County Extension Director AND Extension Agent II

County Extension Director AND Extension Agent II - IV OR Program Agent II - IV - Natural Resources

Job No: 535591
Work Type: Multi-Track Faculty
Location: Broward
Categories: Biology/Life Science, Agricultural Sciences
Department: - AG-BROWARD

Job Description

Classification Title:

Cty Ext Dir & Ext Agent II - IV OR Prg Ext Agent II - IV

Classification Minimum Requirements:

New appointees to any County Extension Director position must have a minimum of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university.

Job Description:

You Belong at a University that's Leading the Way

The University of Florida (UF), the state's flagship institution, is a land-grant university comprised of teaching, research, and extension. The UF/IFAS Florida Cooperative Extension Service is committed to the core values of integrity, excellence, responsiveness, lifelong learning, and accessibility.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating an environment that affirms community across all dimensions. We particularly welcome applicants who can contribute to such an environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392- 2477 or the Florida Relay System at (TDD) or visit Accessibility at UF .

Please note : The Extension Agent track is permanent status accruing and the Program Extension Agent track is non permanent status accruing in the Florida Cooperative Extension Service (FCES). The track followed by a successful candidate who does not currently hold permanent status in FCES will be agreed upon by UF and the candidate and will depend on their current position and experience. A successful candidate who currently holds permanent status in FCES will follow the Extension Agent track. The programmatic focus of this position is Leadership and Natural Resources.

The Opportunity

We are looking for candidates with academic and people skills who work well in teams, honor their commitments, and innovate in a rapidly changing world. As a County Extension Director (CED) and Extension Agent, you will work jointly for UF/IFAS Extension and Broward County. As the CED (about 75% of your time), you will provide leadership and support for administering and supervising the total extension program within Broward County, with an emphasis on integrating emerging technologies to enhance program delivery, data management, and the decision-making process. As the Natural Resources Agent (about 25% of your time), your role focuses on developing and implementing educational programs that integrate emerging technologies, such as data capture systems and dashboard reports, to improve data-driven decision-making and natural resource management. Your guidance will be informed by an advisory committee that addresses the needs of the county's population, aiming to enhance community capacity through effective leadership.

As County Extension Director, the candidate will be able to:
•  Lead, supervise, mentor, and evaluate county faculty and staff.
•  Work closely with county extension personnel concerning staff relationships, morale, budgets and compensation, professional development, and performance evaluations.
•  Foster an welcoming environment for all and build effective relationships with stakeholders, county government, community leaders, private sector clientele, media, government agencies, county residents, and UF/IFAS faculty, staff, and extension administration.
•  Leverage data to identify opportunities for Extension program expansion and improvement.
•  Promote the use of data collection, enhancing the impact and efficiency of programs.
•  Foster a culture of data-driven decision-making across Extension initiatives.
•  Assemble and regularly consult an overall advisory committee reflective of county demographics and stakeholders to ensure that all county extension programs are important and relevant and effectively advocate for community extension.
•  Assure that each county faculty member maintains an extension advisory committee in his/her respective subject matter and areas of responsibility.
•  Provide strong and positive leadership to faculty to develop and implement educational programs.
•  Prepare and defend the annual county budget that supports the Broward County Extension Service offices and oversee, review, and approve expenditures for the department.
•  Demonstrate resourcefulness, creativity, enthusiasm, collaboration, leadership, and innovation to strengthen current educational programs while reviewing and implementing new policies, evaluating performance, maintaining records, assessing risks, communicating, marketing effectively across multi-media platforms, managing financial resources, directing strategic planning, and creating educational materials and opportunities for Broward County. As the Agent, the candidate will be able to:
•  Develop and implement educational programs that integrate emerging technologies to improve natural resource management.
•  Utilize dashboards and reporting tools to provide stakeholders with accessible insights into program metrics, outcomes, and community impact.
•  Collaborate with UF/IFAS faculty, County departments, and agencies to help design, conduct, and evaluate studies (including data collection) that assess natural resources in Broward County. Further Information:

UF/IFAS employs more than 2,000 faculty and staff statewide. UF/IFAS Extension is a partnership between state, federal, and county governments to provide quality, relevant education, and research-based expertise to foster healthy people, a healthy environment, and a healthy economy. We employ 375 Extension Agents and have an office in each of Florida's 67 counties. We attribute our success to a workforce that embraces the contributions of people of all backgrounds and ability levels. The Extension Agent will contribute to a community that provides space for innovation, creativity, collaboration, growth, and development for all.

Broward County with a population of over 1.9 million, is located Miami metropolitan area. The Extension office is located in Davie directly across from the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center . Broward County Extension is part of the Southeast Extension District, comprising twelve counties and the Seminole Tribe.

UF/IFAS Broward County Extension partners with Broward County Parks and Recreation . The county park system received accreditation in 2023. There are more than 50 regional parks, nature centers, neighborhood parks, natural areas, and specialty parks; including home to the largest butterfly park in the world, with at least 10,000 butterflies on view.

Employment is contingent on the results of a physical examination, a substance screening, and a national background screening.

In the event of an emergency, all employees are considered essential personnel and may be required to perform alternate duties at the county or district level.

Candidates must have the ability to possess (or be able to obtain within two months of hire) a Florida driver's license, be able to work flexible hours and have the willingness to occasionally work long and irregular hours, including evenings, weekends, and overnight travel.

Candidates will be reviewed as applications are received, but please be aware that interviews might not be scheduled until 4 to 6 weeks after the position closing date. Are you a good match? Apply today.

Expected Salary:

Commensurate with Education and Experience

Required Qualifications:
•  A master's degree in natural resources, natural sciences, education, public administration, or a related field.
•  Attained Permanent Status, Tenure, or equivalent with at least 5 years of professional extension experience.
•  Evidence of administrative leadership, managerial skills, and the ability to work with administrators, faculty, and government personnel.
•  Experience in developing data-driven strategies to enhance public program delivery.
•  Self-starting, energetic, and team-oriented.
•  Strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills.
•  Resourcefulness, creativity, enthusiasm, and innovativeness.
•  Good organizational development and management skills.
•  Ability to establish solid partnerships and work in teams.
•  Ability to use information technology and apply social media to extension work.
•  A commitment to positive and proactive customer service.
•  Expertise in managing competing priorities and adaptability to handle unexpected situations.
•  Candidates must also have a commitment to
•  Candidates must also have a commitment to UF's core values .
Preferred:
•  A doctoral degree is preferred.
•  Expertise in getting groups to work together for a higher goal, managing competing priorities, and adaptability to handle unexpected situations is a plus for this role.
•  Excellent written and oral communication skills and knowledge of extension program development processes, including working with advisory committees, leadership development, and program evaluation.
•  Familiarity with data analysis for program analysis and trend forecasting in community-focused environments.
•  Proven experience leveraging data to drive decision-making and operational improvements click apply for full job details