Extension Instructor or Open Rank Extension Educator - Water & Cropping Systems (Burt Co.)

About the role

This position is based in Tekamah, NE, with the geographic accountability region of Burt, Dakota, and Thurston Counties. The Extension professional serves as a trusted, research-based educational leader connecting the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the agricultural industry, and Nebraska communities through practical, science-based extension programming and applied research.

Responsibilities

• Eamples of positive and professional behavior and attitude towards colleagues, clients, and partner organizations.
• Develops and delivers proactive, innovative, and engaging educational programs and products, using teaching methods and strategies that have significant reach, engagement, and impact in your county, accountability region, and, as appropriate, statewide and nationally.
• Establishes and sustains a strong local and regional clientele base and programming portfolio that is documented and shared with colleagues.
• Employs innovative strategies and technologies to design, develop, implement, and assess programs for a strong Extension education program/engagement at the county, accountability region, and statewide levels.
• Engages and teaches in a collaborative learning and problem-solving environment, working with assistants, educators, and specialists to encourage learners to adopt research-based decision-making information.
• Collaborates with specialists and research faculty to conduct applied and validation research (e.g., on-farm, ranch, or community) that can be amplified via multiple engagement platforms.
• Shows robust contributions to multidisciplinary team settings with Extension professionals and other internal and external partners to translate and convey the latest research-based information.
• Engages local, regional, and statewide partners to identify and address high-priority issues where Extension is particularly well positioned to contribute.
• Fosters a culture of collaboration with local, regional and statewide leaders that nurtures and strengthens positive relationships among the University, its partners, and the people we serve.
• Employs entrepreneurial practices to obtain funding and partnerships, enhancing Extension’s program reach and impact.
• Creates ongoing programming revenue that supports the viability of individuals, teams, units, and the System.
• Leads and contributes value to high-performing Extension programming teams.
• Engages in personal and professional development opportunities that enhance knowledge, skills, and competencies relevant to your role.
• Supports youth development programs by contributing to areas related to your specific assignment.
• Conducts need assessments, identifies priorities, develops various program and engagement platforms to connect with a variety of audiences, measure program impact, and report the results in your annual report as well as to Extension boards, County Commissioners and Supervisors, State Senators, key stakeholders, at professional meetings, and in professional and Extension publications when appropriate.
• Collaborates with lead educators, Extension specialists, Extension advisory committees, and local stakeholders within their accountability region to assess needs and offer access to engagement opportunities through various platforms (e.g., focus groups, surveys, stakeholder meetings, etc.).
• Participates in teams comprised of assistants, educators, specialists, other staff or faculty, industry, and community leaders. These teams focus on current or future needs or strengths and strategize in program areas where you contribute.
• Fosters a culture of collaboration with local leaders and community members that builds positive relationships between the University and the community.
• Cultivates open and welcoming learning environments.
• Completes PEARS data entry and reporting requirements.
• Fulfills annual IANR reporting requirements, including an individual impact report.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in agronomy, crop science, plant sciences, or a closely related field (extension educator) OR bachelor’s degree in agronomy, crop science, plant sciences, or a closely related field (extension instructor).
• If hired as an instructor, the incumbent will be expected to make satisfactory progress towards and complete a master’s degree within the initial five-year appointment period.
• Experience in Nebraska agriculture or familiarity with Great Plains cropping systems, irrigation practices, and agricultural production systems.
• Demonstrated ability to connect and engage with local farmers, agribusiness, and colleagues through relationships, programming, and service.
• Demonstrated knowledge of production agriculture, cropping systems, water management and irrigation, agronomics, precision/digital agriculture, and/or agricultural sustainability.
• Strong teaching, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to translate research-based information into practical educational programming for diverse audiences in formal and/or non-formal educational settings.
• Experience conducting or supporting applied research, on-farm trials, validation studies, demonstration projects, and/or irrigation management activities that improve water use efficiency, crop productivity, and agricultural sustainability.
• Demonstrated experience with precision agriculture, digital agriculture technologies, data-driven decision tools, and/or emerging agricultural technologies used in modern agricultural systems.
• Experience developing partnerships and collaborating with producers, commodity organizations, NRDs, agribusinesses, schools, agricultural organizations, and other stakeholders to support educational programming and outreach.
• Successful experience securing grants, sponsorships, contracts, external funding, cost-recovery opportunities, or other financial support for educational programs.

Qualifications

• Experience in Nebraska agriculture or familiarity with Great Plains cropping systems, irrigation practices, and agricultural production systems.
• Demonstrated ability to connect and engage with local farmers, agribusiness, and colleagues through relationships, programming, and service.
• Demonstrated knowledge of production agriculture, cropping systems, water management and irrigation, agronomics, precision/digital agriculture, and/or agricultural sustainability.
• Strong teaching, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to translate research-based information into practical educational programming for diverse audiences in formal and/or non-formal educational settings.
• Experience conducting or supporting applied research, on-farm trials, validation studies, demonstration projects, and/or irrigation management activities that improve water use efficiency, crop productivity, and agricultural sustainability.
• Demonstrated experience with precision agriculture, digital agriculture technologies, data-driven decision tools, and/or emerging agricultural technologies used in modern agricultural systems.
• Experience developing partnerships and collaborating with producers, commodity organizations, NRDs, agribusinesses, schools, agricultural organizations, and other stakeholders to support educational programming and outreach.
• Successful experience securing grants, sponsorships, contracts, external funding, cost-recovery opportunities, or other financial support for educational programs.

Skills

• Strong teaching, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to translate research-based information into practical educational programming for diverse audiences.
• Experience conducting or supporting applied research, on-farm trials, validation studies, demonstration projects, and/or irrigation management activities.
• Experience with precision agriculture, digital agriculture technologies, data-driven decision tools, and/or emerging agricultural technologies.
• Experience developing partnerships and collaborating with producers, commodity organizations, NRDs, agribusinesses, schools, agricultural organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Experience securing grants, sponsorships, contracts, external funding, cost-recovery opportunities, or other financial support for educational programs.

Benefits

As part of the Nebraska benefits package, UNL offers tuition remission for full-time employees, up to 15 credit hours per year. Once the master’s degree is earned within that period, the position will advance to an assistant extension educator appointment.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $45,000 - $65,000 annually, depending on qualifications and experience.

Schedule

The schedule for this position is twelve months, non-tenure track.