Assistant/Associate Professor ...
for section headings (About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule)
2. Use - for lists of duties/requirements/benefits, and
for prose
3. Do NOT repeat the job title as a heading
4. Do NOT put Job ID / requisition numbers as headings — fold minor metadata into a short
or drop it
5. Preserve ALL substantive information; do NOT invent or summarize away detail
6. Remove cookie/navigation/legal/EEO/equal-opportunity/scam-warning boilerplate, duplicated lines, and application instructions
7. Include a section ONLY when the posting has real, specific content for it — never emit a heading followed by filler/placeholder text (e.g. "commensurate with experience", "not specified", "N/A", "varies", "TBD")
8. Never create Pay/Schedule/Benefits sections unless the posting actually states them
9. Prefer a few substantive sections over many thin ones
10. Output ONLY the HTML fragment — no /, no markdown code fences
Let me analyze the job posting:
Position Title: Assistant/Associate Professor - Ruminant Livestock Systems and Integrated Grazing Mgmt
Salary: TBD
Part/Full: Full Time
School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech
12-month, tenure-track (60% Extension, 25% Research, 15% Teaching)
Focus: integrated ruminant livestock systems with emphasis on applied Extension programming and stakeholder engagement across Virginia
Headquartered within School of Animal Sciences
Support applied research, Extension programming, teaching aligned with beef and sheep industries
Develop innovative, stakeholder-driven Extension and applied research program focused on profitable, sustainable ruminant livestock production systems
Emphasis: integrated beef and sheep systems, grazing and forage utilization, animal health, reproductive efficiency, value-added marketing strategies for commercial producers
Strengthen Virginia Tech's leadership presence and statewide identity in ruminant livestock systems
Build impactful, regionally relevant programming supporting Virginia producers
Work collaboratively with School of Animal Sciences faculty, Virginia Cooperative Extension personnel, research station staff, regional industry stakeholders
Work directly with Virginia Tech Agricultural Research and Extension Centers (ARECs) to provide statewide coordination of animal research
Specifically work with Southwest Virginia AREC, Shenandoah Valley AREC, Middleburg AREC, Southern Piedmont AREC
Occasional travel to attend conferences and meetings
Develop integrated, statewide research and Extension program leveraging diverse animals, land resources, facilities, environments, expertise across Virginia's AREC system
Address priority needs in beef cattle, sheep, forage, grazing-based production systems
Potential emphasis: animal health, nutrition, reproduction, genetics, production efficiency, environmental stewardship, economic sustainability
Collaborate with faculty, Extension professionals, AREC personnel, producers, industry, stakeholders to develop multidisciplinary research, demonstration, educational programs
Support and enhance existing livestock programs
Pursue extramural funding
Provide experiential learning and mentoring opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students
Salary commensurate with education and experience
Deadline: November 8, 2026, or until filled
Application materials: cover letter, CV, graduate transcripts, statement of research interests (2-page max), statement of teaching and extension philosophy (2-page max), contact info for at least three professional references
Contact: Dr. Rodrigo Marques (marques@vt.edu)
URL: https://jobs.apply.vt.edu/jobs/assistant-associate-professor-ruminant-livestock-systems-and-integrated-grazing-mgmt-blacksburg-virginia-united-states
Company/Institution: Virginia Tech
City, State: Blacksburg, VA
Zip Code: 24061
Country: USA
E-mail: marques@vt.edu
Now I need to structure this into sections. The posting has:
- About the role (general description)
- Responsibilities (duties)
- Requirements/Qualifications (what they're looking for)
- Location/Details (Blacksburg, VA, full-time, 12-month tenure-track)
- Application info (deadline, materials, contact) - but the instructions say remove application instructions. However, the deadline and contact might be considered metadata. The instructions say "fold minor metadata into a short
or drop it" and "remove application instructions". I think I should include a brief metadata paragraph with location, appointment type, deadline, and contact, but not the full application instructions.
The salary says "TBD" and "commensurate with education and experience" - that's placeholder/filler, so I should NOT create a Pay section.
Benefits not mentioned - no Benefits section.
Schedule: full-time, 12-month, tenure-track with split (60% Extension, 25% Research, 15% Teaching) - that's substantive, could be in About the role or a Schedule section. Since it's specific, I'll include in About the role.
