Date of posting here May 11, 2010
Type of position Official Title: Area Extension Educator, E-2. Working Title: Extension Educator, E-2 (equivalent to assistant professor) full-time, twelve-month, tenure-track faculty position.
Employer Washington State University
Location Pasco, Washington, Franklin County
Description of Location The position is headquartered in the WSU / Franklin County Office in Pasco Washington, located in the southern part of the Columbia Basin of Central Washington. Franklin County’s population is approximately 60,500 (52.8% White, 3.2% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 37.4% Other), with a land mass of just over 1242 square miles. Pasco, the Franklin County Seat, is located within a larger population center known as the Tri-Cities (population of 138,000), which also includes the cities of Kennewick and Richland that are located in Benton County. Benton County’s population is approximately 152,000 (85.5% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.8% Asian, 8.2% Other), with a land mass of 1,703 square miles. The Franklin County and Benton County area served by this position is an important irrigated agriculture region with a wide variety of horticultural and agronomic crops. Crop sales in Franklin and Benton Counties in 2002 totaled $297,450,000 and $366,342,000 respectively from over 2200 farms. Benton and Franklin Counties rank 3rd and 4th respectively in the state for total value of agriculture products sold.
Salary This position will be filled at the E-2 rank (equivalent to assistant professor) and the salary will be commensurate with the candidate’s academic and professional qualifications, including history of program management, scholarly activities, and successful extramural fund development. For more information on state of Washington, go to http://www.hrs.wsu.edu/Benefits.
Closing date of competition June 14, 2010
Date position available Negotiable
Description of duties This position is responsible for leading Washington State University (WSU) Extension programs in forages, agronomy and weed management across Franklin and Benton Counties, and collaborating with other faculty throughout the Columbia Basin. Opportunities exist for collaborating in applied research with faculty located at WSU’s Irrigated Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Prosser, Washington.

Other general responsibilities include:
  • Develop programs that contribute to local, university, state, national, and international recognition of WSU Extension as an essential education and applied research resource.
  • Contribute to the recognition of WSU as a premier Land-Grant University and the Extension profession.
  • Work cooperatively with other faculty, industry representatives, grower groups, and other professionals across the Pacific Northwest.
  • Become knowledgeable about and promote the entire Extension program.
  • Contribute an accurate, consistent, and positive message about Extension to funding partners, participants, and the wider community.
Program Responsibilities:
  • Develop educational curricula, programs, crop variety trials, and other field trials or methodologies to deliver research-based education and training on alfalfa hay and other forages, weed management, bio-fuel feedstocks, and other agronomic crops to farmers and target audiences of the area.
  • Acquire both financial and human resources through grants, contracts, and gifts to support the development and delivery of these programs.
  • Build capacity to sustain and grow programs through constituent empowerment and/or leadership development.
  • Conduct informal and formal program need/opportunity assessments and utilize stakeholder input in formulating program plans.
  • Engage in professional development regularly and redirect efforts as needed.
  • Extend the reach of WSU Extension by integrating distance technology into program/project delivery through: computer, web pages, electronic mailings, multimedia technologies, and other emerging technologies.
  • Document program impacts and make timely reports as required by WSU Extension.
  • Promote communications and effective working relationships between WSU Extension and all stakeholders.
  • Engage diverse audiences and communities.
Line of Responsibility:

This WSU faculty member is responsible to the Franklin County Extension Director, and works as a member of a multi-disciplinary team of Extension faculty members in the Franklin and Benton Area Extension Offices.

Relationships:
  • Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with other WSU Faculty, County Commissioners, other agencies/organizations, diverse groups, and stakeholders.
  • Promote communications and effective working relationships with Extension Advisory Committees and stakeholder groups.
  • Work as an effective member of WSU committees and educational teams.
Qualifications sought MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
  1. Minimum of an earned Master’s Degree in agronomy, plant sciences, soil science, or closely related discipline.
  2. Strong academic training or experience in production of forages and other agronomic crops.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
  1. Ph.D. in agronomy, plant sciences, soil sciences or closely related discipline.
  2. Experience or knowledge in weed management in forages and other agricultural settings.
  3. Experience or knowledge of irrigation technology and/or water resources management.
  4. Experience or knowledge of environmental and regulatory issues related to agriculture.
  5. Experience in conducting applied research involving agricultural production systems.
  6. Demonstrated ability to conduct programs that address issues related to profitability, sustainability, and environmental stewardship of agricultural enterprises.
  7. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  8. Strong people skills and a capacity and willingness to engage diverse constituents in educational programs.
  9. Academic training or experience that will insure a strong connection to Research and Extension Centers, as well as academic departments within the College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences.
  10. Entrepreneurial skills in grants, contracts, gift development, and fee-generating educational activities.
  11. Ability to use current computer technology and distance-bridging technologies to expand learning opportunities.
  12. Demonstrated ability and flexibility in exercising both leadership and team membership roles.
  13. Ability to communicate in Spanish.
JOB EXPECTATIONS:
  • Understand and carry out the principles and specific requirements of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Affirmative Action Plan, and all pertinent rules and regulations.
  • Ability to travel year-round using own reliable transportation (mileage reimbursed) is required, unless a county vehicle is provided. Evening and weekend work in communities is expected. While using a private vehicle for official business, the educator must obtain current automobile liability insurance (meeting the requirements described in RCW 46.30.020, and the RCW 46.09.090) and possess a valid driver’s license.
  • Extension faculty are hired into the organization, not into a specific geographical location. It is possible that future circumstances may require relocation.
Contact for additional
information		 For more information on the WSU Tenure and Promotion process, go to: http://ext.wsu.edu/admin/PDF/cfacultypolicy.pdf

For more information about the position contact: Blair Wolfley, Southern District Director, WSU Extension, 1919 NE 78th, Vancouver, WA 98665-9752, 360-576-6030 x14, or email: wolfleyb@wsu.edu.
Application procedure  
Submit what
 Apply by submitting a letter describing how your experience and training support the major responsibilities and qualifications for this position; a current vitae; copies of official transcripts; and three signed letters of reference dated within the last six months sent directly from the author.
Submit to
 Send application materials by post mail or by email to:
Lisa Clyde
WSU Extension
413 Hulbert Hall
P.O. Box 646248
Pullman, WA 99164-6248, 509-335-2822
FAX 509-335-2926
email: eeocoord@wsu.edu.
Additional Information WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EDUCATOR AND EMPLOYER. Members of ethnic minorities, women, special disabled veterans, veterans of the Vietnam era, recently separated veterans, and other protected veterans, persons of disability and/or persons age 40 and over are encouraged to apply.

WSU is committed to excellence through diversity, has faculty friendly policies including a partner accommodation program, and a NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant (see http://www.excelinse.wsu.edu/.)

WSU employs only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens. All new employees must show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Washington State University is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact Human Resource Services: 509-335-4521(v), Washington State TDD Relay Service: Voice Callers: 1-800-833-6384; TDD Callers: 1-800-833-6388, 509-335-1259(f), or hrs@wsu.edu.