Extension Instructor/Director, Crosby

MSU Jobs•Pearl River, MS

7d•Onsite

About The Position

This is a 12-month, non-tenure track position with a 100% Extension appointment, located at the Crosby Arboretum in Picayune, MS, and administratively housed within the Coastal Research and Extension Center. The academic home will be the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design. The primary function is to oversee the daily operations of the Crosby Arboretum, including facilities, staff, and programs. Extension efforts will focus on developing educational programs for adults and youth related to the Arboretum's mission and Mississippi State University Extension. This includes developing site infrastructure and supervising a staff of 7 individuals. Program development for the public, Extension employees, and collaboration with other university scientists are important aspects of the position. The award-winning Crosby Arboretum is dedicated to educating the public about their environment by preserving, protecting, and displaying native plants of the Pearl River Drainage Basin ecosystem, providing research opportunities, and offering cultural, scientific, and recreational programs. Its 104-acre interpretive site includes savanna, woodland, and aquatic exhibits, and it maintains 700 acres of off-site natural areas for scientific study. Crosby was ranked as the 7th best college arboretum and is a unit of Mississippi State University’s Coastal Research and Extension Center.

Requirements

A Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture, Environmental Horticulture, Public Garden Administration, Ecological Restoration, Restoration Ecology, Botany, or related discipline.
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
Knowledge and expertise required to develop and deliver an Extension program relevant to the arboretum to fulfill job responsibilities.
Self-motivated.
Fit well in a multidisciplinary team environment.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with public garden administration or other administrative experience.
Demonstrated record of grant writing or non-profit fundraising or verbal and written communication that suggests a capacity for grant writing and fundraising.
Willingness to address critical and emerging public garden management issues as part of a collaborative multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

Oversee the daily operations of the Crosby Arboretum, including facilities, staff, and programs.
Develop educational programs for adults and youth related to the mission of Crosby Arboretum and Mississippi State University Extension.
Develop site infrastructure and supervise a staff of 7 individuals.
Develop programs for the public, Extension employees, and collaborate with other scientists within the University.
Supervise Crosby Arboretum staff and facilities.
Oversee the development and implementation of all facility improvements and educational programs.
Oversee an Extension program that uses the arboretum to explain the benefits of native planting and possibilities for native plant restoration, management, and environmental design.
Oversee the planning and construction of new landscape exhibits and interpretive displays.
Oversee the publication of a quarterly newsletter and the development of press releases.
Take a leading role in the development of other print- and web-based extension publications, such as information sheets, popular articles in trade magazines and newsletters, online videos, and webinars.
Work with others to establish and carry out short- and long-term goals for the Crosby Arboretum.
Secure extramural funding through grant writing, fundraisers, and soliciting monetary and in-kind donations.
Maintain programmatic ties with other Extension State Specialists and other faculty in the Coastal Research and Extension Center and in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design to implement innovative disciplinary and interdisciplinary educational programs.
Interact regularly with relevant stakeholders, including government and non-government agencies and organizations, who represent all facets of native planting design, restoration, and management to identify and facilitate applied research and extension efforts addressing specific problems encountered by clientele.
Facilitate technology, research, and educational transfer through appropriate training presentations, workshops, and in-service training sessions led by the director, arboretum staff, and/or guest lecturers.
Demonstrate and present information and updates through effective program delivery by planning and participating in local, statewide, regional, and possibly national, and international meetings.
Provide indirect supervision of volunteers.
Perform other duties as needed.
Serve on relevant professional organizations and Mississippi State University committees.
Coordinate ecological goals/objectives through collaborative "team" efforts with specialists, agents, and research scientists.