Assistant Extension Specialist in Farm Viability (Agricultural Economics)

Rutgers University invites qualified candidates to apply for a tenure-track faculty position as an Assistant Extension Specialist (equivalent to Assistant Professor) in Farm Viability. This is a 12-month, tenure track position in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics and Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

The successful candidate is expected to develop and lead externally funded research and extension programs that support and strengthen the viability of the New Jersey agricultural sector and individual farms. Through active agricultural community engagement, the Specialist will identify existing and emerging opportunities and needs, conduct applied research to assess what technical assistance and policy changes would help farmers take advantage of these opportunities, and provide educational outreach within the agricultural community across different scales of operation, commodities, and production systems. The Farm Viability Specialist will give special attention to identifying and engaging with the needs of marginalized and historically underserved farming communities (defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as "socially disadvantaged, beginning, limited resource, and veteran farmers and ranchers") to ensure the long-term viability of farms and equitable economic outcomes. Programmatic emphases could include sustainable agricultural production, diversified farming systems, agritourism, climate resilience, feasibility analysis, farm management and business decision-making, state and local agricultural policy, business succession, "next gen" farming, and the development of marketing strategies.

In addition, the Specialist is expected to participate in undergraduate and/or graduate teaching and leading independent teaching and research projects in their field of expertise. Achieving tenure will require scholarship as shown by publications as well as excellence in service to our constituents and teaching.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

* Identify critical needs and areas of concern impacting New Jersey farm viability, including farm financial management, alternative agricultural enterprises, agricultural policy, farm risk management, climate resilience, new/beginning and "next gen" farmer support, and business succession.

* Help to fund, lead, and participate in appropriate agricultural research, including programs based at New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station research and extension farms.

* Utilize appropriate educational outreach delivery methods to reach a broad base of program beneficiaries, including field visits, newsletters, fact sheets, educational meetings, workshops, short courses, train-the-trainer programs, web-based tools.

* Collaborate with county-based Extension faculty staff and Extension Specialists, at Rutgers and throughout the national land grant university system, to build impactful programs to further farm viability objectives.

* Contribute to undergraduate and graduate student success through experiential learning opportunities, internships, directed research, and community engagement activities.

* Develop working relationships with various external agencies and industry partners.

* Document and track program impact based on stated objectives, develop effective evaluation techniques, and provide timely impact reporting to the Rutgers Cooperative Extension state office.

A Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics or a related discipline is required. Previous faculty, industry, or postdoctoral experience is preferred, along with a knowledge of the Cooperative Extension program cycle.

Candidate should be conversant with principles of both farm business management and economic development. Knowledge of the discipline's analytical toolkit is expected. The candidate will be required to guide and advise professional staff (such as postdoctoral associates and graduate students) in planning, conducting, and disseminating research-based results. The candidate will also be required to work collaboratively with faculty and staff within and across departments and centers at Rutgers and other universities and organizations.

The Department: The Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, a research and teaching unit of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, is located on the scenic G. H. Cook Campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The department is housed in the Cook Office Building. The department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, with some curricula offered jointly with sister departments such as Food Science and Human Ecology. Its tenure-track faculty conduct applied research in agricultural economics or related fields, regularly employing post-doctoral researchers and interacting with stakeholders at the state, national, or international levels.

The School and Experiment Station: The School of Environmental and Biological Sciences is deeply committed to the three land-grant missions of teaching, research, and extension. Our faculty integrate teaching, research, and outreach to address real-world problems and encourage students to adopt the same approach to their educational experience at Rutgers. The School has 15 academic departments, 3400 undergraduate students, and 300 graduate students. The School's current strategic plan can be accessed at https://sebs.rutgers.edu/strategic-plan/. The School is closely affiliated with Rutgers' New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, which contains three cooperative extension departments and manages research and community outreach programs across New Jersey and around the world.

Rutgers is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion; our priority to diversify our faculty ranks is outlined in the Rutgers DEI strategic plan. The Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics and Rutgers University is working to ensure our faculty composition reflects the diversity of our student population. We especially encourage applications from backgrounds underrepresented in agricultural economics including Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ scientists.

Candidates should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, concise statement of extension, teaching and research foci and objectives, diversity statement, and the names of three professional references.