Assistant/Associate Professor of the Practice and Assistant Director

Job Title

Assistant/Associate Professor of the Practice and Assistant Director

Agency

Prairie View A&M University

Department

Cooperative Extension Programs

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

Prairie View, Texas

Job Type

Faculty

Job Description

_______________________________________________________________________________

The Assistant/Associate Professor of the Practice and Assistant Director, under the general supervision of the Professor and Executive Associate Director, is responsible for the day-to-day management, leadership and development of portfolios of outreach with the strategic plan for PVAMU Extension in the College of Agriculture Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). This position assists in formulating and implementing policy and procedures and provides operational leadership to program teams, conducts independent extension activities related to identified statewide critical issues as outlined in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) plan of work, provides strategic advice on best practices in outreach design and development, outreach management and the agricultural extension landscape.

This position is funded by a grant or restricted funds. Continued employment is contingent on the renewal of grant or restricted funding.

The salary is determined in accordance with the University’s compensation structure and will be commensurate with the candidates’ education and experience, within the assigned salary range for this position.

Responsibilities:

• Engage faculty/departments, program staff, and stakeholders in constructive dialogues that champion the values of Extension programming and promote regional and statewide needs; leads strategic planning in areas supervised to assess and define the strategic plan of work and measure program impact; advocates for the PVAMU Extension services and seek funding opportunities to sustain and grow programs; plans/initiates and manages cross-functional collaborations to expand land grant mission with CAFNR and Texas A&M AgriLife; participates in statewide planning and promotes the integrated plan of work across mission areas by collaborating with research and academics and other colleges to address relevant community needs; initiates active engagement of department head(s) in annual program briefing and planning meeting in order to assure coordinated approach at state level which includes joint research programming where appropriate; manage annual and long-term personnel planning including recruitment of quality candidates and retention efforts; initiate career ladder trainings for eligible staff; interacts with regional industry leaders, agencies and organizations and solicits input on research and community needs.
• Supports leadership in advancing continuous improvement efforts to effectively promote the impact of outreach programs across the State of Texas; develops strategies and an operational framework to strengthen community partnerships and collaborative projects; collaborates with colleagues across strategic priority areas to support unit initiatives and ensures accurate project development and reporting within PVAMU Extension systems, including the Program Evaluation and Reporting System (PEARS) and the NIFA Reporting System (NRS); contributes to the design of educational programs aligned with identified needs and strategic priorities; establishes project goals, oversees quality control and assurance, and produces reports and analyses to effectively measure and communicate outcomes and impact.
• Effectively manages the Extension plan to ensure compliance with established data standards and ethical practices; assists in developing the plan of work and annual budget, while providing operational leadership to agents and specialists to support successful project implementation and strong budget management and forecasting.
• Evaluates and identifies key community issues relevant to the four program areas; develops, refines, and submits project proposals aligned with the plan of work to address critical regional and statewide priorities; designs, plans, and coordinates priorities that support outreach and educational initiatives; periodically teaches a course that incorporates experiential learning to connect research with academic instruction.
• Provides leadership and strategic direction to identify and secure funding needed to support the Extension County expansion plan across 100 counties, addressing current and future needs.
• Monitors compliance with department, University, and/or government standards, policies, and procedures and analyzes existing operations and provides recommendations for improvements; serves on various unit committees and promotes outreach education and productivity by writing proposals, publishing manuscripts, and presenting at professional development conferences.
• Participates and assists in college-wide events, activities, committees and performs other duties as deemed necessary.

Required Education & Experience:

• Doctoral degree in Agriculture, Extension Education or related fields.
• Seven years of experience in Extension programming, applied research, or agricultural administration.
• Proven leadership, supervisory experience, background in community development, and success in securing grants or funding.
• Academic, professional, and leadership accomplishments should be commensurate with appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor of the Practice or Associate Professor of the Practice, as applicable.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Prior work experience with Cooperative Extension, including program development, implementation and evaluation.
• Effective leadership, managerial, and supervisory skills.
• Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others.
• Proven ability to communicate with various audiences, including stakeholders, faculty, staff, and government officials.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, database applications, and specialized software, along with experience in using digital tools for educational programming.
• Agility and emotional intelligence.
• Strong motivation for sustained professional development.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of USDA and land grant programs, especially as they relate to 1890 institutions.
• Experience in developing Extension programming focused on agriculture, natural resources, family and consumer sciences, youth development and community development.
• Experience in program interpretation for stakeholders and community leaders.
• Knowledge and experience in Extension critical issues of the US federal funding agencies, securing external grants, publishing in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Other Requirements:

• Ability to travel to county offices and outreach events on a regular basis.
• Can travel up between 25%-75% depending on the business need.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.