UC Cooperative Extension

UC Cooperative Extension - Director of County Cooperative Extention - Academic Administrator or Academic Coordinator III Series (25-09)

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources

Application Window

Open date: April 14, 2025

Next review date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Friday, Jun 20, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

Position Overview
The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) invites applications for a Director of County Cooperative Extension in the Academic Administrator Series or in the Academic Coordinator III Series.
Location Headquarters: This position will be located at either the ANR headquarters in Davis, CA or a county Cooperative Extension office, should there be space available. It is expected that if the successful candidate is not physically located in Davis, travel to the Davis building will be expected one to two days per month.

Purpose & Clientele
The Director of County Cooperative Extension provides visionary leadership, mentoring and support to the University of California County Cooperative Extension offices to ensure the successful development, delivery, evaluation, and administration of local applied research and extension programming. Through the implementation of programs and applied research, UCCE purposefully and intentionally improves the economic, environmental and social conditions in all 58 counites of California. The Director connects area and county directors (UCCE Unit Directors) and their local academic, program and administrative teams to resources, professional development, policy and financial resources to ensure the cooperative extension continuum loop between the ten UC campuses and the 58 counties.

The Director provides leadership and oversight to UCCE unit directors to ensure understanding, application and implementation of the UC ANR strategic vision and statewide program/institute activities to support and strengthen UCCE units. The Director develops and coordinates professional development opportunities for UCCE unit directors related to leadership skill development, managing and supervising employees, conflict resolution, policy and reporting compliance, problem solving and celebrating successes. The Director is the primary supervisor for all UCCE unit directors and is responsible for the recruitment, on-boarding, mentoring and evaluations of this team of professionals. Primary clientele is UCCE unit directors, and secondarily their academic, programmatic and administrative employees.

Major Responsibilities

Leadership and Vision
•   Lead and oversee implementation of UCCE across California.
•   Set a high standard for excellence.
•   Use personal knowledge and professional experience to envision the future, anticipate change, capitalize on opportunities and develop innovative options that further the strategic direction of the organization.
•   Provide supervision and visionary leadership for the UCCE unit directors to inspire and motivate by attitude and actions through setting clear goals and targeted outputs.
•   Model and create a positive environment that supports the success of all UCCE units and team members across California.
•   Demonstrate concern for all staff; effectively manage all personnel, including direct supervision of all UCCE unit directors
•   Provide coaching and guidance to UCCE unit directors in multiple functional areas, including development of local procedures and practices, academic and staff recruitment, employee and labor relations, retention, professional development, training, employee evaluation, and reporting at county, systemwide, and Federal levels.
•   Support, mentor and advise UCCE unit directors in their supervision of UCCE advisors, staff, administrative professionals and any additional FTE in the unit (e.g., students, active emeritus CE advisors, and any additional academic positions working within the unit).
•   Use merit, promotion, and evaluation processes to mentor, educate and provide feedback to support employee success.
•   Provide leadership, mentoring and evaluation of UCCE unit directors and when appropriate other UCCE employees.
•   Provide leadership to UCCE unit directors by:
o Conducting and supporting annual evaluations/merits/ promotions.

o Consulting and reviewing sabbatical leaves, emeritus work plans, professional development planning.

o Developing and implementing plans for coaching, corrective actions, program improvement plans, and letters of expectations.
o Coordinating monthly leadership update webinars and annual face-to-face professional development meetings.
o Providing regular communications with all UCCE unit personnel about University and County updates and navigating both University and County human resources' policies and procedures.
•   Model your actions and support UCCE unit directors in achieving the metrics identified in their position descriptions related to leadership, administration, finance and partnership development.
•   In consultation with ANR leadership, make recommendations and implement decisions on programmatic, operational, workforce planning, and other pertinent issues.
•   Develop and maintain effective professional relationships with colleagues across all local units, as well as systemwide. Liaison between County Directors, Academic Assembly Council and Staff Assembly Council.

Administrative Policy
•   Understand, uniformly apply, and ensure compliance of UC and County Administrative policies and procedures, including UC ANR Affirmative Action guidelines and policies.
•   Provide leadership to academics and staff to ensure assessment of clientele needs.
•   Set standards for UCCE units to measure outcomes and impacts and communicate these milestones to local clientele and stakeholders.
•   Value and deliver high quality, professional, responsive and innovative service.
•   Demonstrate the ability to analyze situations or problems, make timely and sound decisions, construct plans and achieve optimal results.
•   Collaborate across organizational units as appropriate to gather and integrate information to formulate approaches to resolve issues and respond to and resolve complex and/or sensitive issues.
•   Facilitate resolution of informal conflicts and/or complaints within UC Cooperative Extension units when requested by or involving UCCE unit directors.

Budget and Funding Demonstrate evidence of successfully and effectively allocating resources, monitoring the use of resources, and reporting to funding agencies.
•   Demonstrate integrity, accountability and efficient stewardship of university and county resources in a manner consistent with the UC Standards of Ethical conduct and other policies.

Human Resource and Business Unit Relationships
•   Collaborate with UC ANR Human Resources and Business units, on various matters impacting or pertaining to UCCE unit procedures and practices, to ensure services meet the needs of UCCE units.
•   Facilitate communication between Business Units, Research & Extension Centers, and UCCE units.
•   Cultivate, maintain, and nurture internal UC relationships.
•   Collaborate with colleagues to achieve results in alignment with the operations and mission of the University of California.

Advocacy and Communication
•   Represent UC ANR and UCCE in professional manner.
•   Ensure clientele needs are assessed.
•   Support the development of priority program goals to successfully meet clientele needs, in alignment with UC ANR's Strategic Vision, Initiatives and Plan.
•   Maintain positive relationships with new and existing partners, stakeholders and clientele to cultivate, maintain, and nurture political and industry relationships and resources to build new programs that expand UCCE's reach across the state.
•   Meet with and provide responsive communications with key stakeholders (e.g., industry partners, donors, policy makers and elected officials, and others as required).
•   Increase awareness of UCCE by disseminating information on behalf of the unit to county residents, stakeholders, clientele, and politicians.
•   Represent UC ANR on various statewide and/or national committees and serve as the liaison between UC ANR and UCCE offices and employees.
•   Promote active, ongoing advocacy and support of UC ANR.
•   Collaborate with UC ANR Office of Government Affairs to support UCCE unit academics in responding to regulatory, state and federal agencies, external groups, industry organizations and the mass media on issues related to applied research and extension projects.
•   Represent the University as a resource and contact person to industry leaders, producers, non-University of California academics and the public.
•   Communicate needs, successes and opportunities with Government Affairs staff.

Reporting Relationship: The Director for County Cooperative Extension reports directly to the Associate Vice President for Research and Cooperative Extension (AVP).

Qualifications and Skills Required

Required Qualifications
Education: For Academic Administrator Series, a minimum of a Ph.D. or other terminal degree in disciplines related to extension education, personnel management, higher education administration education, development or related fields are required at the time of appointment.
For Academic Coordinator III Series, a minimum of a Master's degree in disciplines related to extension education . click apply for full job details