Extension Agent I - III - Agronomic Crops

Position # 0002-1118
Requisition # 0908322
Agronomic Crops Extension Agent I, II, or III
University of Florida/IFAS Extension at Palm Beach County
Belle Glade, FL (South Extension District)
Application Deadline: June 4, 2015
Duties and Responsibilities
The University of Florida/IFAS and Palm Beach County seek to fill a 12 month, permanent
status-accruing agronomic crops extension agent. The successful candidate will plan, organize,
develop, implement, teach, evaluate, and report on a science-based, well-documented
extension program designed to improve production, quality, and economics of sugarcane
(70%), rice (15%), and turfgrass sod (15%) crops. Extension programs shall emphasize
integrating production strategies with environmental quality preservation (especially water
quality) for growers producing on the organic and related soils of south Florida.
Programs will be designed, developed, and implemented using input from regional agricultural
producers, industry researchers, UF/IFAS state faculty, USDA-Agricultural Research Service
personnel, and other appropriate state and federal agencies. The agent will serve as a key
liaison between industry and the public research community to assimilate applied research
needs through active interaction with the industry and an advisory committee. The agent will
lead in coordinating implementation of research priorities with faculty at UF/IFAS Research and
Education Centers, the main UF campus in Gainesville, and appropriate county faculty
colleagues. The agent will be expected to work closely with an agent with similar responsibility
to be hired in adjacent Hendry County. (The Hendry County position is being simultaneously
advertised at http://jobs.ufl.edu/postings/65484 .)
The agent will include measures of program accountability to reflect effectiveness, progress,
outcomes, and impacts in all programming efforts. Research updates and results shall be
delivered to the industry through strong extension programming including but not limited to
field demonstrations, field days, grower meetings, tours, conferences, presentations, and
written material. The agent will use diverse information delivery techniques including webbased teaching. Demonstration projects shall be conducted with grower-cooperators and
UF/IFAS state faculty. The ultimate goal of these programs will be the adoption of best
management practices that will maintain or improve commercial sugarcane yield and quality
while minimizing environmental impacts in Palm Beach County. The individual shall evaluate
and determine production-system needs, initiate and conduct appropriate activities, and
summarize and disseminate results and extension recommendations.
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.
Qualifications
A bachelor’s degree in agronomy, plant science, crop science, or a closely related field is
required; a master’s is preferred. The success of this program will depend on effective
communication aimed at agribusinesses and the agricultural research community. The
successful candidate must have demonstrated strong communication and facilitation skills
through interactions with growers on the farm and the ability to interface with leadership
within a corporate agribusiness climate. A working knowledge of agricultural production
systems is preferred. Experience working in multicultural settings and coursework/training on
multicultural topics are desirable.
Other Information
This position is located in south Florida at the UF/IFAS Extension office in Palm Beach County,
http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/coextension/ . The agent will report to the Palm Beach County
Extension Director and the South District Extension Director. A driver’s record check must be
found acceptable prior to employment.
The office is in Belle Glade on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee. Belle Glade is
located west of the metropolitan West Palm Beach area, a growing urban community with a
population of more than 1.4 million. Within this large agricultural area, more than 14 million
tons of sugar are produced annually on 380,000 acres of organic and mineral soils. Belle Glade
is also home to the Everglades Research and Education Center, where 13 UF/IFAS faculty
conduct research and extension in the areas of soil science, agronomy, horticultural sciences,
entomology, plant pathology, agricultural economics, and plant breeding.
Application Instructions
Apply through the online UF application system at http://jobs.ufl.edu/postings/65498 , 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.