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
dlecuyer@ufl.edu
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.