teach target audiences sustainable agricultural practices, procedures, techniques, and skills that will ultimately result in positive behavioral and/or practice change. Work with established food systems, small farms/alternative enterprises and state/regional specialized extension faculty to identify programming needs and opportunities. Candidates must have excellent communication, teaching, and facilitation skills and must be able to create and maintain resource networks. Essential elements of the job include creativity, ability to make sound judgments, project management expertise, problem-solving skills, and the ability to work well within a team of professionals. Candidates must show demonstrated skills using the internet and various web-based tools in education programs. The agent will be expected to establish a strong local advisory committee and to develop good media relations. The agent will work with agencies and organizations to acquire grants and inkind contributions, assist with or lead cooperative/interdisciplinary projects, provide service to schools, develop creative works (presentations, posters, website development, etc.), write nontechnical user-friendly publications, and participate in professional societies. The agent will be expected to attain promotion and permanent status per state faculty guidelines. He or she will be expected to participate in appropriate in-service training to stay abreast of industry and community needs, and be familiar with county, state, and federal regulations and statutes governing agriculture and food systems including, but not limited to food safety, food processing, and product development. Candidates will be reviewed as applications are received, but please be aware that interviews might not be scheduled until 4 to 6 weeks after the position closing date. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS A bachelor’s degree is required, but a master’s degree is preferred. A candidate hired without a master's degree must make significant progress towards obtaining one within the first 6 years of employment. Degrees should be in sustainable food systems, food science, agriculture, agricultural education, farm management, resource economics or a closely related field. Substantial knowledge of food safety and processing regulations is desired. The agent will follow all UF/IFAS Extension policies regarding affirmative action, program development and program reporting. The agent will assume other responsibilities as assigned by the County Extension Director and District Extension Director. The agent will be required to have a valid Florida driver’s license and reliable transportation. The agent will be required by Collier County to participate in drug screening, a physical exam and a background check. OTHER Collier County is a major agricultural county along the Florida Gulf Coast, consisting of more than 2,000 square miles including part of the Florida Everglades. The county has a population of more than 339,000 with projected growth for several decades. The sub-tropical climate of Collier makes it ideal for many different commercial agricultural enterprises. Main agricultural commodities include ornamental plants, cattle, vegetables, and citrus. The location, natural diversity, and climate also make Collier County an excellent recreational and tourist destination for over 1 million visitors each year. Application Instructions Apply through the online UF application system at http://jobs.ufl.edu/postings/65983 and attach your Resume or CV, as well as a cover letter that describes how your experience and qualifications have prepared you for this position. TO COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION, PLEASE SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING: You must submit unofficial copies of all transcripts and/or coursework of your academic degrees. You may attach these as an "other" document, or you may submit to our office as directed below. An unofficial copy is acceptable for the application process, but before you can be hired, IFAS Human Resources must have the official transcript for your highest degree on file. Also, all applicants must have at least three reference rating forms on file. Reference forms must be less than one year old. If you have not already done so, please contact your professional/academic references and ask that they complete a reference rating form on your behalf. The form is located at http://personnel.ifas.ufl.edu/ref_form.pdf . Please also complete and submit the Previous Employment Form (located at http://personnel.ifas.ufl.edu/prev_employment.pdf ). With the exception of official transcripts, all items submitted by mail must be postmarked no later than the next business day after the position closing date. All documents submitted by fax or email must be received no later than the next business day. If your official transcripts will arrive after the closing date, you must also submit unofficial transcripts by the deadline. Requested reference forms and transcripts should be submitted to: Ms. Dana LeCuyer UF IFAS Human Resources Faculty Recruitment and Hiring P O Box 110281 Gainesville, FL 32611-0281 [email protected] Fax: (352) 392-3226 Final candidate will be required to provide official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/ . The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. The selection process will be conducted in accord with the provisions of Florida’s ‘Government in the Sunshine’ and Public Records Laws. Persons with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodation.