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

University of Florida•Gainesville, FL

58d

About The Position

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. As the Natural Resources Agent (about 25% of your time), your role focuses on developing and implementing educational programs that integrate emerging technologies 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.

Requirements

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 UF's core values.
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.
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.

Nice To Haves

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.
A strong commitment to the community.
Familiarity working in political settings.
Experience creating a vision and getting buy-in from others.
Evidence of exceptional collaborations, partnerships, and marketing with community agencies and groups.
Experience working in multicultural settings; bilingual English/Spanish is a plus.
Technological literacy necessary for communication and program management, including social media.

Responsibilities

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.
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.