Dairy Economist

Universities of Wisconsin•Madison, WI

12d•$85,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Dairy Economist is a full-time staff member of the Dairy Innovation Hub, housed within the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This position operates on behalf of the Hub as an integrated member of its statewide team – actively contributing to the Hub’s mission, priorities, and collaborative model. The Hub is a forward-looking, statewide initiative, that advances science, technology, and economic sustainability for Wisconsin’s dairy community. While the Hub spans UW–Madison, UW–Platteville, and UW–River Falls, this position is primarily focused on supporting dairy economics research, analysis, and outreach at UW–Madison. At the same time, there will be opportunities for the Dairy Economist to collaborate with Extension partners and faculty and staff across all three campuses to strengthen statewide impact and advance shared priorities. Successful candidates will bring expertise in dairy markets and agribusiness to conduct applied research and deliver outreach relevant to stakeholders across the dairy supply chain. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated technical and institutional knowledge in milk pricing, dairy marketing orders, dairy supply chains, financial analysis, risk management, or international trade. The Dairy Economist will contribute directly to the Hub’s research, outreach, and stakeholder engagement efforts, working with a growing team of economists at UW–Madison and collaborating with faculty and staff in CALS, the Division of Extension, and the Center for Dairy Research.

Requirements

Three or more years of relevant professional experience in dairy markets and dairy-related businesses on topics such as milk pricing, dairy marketing orders, dairy supply chains, financial analysis, risk management, or international trade.
Experience conducting original applied research or analysis on dairy markets and businesses in the dairy value chain, including the development of academic publications, industry reports, or related presentations.
Master’s degree in economics, agricultural economics, business, agribusiness, or a related field

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience engaging in outreach to dairy market stakeholders such as dairy farmers, dairy processors, dairy agribusiness, policymakers, and/or consumers. Examples of outreach may include invited talks, media interviews, popular press articles, reports, event attendance, etc.
Demonstrated experience working within a team to conduct research, analysis and/or outreach on dairy or related markets, pricing, trade, and supply chain, including internal and external team members.
Demonstrated ability to cultivate and engage a robust network of industry and academic partners.
PhD in economics, agricultural economics, business, agribusiness, or a related field

Responsibilities

Lead and support applied research and analysis on dairy markets and businesses in the dairy value chain to produce academic and outreach materials that are timely and responsive to stakeholder needs.
Serve as a subject-matter expert on dairy markets and dairy-related businesses for stakeholders both within and beyond the university.
Engage with stakeholders, including industry leaders, policymakers, farmers, media, and community groups, to translate research findings into actionable insights and solutions.
Work with interdisciplinary teams within CALS, the Division of Extension, UW–Madison, and across the Hub’s campuses to advance integrated approaches to solving real-world challenges in the dairy value chain.
Contribute to the mission of the Hub by leading efforts to determine the economic and social impact of the Dairy Innovation Hub and report findings to stakeholders and policymakers.
Contribute to the Hub’s annual reporting efforts by infusing economic impact data.
Provide presentations, posters, and engagement to support the Hub’s signature events (Dairy Summit, Dairy Symposium, posters at the State Capitol, etc.), as well as at industry conferences, and public events; contribute to on-site event execution and attendee engagement as part of a collaborative team.
Contribute to a supportive and inclusive academic environment.
Identifies, writes, or assists in developing grant opportunities, grant applications, and proposals to secure research funding
Attends and assists with the facilitation of scholarly events and presentations in support of continued professional development and the dissemination of research information
Conducts literature reviews, prepares reports and materials and, disseminates information to appropriate entities
Serves as an institutional subject matter expert and liaison with key internal and external stakeholders providing expert level information and representing the interests of a specialized research area
Identifies research problems and develops highly complex research methodologies and procedures. Publishes and presents results to help advance research
Collects and analyzes highly complex research data, conducts experiments and interviews, and documents results according to established policies and procedures