Specialist - Teacher-Fixed Term

Teacher-Fixed Term • East Lansing, MI

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Plant, Soil & Microbial Sciences (PSM) at Michigan State University (MSU) invites applications for a fixed-term Teaching Specialist position with an anticipated start date of August 16, 2026. This is a full-time, nine-month academic-year appointment with primary responsibilities in teaching, laboratory instruction, recruitment, and service. The appointment is initially for one year with the possibility of subsequent renewal based on instructional needs, funding, performance, and departmental priorities. This position plays an important role in supporting the department’s mission in undergraduate education. The successful candidate will contribute to delivering high-quality instruction across classroom and laboratory settings, with a particular emphasis on undergraduate education, experiential learning, and recruitment of our programs and department. Courses may include agronomic computer applications, introduction to crop science, weed science, crop scouting & investigation, and other core areas within the PSM curriculum. Candidates should be able to effectively teach both lecture and lab courses while contributing to laboratory operations within a collaborative teaching environment. We are seeking an individual committed to excellence in instruction who is interested in building a long-term academic career centered on teaching, student learning, and engagement. The successful candidate will also contribute to student recruitment efforts, including outreach events and program promotion. This includes supporting and creating content for social media platforms to engage prospective students and highlight program and department strengths.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Agronomy, Crop Science, Weed Science, or closely related field
• Demonstrated ability to effectively teach undergraduate-level courses and/or laboratories
• Strong communication skills and the ability to engage diverse student populations
• Ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, graduate teaching assistants, and students
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to student recruitment efforts, including outreach events, campus visits, and prospective student engagement
• Willingness to participate in service activities and support departmental communication and social media initiatives to promote programs and student success

Nice To Haves

• Terminal degree in Agronomy, Crop Science, Weed Science, or closely related field

Responsibilities

• Teaching undergraduate-level courses and/or laboratories
• Contributing to laboratory operations within a collaborative teaching environment
• Contributing to student recruitment efforts, including outreach events and program promotion
• Supporting and creating content for social media platforms to engage prospective students and highlight program and department strengths
• Participating in service activities
• Supporting departmental communication initiatives

What This Job Offers

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