Assistant/Associate Extension Agent (Nutrition)

Louisiana State University

3d

About The Position

Work Location: Jefferson Parish. The domicile location is Jefferson, LA, in Jefferson Parish. Position Description: The LSU AgCenter is actively seeking applicants who can contribute to such an environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service. The assistant/associate extension agent will provide 80% effort as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) supervising 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 serving limited-resource audiences; 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 federal program policy guidelines. Additionally, the agent will spend 20% of their time and effort focusing on nutrition, health, and wellness by planning, implementing, and evaluating educational workshops, series of lessons and other teaching activities for general audiences with the Flavors of Health (FOH) program. The agent will work on Healthy Communities projects in Jefferson Parish for both EFNEP and FOH. Healthy Communities projects are designed to improve the nutrition and health of all community members using a model that is being replicated throughout the state. The agent will organize community-based nutrition advisory committees involving stakeholders, volunteers, community partners, and health professionals to identify the most critical needs in the communities served as well as programs to address those needs. The agent will identify, recruit, and maintain relations with community partners for EFNEP and the FOH programs. Coordination and collaboration with other LSU AgCenter Extension faculty and staff will be essential. The agent will support community nutrition outreach for target populations within diverse, urban neighborhoods and communities within the assigned parish. The agent is expected to be computer literate. 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 supervisor(s), state office personnel or state nutrition administrators. 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 meet the needs of clientele and for professional development opportunities, this position requires occasional overnight travel and work on evenings and weekends. Additionally, the agent is expected to perform other tasks that may be as assigned by supervisor(s).

Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree in community nutrition, human foods and nutrition, family and consumer sciences, dietetics or a closely related field from an accredited college or university is required.
• 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 or a current grade-point average of at least 3.0 on at least 12 hours of graduate credit.
• This applicant must demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
• Applicant must have knowledge of programming planning, development, implementation, and evaluation.
• A personal automobile and appropriate insurance coverage is required (travel allowance provided).
• Satisfactory completion of one specific graduate level extension courses (3 credit hours) is required in year two or three of employment, prior to promotion eligibility to associate agent.
• Additionally, a faculty member who does not have a related master’s degree must complete an additional 12 hours of related graduate level coursework in order to be promoted to associate agent and such promotion must occur in the first seven years of employment.
• An exception is that additional agent experience may be substituted for 12 hours of coursework, but not for the required course.

Nice To Haves

• A master’s degree in nutrition or health promotion is preferred.
• Experience in recruiting, training, and managing volunteers, as well as experience in teaching and applying principles of leadership development to both adults and youth is also desired.
• Knowledge of public relations and the ability to cope with change are highly desirable characteristics.
• The ability to work with and through others in a multicultural setting is essential, as is the ability to function with minimal supervision.
• Successful candidates will exemplify a positive attitude and a passion to improve the lives of others.
• Supervisory experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• 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 serving limited-resource audiences
• 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 federal program policy guidelines
• Plan, implement, and evaluate educational workshops, series of lessons and other teaching activities for general audiences with the Flavors of Health (FOH) program
• Work on Healthy Communities projects in Jefferson Parish for both EFNEP and FOH
• Organize community-based nutrition advisory committees involving stakeholders, volunteers, community partners, and health professionals to identify the most critical needs in the communities served as well as programs to address those needs
• Identify, recruit, and maintain relations with community partners for EFNEP and the FOH programs
• Support community nutrition outreach for target populations within diverse, urban neighborhoods and communities within the assigned parish
• 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 supervisor(s), state office personnel or state nutrition administrators
• Continue professional improvement to maintain professional competence as a faculty member of the LSU AgCenter
• Perform other tasks that may be as assigned by supervisor(s)

Benefits

• The LSU AgCenter has an attractive benefits package with a wide variety of benefit options.
• Benefits offered include 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, and possible educational leave and tuition exemption for coursework at campuses of the LSU System.
• Specific benefits depend on job category, percent effort and length of employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees