Center Director - West Florida Research and Education Center (WFREC)

About the Role

The Center Director is the administrative head of the West Florida Research and Education Center (WFREC), located on two campuses in Milton and Jay, Florida. This role provides leadership and support for teaching, research, and extension programs essential to agricultural, horticultural, natural resource conservation, environmental, and consumer interests in the region. The Director is responsible for encouraging proactive programs that address present and future needs of surrounding agricultural, natural resource, and urban communities, with the goal of improving regional agricultural economies, protecting natural resources, and encouraging positive interaction at the urban-agriculture interface.

Responsibilities

• Administer and support teaching programs of the faculty, coordinating undergraduate teaching in conjunction with the WFREC Teaching Program Coordinator (the program is established in cooperation with Pensacola State College and has a 12:1 to 14:1 student-teacher ratio, offering a B.S. degree in Plant Science or Natural Resource Conservation awarded by UF while students remain in the Milton-Pensacola area).
• Facilitate and support research and extension programs of faculty located at both WFREC campuses (the Jay campus is a 640-acre Research/Extension farm; the Milton campus is located at Pensacola State College-Milton).
• Manage WFREC budgetary and personnel resources and develop short- and long-term goals for programs, equipment, teaching gardens, physical plant, and personnel.
• Develop, implement, and continuously advance a strategic vision that enhances WFREC's impact at local, regional, and statewide levels, in collaboration with stakeholders and UF/IFAS leadership.
• Maintain liaison with local, state, and federal agencies; interact with UF/IFAS administration, county extension faculty, other UF faculty and staff, and agricultural and environmental leaders.
• Use communication and management skills to promote teamwork among faculty and staff, delegate responsibility, and make timely decisions.
• Evaluate WFREC faculty programs and initiate tenure and promotion actions in consultation with appropriate department chairs.
• Report administratively to the Dean for Research & Executive Director for Academic Affairs, and programmatically to the Deans for Academic Programs, Research, and Extension.
• Develop and maintain goodwill for the Center among support groups, clientele, and consumers; build strong ties with organizations, public agencies, commodity groups, agricultural producers, industry members, environmental NGOs, and regulatory governmental agencies.
• Maintain working relationships with Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida to support the teaching program.
• Cooperate with UF/IFAS Department Chairs, other REC directors, Extension State Program Leaders, county extension faculty, and other UF units in program development.

Qualifications

Required:

• Internal search – open to current permanent UF faculty only.
• An earned Ph.D. (foreign equivalent acceptable) in a field related to plant sciences, including but not limited to agriculture, environmental horticulture, or natural resources.
• Experience in conducting teaching and research programs with academic credentials equivalent to the rank of full professor (must be qualified for the rank of associate professor and be a recognized national or international authority or outstanding teacher, with a distinguished record of achievement beyond the associate professor level).
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including responsibility for mentoring and supervising faculty, staff, and students, and fostering a collaborative, high-performing organizational environment.
• Strong administrative, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills; ability to manage complex programs and make effective decisions.
• Experience in obtaining extramural support from commodity and industry groups or governmental agencies such as USDA.
• Proven ability to coordinate and administer experiential learning initiatives for non-traditional students across curricula.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain productive relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
• Clear understanding of and commitment to the mission of the land-grant system, including integration of research, teaching, and extension.
• Strong commitment to the core values of the University of Florida.

Preferred:

• Experience with extension activities, farm operations, and developing and/or administering a teaching program that leverages on-site facilities and learning environments.

About WFREC & UF/IFAS

The West Florida Research and Education Center is located approximately 35 miles northeast of Pensacola, FL, in Santa Rosa County, within 20 miles of Gulf Coast beaches. The area is a traditional agronomic crop production region increasingly influenced by expanding urban areas and interest in natural resource conservation. WFREC faculty specialize in agronomy, weed science, turfgrass management, environmental horticulture, fire ecology, forest ecology and silviculture, and wildlife ecology and conservation.

The University of Florida is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution with enrollment of more than 56,000 students and is a member of The Association of American Universities. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) 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, 16 on-campus academic departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers statewide, 6 research sites/demonstration units, and Cooperative Extension offices in all 67 counties. IFAS employs nearly 4,500 people, including approximately 990 salaried faculty and 1,400 permanent support personnel, and is administered by a Vice President and four deans. UF/IFAS also engages in cooperative work with Florida A&M University.

Application Information

Individuals wishing to apply should go online to Careers at UF by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date and submit: a formal letter of application including a brief statement of administrative philosophy and ideas on the role of an off-campus Research and Education Center; a current curriculum vitae including biographical sketch, teaching, service, consultantships, and complete list of publications; and three names and contact information of references who can assess the candidate's qualifications (refer to Requisition # 540729).

Interviews will be held from late August – early September. The selected candidate will be required to provide an official transcript upon hire. Degrees from institutions outside the U.S. must be evaluated by a NACES-approved credentialing service. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the U.S.

Contact: Dr. Mark Kistler, Chair, Search and Screen Committee, University of Florida Indian River Research and Education Center, 2199 S. Rock Road, Fort Pierce, FL 34945. Telephone: 772-577-7327. Email: mark.kistler@ifas.ufl.edu