Agronomy/Plant & Soil Sciences Agricultural Extension Agricultural - General
JOB DESCRIPTION:
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is committed to creating an environment of inclusive excellence that affirms diversity across a variety of dimensions, including ability, class, ethnicity/race, gender identity and expression. Inclusive excellence is the active process of including and respecting everyone as we strive for excellence and equitable outcomes in all we do at the University of Florida. 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.
This is a 12-month non-tenure accruing faculty position that will be 50% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 50% extension (Florida Cooperative Extension Service), available in the UF/IFAS Nutrient Management Program. The home academic unit for this position is the Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES) Department. This position will report to the Director of the UF/IFAS Nutrient Management Program.
The incumbent will lead and manage the UF/IFAS Analytical Services (ANSERV) Laboratories in Gainesville, comprising the Environmental Water Quality & Analytical Research Laboratories (EWQL and ARL) for research and the Extension Soil Testing and Waste Testing Laboratories (ESTL and WTL) for extension. These labs analyze soil, tissue, water, and waste samples all year. The EWQL is NELAP (National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program) certified and offers high quality QA/QC services. Successful annual NELAP recertification is a responsibility of this position. All services offered by the ANSERV Labs will be coordinated to accomplish the research and educational missions of UF/IFAS. The incumbent is responsible for a WebLIMS (Laboratory Information and Management System) database, QA/QC, timely sample analysis and reporting, personnel, lab supplies, method development, and instrument troubleshooting.
The incumbent will be highly motivated and experienced to provide lab leadership, develop and implement analytical and laboratory procedures to improve service, conduct academic and educational lab tours, and provide guest lectures as appropriate.
Candidates should be experienced with laboratory instrumentation/troubleshooting, should be able to train and support personnel, and should have the capacity to plan and implement lab improvements. The incumbent will participate in relevant research projects, provide professional presentations, write research and extension publications, seek contract and grant funding to support their program, and develop an extension program focused on the utility and applications of soil, plant, manure, and water tests in agriculture and horticulture.
The incumbent will participate in graduate education by serving on graduate committees, supervising student research, and publishing with students.
Because of the IFAS land-grant mission, all faculty are expected to be supportive of and engaged in all three mission areas – Research, Teaching and Extension – regardless of the assignment split specified in the position description.
Background Information
The UF/IFAS Nutrient Management Program coordinates nutrient management research and extension programs across the organization. The program’s ongoing goal is to support unbiased scientific research and extension that maintains and advances IFAS nutrient management recommendations for agricultural and horticultural crops and landscapes.
The SWES Dept. is a leader in teaching, research, and extension/outreach programs in management and restoration of soil and water resources. The interdisciplinary nature of SWES programs provides students and faculty an opportunity to conduct basic and applied research at multiple (molecular to landscape) scales to manage and protect land and water resources and solve environmental problems.
The University of Florida is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 56,000 students. UF is a member of The Association of American Universities. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant program, and encompasses 16 on-campus academic departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers (REC) located throughout the state, 6 Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments, and Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and maintain). The School of Natural Resources and Environment is an interdisciplinary unit housed in IFAS and managed by several colleges on campus. UF/IFAS employs nearly 4,500 people, which includes approximately 990 salaried faculty and 1,400 permanent support personnel located in Gainesville and throughout the state. IFAS, one of the nation’s largest agricultural and natural resources research and education organizations, is administered by a Vice President and four deans: the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Dean for Extension and Director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the Dean for Research and Director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Dean for the College of Veterinary Medicine. UF/IFAS also engages in cooperative work with Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.
EXPECTED SALARY:
Commensurate with Education and Experience
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
A doctorate degree (foreign equivalent acceptable) in soil science, agronomy, environmental science, or a closely related discipline.
Knowledge of modern laboratory methods, techniques, and instruments used to analyze soil, water, plant tissue, and manure samples for plant nutrients and metals.
Ability to provide a high level of customer support.
Ability to supervise permanent and temporary employees.
Ability to provide high volume and time-constrained analyses.
Demonstrated skills in verbal and written communication plus interpersonal relationships.
Ability to support the mission of the Land-Grant system and commit to IFAS core values of excellence, diversity, global involvement, and accountability.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Post-doctoral training.
Experience managing an agriculture/horticulture analytical laboratory, including personnel, financial, instrumentation, and quality assurance/quality control aspects.
Ability to conduct independent and collaborative research in soil and water sciences.
Experience in extension program development, working with growers, extension agents and other stakeholders.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS:
For full consideration, candidates should apply and submit materials by July 12, 2023. The position will remain open until a viable applicant pool is determined.
Nominations
Nominations are welcome. Nominations need to include the complete name and address of the nominee. This information should be sent to:
Individuals wishing to apply should go online to Careers at UF and submit:
Cover letter that states applicant’s interest in the position and qualifications relative to the credentials listed above.
Curriculum vitae.
Contact information (including email addresses) for 3 individuals willing to write letters of recommendation.
Unofficial transcripts.
Selected candidate will be required to provide an 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).
Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. The University of Florida is a public institution and subject to all requirements under Florida Sunshine and Public Record laws.
The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. The University and greater Gainesville community enjoy a diversity of cultural events, restaurants, year-round outdoor recreational activities, and social opportunities.
HEALTH ASSESSMENT REQUIRED:No
ADVERTISED: Eastern Daylight Time APPLICATIONS CLOSE: Open until filled
The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. The University and greater Gainesville community enjoy a diversity of cultural events, restaurants, year-round outdoor recreational activities, and social opportunities.
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