Let me create sections:
1. About the role - includes the overall description, appointment details, location
2. Responsibilities - list of duties
3. Qualifications - requirements (though the posting doesn't explicitly list qualifications like PhD, etc. It says "Candidates must submit..." but that's application materials. The posting doesn't state explicit qualifications like degree requirements. I need to check: it says "The successful candidate will develop..." but doesn't list required qualifications. However, it's a faculty position, so likely PhD required. But the posting doesn't state it explicitly. I should not invent. So maybe no Qualifications section if not stated. But there is "The candidate will collaborate..." etc. That's responsibilities. The posting doesn't have a clear "Requirements" section. I'll include only what's there.
Actually, the posting says: "The successful candidate will develop an innovative, stakeholder-driven Extension and applied research program..." and lists many "will" statements. Those are responsibilities.
There's no explicit "Qualifications" or "Requirements" section in the posting. The only requirements are the application materials. But those are application instructions, which we should remove. However, sometimes the required degree is implied. But the instructions say "Preserve ALL substantive information; do NOT invent or summarize away detail." So I should not add a PhD requirement if not stated.
Thus, I'll have:
- About the role
- Responsibilities
- Maybe a "Program Focus" or "Research & Extension Focus" section for the specific emphasis areas.
- A brief metadata paragraph for location, appointment type, deadline, contact.
Let me structure:
About the role
...
Responsibilities
- ...
Program focus
- ...
Collaboration & resources
- ...
Then a paragraph for metadata.
But the instructions say use specific headings: About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule. I should stick to those headings where appropriate. "Program focus" is not in the list. But the instructions say "e.g." so maybe I can use other headings? It says "use for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule)." The "e.g." suggests those are examples, but I should prefer those. However, "Program focus" is not in that list. I could use "Responsibilities" for the duties, and "Qualifications" for requirements. But there are no explicit qualifications. The focus areas could be part of Responsibilities or About the role.
Better to follow the suggested headings. Let me map:
- About the role: overall description, appointment details, location
- Responsibilities: the list of duties (develop program, collaborate, work with ARECs, travel, pursue funding, mentor students)
- Qualifications: not explicitly stated, but maybe the application materials imply qualifications? The posting doesn't say "PhD required". I'll skip Qualifications section.
- Skills: not listed.
- Benefits: not mentioned.
- Pay: says TBD and commensurate, which is filler, so no Pay section.
- Schedule: full-time, 12-month, tenure-track with split percentages. That's substantive. Could be a Schedule section or part of About the role. Since Schedule is a suggested heading, I'll create a Schedule section.
But the instructions: "never create Pay/Schedule/Benefits sections unless the posting actually states them." The posting states "Full Time", "12-month, tenure-track (60% Extension, 25% Research, 15% Teaching)". That's a schedule. So I can create a Schedule section.
Also, location: Blacksburg, VA. That's metadata.
I'll create:
About the role
...
Schedule
Full-time, 12-month tenure-track appointment with a 60% Extension, 25% research, and 15% teaching allocation.
Responsibilities
...
Collaboration and resources
- but not in suggested list. Maybe include under Responsibilities or About the role.
The posting has a lot about collaboration with ARECs, faculty, etc. That's part of responsibilities.
I'll include a "Location" paragraph in About the role or as metadata.
Let me draft the HTML.
First, About the role: combine the first few paragraphs.
"The School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech invites applications for a 12-month, tenure-track faculty position focused on integrated ruminant livestock systems with an emphasis on applied Extension programming and stakeholder engagement across Virginia. This position will be headquartered within the School of Animal Sciences and will help support applied research, Extension programming, and teaching activities aligned with the needs of the Commonwealth’s beef and sheep industries. The successful candidate will develop an innovative, stakeholder-driven Extension and applied research program focused on profitable, sustainable ruminant livestock production systems. The position will emphasize integrated beef and sheep systems, grazing and forage utilization, animal health, reproductive efficiency, and value-added marketing strategies for commercial producers. The position is intended to strengthen Virginia Tech’s leadership presence and statewide identity in ruminant livestock systems while building impactful, regionally relevant programming that supports Virginia producers."
