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You Belong at a University that’s Leading the Way

The University of Florida (UF), the flagship university for the state of Florida, is a land grant institution with core values of unique purpose, excellence, integrity, collaboration and partnership, lifelong learning, diversity, responsiveness, innovation, communication, and global reach.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is committed to creating an environment that affirms diversity across a variety of dimensions, including ability, class, ethnicity/race, gender identity and expression. We particularly welcome applicants who can contribute to such an environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service. We strongly encourage historically underrepresented groups to apply.

If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-955-8771 (TDD) or visit Accessibility at UF .

The Opportunity

This full-time permanent status accruing multicounty Extension Agent will work jointly for UF/IFAS Extension and Hendry County. The geographic area covered includes Hendry, Glades, Charlotte, Collier, and Lee counties. The candidate will design, implement, and evaluate commercial sugarcane production and pest management educational programs designed to improve production, quality, and economics of sugarcane (75% effort), and pesticide education (20% effort). At least 5% of the candidate’s time will be devoted to 4-H Youth Development.

The candidate will educate clientele about regulatory and water quality issues promulgated by Florida’s Departments of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and Consumer Services. These issues include the development of Basin Management Action Plans in the drainage basins where sugarcane is grown in Hendry and Glades counties and water quality improvement plans for impaired watersheds that have significant impacts on nutrient management practices of sugarcane producers.

The candidate will be able to:

• Maintain an effective and diverse advisory committee to assist with extension program design, direction, and operation.
• Collaborate with producers, pest control operators, and extension colleagues to study pest and disease management strategies and other agricultural best management practices.
• Target programs to reflect the area’s population diversity and unique educational needs using a variety of program marketing and delivery methods including in-person, site visit consultations, and deliberately focused virtual platforms such as webinars, videos, and social media.
• Work with producers, agencies, and organizations to assist or lead cooperative and interdisciplinary projects.
• Create extension educational events that offer continuing education units (CEUs) relevant to target clientele licenses.
• Obtain financial resources to support programs and manage all components (e.g., policies, records, risk, communication, and accountability).
• Produce creative, scholarly works and audience-friendly publications.

Further Information:

UF/IFAS employs more than 2,000 faculty and staff statewide. UF/IFAS Extension is a partnership between state, federal, and county governments with a mission of providing quality, relevant education, and research-based expertise to foster healthy people, a healthy environment, and a healthy economy. We employ 375 Extension Agents, and we have an office in each of Florida’s 67 counties. We attribute our success to a workforce that embraces the contributions of people of all backgrounds and ability levels. The Extension Agent will be a contributor to a community that provides space for innovation, creativity, collaboration, growth, and development for all.

Hendry County (https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-counties/fl/hendry-county-population)  has a population of about 44,000. Hendry County has Collier County to the south, Lee County to the west, Glades County to the north, and Palm Beach County to the east. The office is in LaBelle which is about 30 miles west of Lake Okeechobee’s southern tip. Adjacent to Hendry County is the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (https://swfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/), and 50 miles to the east is the Everglades Research and Education Center (https://erec.ifas.ufl.edu/). Hendry County Extension is part of the UF/IFAS Southeast Extension District made up of twelve counties and the Seminole Tribe.

Employment is contingent on the results of a physical examination, a substance screening, and a national background screening.

In the event of an emergency, all employees considered essential personnel and may be required to perform alternate duties at the county or district level.

Candidates must have the ability to possess (or be able to obtain) a Florida driver’s license, be able to work flexible hours, and the willingness to occasionally work long and irregular hours, including evenings, weekends, and overnight travel.

Candidates must have the ability to possess (or be able to obtain) a pesticide license within 3 months of hire.

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. Are you a good match? Apply today!

Commensurate with Education and Experience

Minimum Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in plant science, agronomy, entomology, plant pathology, or a related field.
• Self-starting, energetic, and team oriented.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills.
• Resourcefulness, creativity, enthusiasm, and innovativeness.
• Good organizational development and management skills.
• Ability to establish solid partnerships and work in teams.
• Ability to use information technology and apply social media to extension work.
• A commitment to positive and proactive customer service.
• Expertise in managing competing priorities and adaptability to handle unexpected situations.

Preferred Qualifications

• A master’s degree. If hired solely with a bachelor’s degree, we want you to continue to grow in your career. As such, we expect you to make at least 50% progress towards obtaining your master’s degree within the first 6 years of employment.
• Practical experience in south Florida agricultural production, particularly sugarcane, including plant and pest identification and diagnostic skills, best management practices, and integrated pest management.
• Experience creating lesson plans, developing instructional materials, and applying teaching methods appropriate for a diverse audience.
• Demonstrated ability to design, conduct, and evaluate on-farm research trials as well as to conduct community-based educational programs.
• A strong commitment to community.
• Evidence of collaborations, partnerships, and marketing with community agencies and groups.
• Experience working in multicultural settings; bilingual in English/Spanish is a plus.
• Experience with program management and communication using information technology, including social media.

Pesticide applicator and instructor certifications.

Apply at https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/521220 by 11:55 p.m. (Eastern) of the posting end date, and attach:

• Cover letter that describes how your experience and qualifications have prepared you for this position
• Résumé or Curriculum vitae
• Unofficial copies of all transcripts (showing coursework) of your academic degrees

The following documents are also required and may either be submitted through the above link at the time of application, or sent separately to our office (below).   

• Current and Previous Employment Form (located at https://hr.ifas.ufl.edu/resources/form-index/current-and-previous-employment-form/ ).
• A minimum of 3 reference rating forms (located at http://hr.ifas.ufl.edu/assets/pdf/forms/ref_form.pdf ) from your professional/academic references. Reference forms will be kept on file for 1 year and will be automatically used with any of our extension agent positions you apply for during that time. Applicants are responsible for sending the rating form link to their references

Reference rating forms and unofficial transcripts not submitted at the time of application should be submitted/postmarked by the next business day after the position’s closing date. They may be submitted to:

UF IFAS Human Resources
Faculty Recruitment and Hiring
P O Box 110281
Gainesville, FL 32611-0281

ifasrecruitment@ifas.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 University of Florida is An Equal Employment Opportunity Institution. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352/392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800/955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.