Project Specialist I

About the role

Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of several components including the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Forest Service, and the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. As the largest and most comprehensive agriculture program in the country, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together these entities to improve lives, environments, and the Texas economy through education, research, extension, and service.

Responsibilities

• Assist in planning and conducting outreach programs including workshops, conferences, and symposia, particularly regarding programmatic activities of the Plants, Nature, and Health Initiative (PNHI).
• Download and generate descriptive statistics of data from selected government databases and other health and green industry-related websites; develop pivot tables in Excel spreadsheets for data analysis; aid in the preparation of industry trends reports, infographics, and PowerPoint presentations, and manage an online dashboard of economic and health-related metrics for decision-making by industry clientele.
• Develop surveys in Qualtrics (or similar programs) and manage the data debugging process, generate exportable data files for analysis, and assist in report generation.
• Assist in video editing and uploading of videos to YouTube and Vimeo related to programmatic efforts of the Plants, Nature, and Health Initiative. Use selected Artificial Intelligence tools for drafting language for reports, grants, and correspondence, as well as other applicable tasks.
• Work with college audio-visual and marketing staff to develop, maintain, and revise/update websites as needed or as templates are updated. Conduct routine checks of website performance and maintain records of website usage. Develop and post news of research and outreach projects and accomplishments on social media platforms for the chair and department. Develop a website for the new Plants, Nature, and Health Initiative, as well a plan for maintaining the site.
• Set up, attend, record, and monitor online meetings with internal TAMU and agency faculty via Teams and/or Zoom software. Utilize online calendaring tools (e.g., Doodle, Calendly, etc.) to set up meetings internally and with external constituents. Record meetings and use AI transcripts to develop notes for follow-up and action plans.
• Develop, edit, and distribute an informational e-newsletter for advisory committee members, internal faculty and staff that are part of the PNHI, as well as external clientele. This correspondence includes materials such as recent publications, department and initiative updates, website performance metrics, and other related news as appropriate, as well as using these data and other resources to populate the newsletter.
• Report to the project/program administrators and regularly exercise discretion and independent judgment in providing administrative support to the program.
• Act as liaison between the chairholder and advisory committee, department head and business office personnel, the PNHI steering committee, and any other constituency groups regarding PNHI and Chair programmatic activities and assist in resolving complex, sensitive and/or confidential administrative matters. Respond to routine information requests via mail, phone, or other electronic means.
• Make administrative and logistical arrangements for Chair and PNHI-related meetings including Zoom or Teams arrangements, hotel blocks and reservations, meeting area(s), meals, and parking, creating itineraries, agenda, activity and financial reports and handouts, presentations, and other communication materials.
• Make administrative and logistical arrangements for the distinguished lecturers and/or seminar speakers including travel and hotel for guest speakers, location of lecture, and distributions of lecture announcement to faculty, students, staff, industry leaders, and publication editors, and preparing documents for reimbursements to guest speakers.
• Other support activities as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in public health and/or plant/nature benefits.
• Experience in project management.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong project management skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to plan, organize, and lead in-person and online meetings effectively.
• Proficient in Excel spreadsheets, including a working knowledge of pivot tables, statistics, and graphing.
• Proficient in PowerPoint presentation development.
• Proficient in Word and medium-level desktop publishing.
• Proficient in online meeting platforms (Teams, Zoom) and calendaring tools (Doodle).
• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proficient in video and photo editing.
• Proficient in website management software (e.g., WordPress).
• Familiarity with Adobe Acrobat PDF form generation, file editing, and e-signature capabilities.
• Familiarity with data management and survey tools (e.g., Qualtrics).
• Familiarity with Interfolio, Maestro, and travel management software.
• Familiarity with AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Fathom).

Why Work at Texas A&M AgriLife?

In addition to being an established leader in agriculture and life sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife offers a comprehensive benefit package including:

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums.
• Up to 12-15 days of annual paid holidays.
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month.
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
• Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife.

Applicant Instructions

Applications received by Texas A&M AgriLife must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to prepopulate the online application.

Required Documents

• CV/Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of References
• Certifications/Additional Documentation

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer