Assistant/Associate Extension Agent (Nutrition)

Louisiana State University • Baton Rouge, LA

34d • Onsite

About The Position

The assistant/associate area nutrition agent will provide 100% effort as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) agent. The employee will provide leadership to EFNEP, including the hiring, training, evaluating and the supervision of local EFNEP personnel; develop and sustain collaborative relationships with community agencies and grassroots organizations; train and support volunteers’ role within the program; collect and analyze program data, create reports and communicate outcomes; manage program assets and funds and promoting EFNEP goals and objectives that meet the requirements of the NIFA EFNEP policy guidelines. Coordination and collaboration with other LSU AgCenter Extension faculty and staff will be essential. The incumbent is expected to be computer literate and able to use various types of technology such as tablets, phones, etc. as teaching tools for nutrition education, training, and outreach. The incumbent will support community nutrition outreach for target populations within neighborhoods and communities. The incumbent is expected to complete an annual plan of work with teaching objectives and will be responsible for reporting programmatic results to parish, regional and/or state partners as required by local or regional supervisors, state office personnel or state nutrition administrators. The agent will work under the administrative supervision and direction of the parish chair, NCH Regional Coordinator, NCH State EFNEP personnel, and regional director. As an extension employee, the agent must be willing to continue professional improvement to maintain professional competence as a faculty member of the LSU AgCenter. To attend and conduct programming to meet the needs of clientele, this position requires some overnight travel and work on evenings and weekends.

Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree in dietetics, community and family nutrition, human ecology, public health, wellness and/or health, food science, food systems management, or closely related field or closely related areas.
• Must have an undergraduate degree with an overall grade-point average of at least 2.5 (all GPA requirements based on a 4.0 system) and a 3.0 for graduate work attempted, if any, or master’s degree with an overall grade-point average of at least 3.0 or a current grade-point average of at least 3.0 on at least 12 hours of graduate credit.
• The applicant must demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work with and through others is essential as is the ability to function with minimum supervision.
• Experience with and ability to work with diverse audiences, community partners, and communities is key.

Nice To Haves

• A master’s degree in a field listed above is desired.
• Experience in recruiting, training and supervising volunteers and experience in teaching and applying principles of leadership development to both youth and adults is also desired.
• Knowledge of public relations and the ability to cope with change are highly desirable characteristics.
• Supervisory experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for parish EFNEP functions, including personnel management, program planning, implementation, evaluation, and reporting.
• Build and sustain collaborative relationships with community organizations, schools, healthcare providers, faith-based organizations, and grassroots partners that serve EFNEP eligible audiences.
• Coordinate and implement Healthy Communities projects that improve access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities that complement direct education efforts.
• Establish and support community-based nutrition advisory committee and stakeholder groups.
• Recruit, train, and support volunteers who assist with EFNEP programming and outreach activities.
• Review, compile and report program data to document outcomes and demonstrate program impact.
• Collaborate with other LSU AgCenter Extension faculty and staff to deliver integrated programming that supports efforts creating healthy families and communities specifically among underserved populations.

Benefits

• retirement
• multiple medical insurance options
• supplemental insurances (dental, life, long-term disability, accident, vision, long-term care, etc.)
• Tax Saver Flexible Benefits Plan (saves tax dollars on some child care and medical expenses)
• university holidays (14 per year, typically includes a week off at Christmas)
• generous annual (vacation) and sick leave benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• possible educational leave and tuition exemption for coursework at campuses of the LSU System.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level