That's a good paragraph.
Schedule: "Full-time, 12-month tenure-track appointment with a 60% Extension, 25% research, and 15% teaching allocation. Position is based in Blacksburg, VA."
Responsibilities: list the duties:
- Develop an integrated, statewide research and Extension program in livestock production systems that leverages the diverse animals, land resources, facilities, environments, and expertise available across Virginia’s Agricultural Research and Extension Center system.
- Address priority needs in beef cattle, sheep, forage, and grazing-based production systems, with potential emphasis on animal health, nutrition, reproduction, genetics, production efficiency, environmental stewardship, and economic sustainability.
- Collaborate with faculty, Extension professionals, AREC personnel, producers, industry, and other stakeholders to develop multidisciplinary research, demonstration, and educational programs.
- Support and enhance existing livestock programs where appropriate.
- Work directly with the Virginia Tech Agricultural Research and Extension Centers (ARECs) to provide statewide coordination of animal research, specifically with the Southwest Virginia AREC, the Shenandoah Valley AREC, the Middleburg AREC, and the Southern Piedmont AREC.
- Pursue extramural funding.
- Provide experiential learning and mentoring opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students.
- Occasional travel to attend conferences and meetings.
That's a good list.
Now, metadata: deadline, contact, application URL. But instructions say remove application instructions. However, deadline and contact might be considered metadata. I'll include a short paragraph at the end.
"Application deadline: November 8, 2026, or until filled.
for prose 3. Do NOT repeat the job title as a heading 4. Do NOT put Job ID / requisition numbers as headings — fold minor metadata into a short
or drop it 5. Preserve ALL substantive information; do NOT invent or summarize away detail 6. Remove cookie/navigation/legal/EEO/equal-opportunity/scam-warning boilerplate, duplicated lines, and application instructions 7. Include a section ONLY when the posting has real, specific content for it — never emit a heading followed by filler/placeholder text (e.g. "commensurate with experience", "not specified", "N/A", "varies", "TBD") 8. Never create Pay/Schedule/Benefits sections unless the posting actually states them 9. Prefer a few substantive sections over many thin ones 10. Output ONLY the HTML fragment — no /, no markdown code fences Let me analyze the job posting: Position Title: Assistant/Associate Professor - Ruminant Livestock Systems and Integrated Grazing Mgmt Salary: TBD Part/Full: Full Time School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech 12-month, tenure-track (60% Extension, 25% Research, 15% Teaching) Focus: integrated ruminant livestock systems with emphasis on applied Extension programming and stakeholder engagement across Virginia Headquartered within School of Animal Sciences Support applied research, Extension programming, teaching aligned with beef and sheep industries Develop innovative, stakeholder-driven Extension and applied research program focused on profitable, sustainable ruminant livestock production systems Emphasis: integrated beef and sheep systems, grazing and forage utilization, animal health, reproductive efficiency, value-added marketing strategies for commercial producers Strengthen Virginia Tech's leadership presence and statewide identity in ruminant livestock systems Build impactful, regionally relevant programming supporting Virginia producers Work collaboratively with School of Animal Sciences faculty, Virginia Cooperative Extension personnel, research station staff, regional industry stakeholders Work directly with Virginia Tech Agricultural Research and Extension Centers (ARECs) to provide statewide coordination of animal research Specifically work with Southwest Virginia AREC, Shenandoah Valley AREC, Middleburg AREC, Southern Piedmont AREC Occasional travel to attend conferences and meetings Develop integrated, statewide research and Extension program leveraging diverse animals, land resources, facilities, environments, expertise across Virginia's AREC system Address priority needs in beef cattle, sheep, forage, grazing-based production systems Potential emphasis: animal health, nutrition, reproduction, genetics, production efficiency, environmental stewardship, economic sustainability Collaborate with faculty, Extension professionals, AREC personnel, producers, industry, stakeholders to develop multidisciplinary research, demonstration, educational programs Support and enhance existing livestock programs Pursue extramural funding Provide experiential learning and mentoring opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students Salary commensurate with education and experience Deadline: November 8, 2026, or until filled Application materials: cover letter, CV, graduate