Senior or Principal Agent & Assistant Director of 4-H Youth Development

About the role

The University of Maryland Extension (UME) seeks applicants for the Assistant Director and Program Leader position for 4-H Youth Development. This is an administrative position in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR), a leading Land-Grant institution providing teaching, research, and extension to all Marylanders and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and direction for UME 4-H Youth Development programs and sets the strategic direction in collaboration with faculty, staff, volunteers, youth, and stakeholders.
• Identifies issues and opportunities aligned with organizational priorities, and collaborates with faculty and partners to develop, implement, and evaluate educational programs that meet the statewide needs of youth, residents, agencies, organizations, industries, and communities in these areas.
• Provides leadership, guidance, and coaching for faculty, including planning, implementing, and evaluating research-based, community-focused youth development programs.
• Provides leadership to faculty in long-range planning, writing, reporting, professional development, and grant management.
• Secures funding and support faculty in acquiring and managing extramural funds for enhancing 4-H programs from diverse funding sources.
• Provides leadership in developing and maintaining effective teamwork among state and county/city faculty, staff, volunteers, and stakeholders.
• Mentors faculty to set clear expectations for Extension programming, scholarship, and service, and offers support for success.
• Recruits, mentors, and evaluates 4-H faculty, including the review of Individual Extension Plans and performance evaluations.
• Personnel supervision and evaluation of Maryland 4-H state staff, including Maryland 4-H Foundation and Maryland 4-H Environmental Education & Camping Center staff.
• Provides annual reports for various reporting requirements, including federal reporting on Extension programs and their impacts.
• Works collaboratively with UME Programs (i.e., Agriculture and Food Systems, Environment and Natural Resources-Sea Grant, Family and Consumer Sciences), departments, and colleges to develop partnerships and interdisciplinary programs.
• Oversees statewide 4-H program evaluation and impact assessments and processes to demonstrate outcomes and ensure improvements.
• Serves as an active and collaborative member of the UME senior leadership team, with a diverse portfolio of duties as assigned, including contributions to leadership meetings, strategic planning, programming, and training.
• Provides vision and leadership to create an environment that welcomes all young people, with particular attention to expanding enrollment across the state and communities.
• Provides fiscal oversight and management of the 4-H operations and programming budget, including the 4-H Environmental and Camping Center.
• Supervises MD 4-H Foundation staff who manage all grants funded by the National 4-H Council cooperatively with the Maryland 4-H Foundation Board of Directors.
• Provides oversight of statewide policies, procedures, and risk management efforts to ensure the safety of youth while in the university’s custody and control.

Qualifications

• Candidates must have earned a doctorate (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) and must be able to be tenured in a department as a Professor/Associate Professor or tenured in Extension as a Principal/Senior Agent rank upon appointment.
• A significant leadership experience in a large youth development organization.
• A demonstrated understanding of the Land Grant mission and 4-H Youth Development.
• Evidence of excellence in leadership, teamwork, collaboration, and human resources management skills in a decentralized organization or system.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to advocate for the 4-H program effectively, engage diverse audiences, and build working relationships.
• A demonstrated ability to motivate, lead, and supervise faculty and staff both programmatically and administratively.
• A demonstrated ability in budget administration and accountability of resources, including extramural funding.

SkillsPersonal transportation and a valid driver’s license are required.

The ability to travel statewide and nationally as needed is an expectation for this position.

Benefits

For more information on Regular Faculty benefits, select this link.

Pay

$150,000 - $179,000

Schedule

N/A