transcripts, statement of research interests (2-page max), statement of teaching and extension philosophy (2-page max), contact info for at least three professional references Contact: Dr. Rodrigo Marques (marques@vt.edu) URL: https://jobs.apply.vt.edu/jobs/assistant-associate-professor-ruminant-livestock-systems-and-integrated-grazing-mgmt-blacksburg-virginia-united-states Company/Institution: Virginia Tech City, State: Blacksburg, VA Zip Code: 24061 Country: USA E-mail: marques@vt.edu Now I need to structure this into sections. The posting has: - About the role (general description) - Responsibilities (duties) - Requirements/Qualifications (what they're looking for) - Location/Details (Blacksburg, VA, full-time, 12-month tenure-track) - Application info (deadline, materials, contact) - but the instructions say remove application instructions. However, the deadline and contact might be considered metadata. The instructions say "fold minor metadata into a short
or drop it" and "remove application instructions". I think I should include a brief metadata paragraph with location, appointment type, deadline, and contact, but not the full application instructions. The salary says "TBD" and "commensurate with education and experience" - that's placeholder/filler, so I should NOT create a Pay section. Benefits not mentioned - no Benefits section. Schedule: full-time, 12-month, tenure-track with split (60% Extension, 25% Research, 15% Teaching) - that's substantive, could be in About the role or a Schedule section. Since it's specific, I'll include in About the role. Let me create sections: 1. About the role - includes the overall description, appointment details, location 2. Responsibilities - list of duties 3. Qualifications - requirements (though the posting doesn't explicitly list qualifications like PhD, etc. It says "Candidates must submit..." but that's application materials. The posting doesn't state explicit qualifications like degree requirements. I need to check: it says "The successful candidate will develop..." but doesn't list required qualifications. However, it's a faculty position, so likely PhD required. But the posting doesn't state it explicitly. I should not invent. So maybe no Qualifications section if not stated. But there is "The candidate will collaborate..." etc. That's responsibilities. The posting doesn't have a clear "Requirements" section. I'll include only what's there. Actually, the posting says: "The successful candidate will develop an innovative, stakeholder-driven Extension and applied research program..." and lists many "will" statements. Those are responsibilities. There's no explicit "Qualifications" or "Requirements" section in the posting. The only requirements are the application materials. But those are application instructions, which we should remove. However, sometimes the required degree is implied. But the instructions say "Preserve ALL substantive information; do NOT invent or summarize away detail." So I should not add a PhD requirement if not stated. Thus, I'll have: - About the role - Responsibilities - Maybe a "Program Focus" or "Research & Extension Focus" section for the specific emphasis areas. - A brief metadata paragraph for location, appointment type, deadline, contact. Let me structure:
About the role
...
Responsibilities
- ...
Program focus
- ...
Collaboration & resources
- ...
for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule)." The "e.g." suggests those are examples, but I should prefer those. However, "Program focus" is not in that list. I could use "Responsibilities" for the duties, and "Qualifications" for requirements. But there are no explicit qualifications. The focus areas could be part of Responsibilities or About the role.
Better to follow the suggested headings. Let me map:
- About the role: overall description, appointment details, location
- Responsibilities: the list of duties (develop program, collaborate, work with ARECs, travel, pursue funding, mentor students)
- Qualifications: not explicitly stated, but maybe the application materials imply qualifications? The posting doesn't say "PhD required". I'll skip Qualifications section.
- Skills: not listed.
- Benefits: not mentioned.
- Pay: says TBD and commensurate, which is filler, so no Pay section.
- Schedule: full-time, 12-month, tenure-track with split percentages. That's substantive. Could be a Schedule section or part of About the role. Since Schedule is a suggested heading, I'll create a Schedule section.
But the instructions: "never create Pay/Schedule/Benefits sections unless the posting actually states them." The posting states "Full Time", "12-month, tenure-track (60% Extension, 25% Research, 15% Teaching)". That's a schedule. So I can create a Schedule section.
Also, location: Blacksburg, VA. That's metadata.
I'll create:
About the role
...
Schedule
Full-time, 12-month tenure-track appointment with a 60% Extension, 25% research, and 15% teaching allocation.
Responsibilities
- ...