Aquatic Resources Extension Agent

Job Details

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) is seeking a self-motivated Aquatic Resources Extension Agent to serve a 19-county region. This role focuses on educating landowners, professionals, and the public on key aquatic resource topics, including farm pond management, watershed conservation, stormwater management, and drought preparedness.

The Agent will be housed in Fayette, Alabama

Geographic Area of Responsibility: Lauderdale, Limestone, Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, Morgan, Marion, Winston, Lamar, Fayette, Walker, Cullman, Jefferson, Bibb, Chilton, Lowndes, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Sumter, Greene, Hale, Perry, Choctaw, Marengo, Dallas, Wilcox Counties.
 

The Extension Agent (EA) will join a highly motivated team of agents and specialists as an active member of the Aquatic Resources Extension Team, which includes several existing programs, such as Recreational Fishpond Management, Freshwater Aquatic Resource Management, Alabama Watersheds, and Aquaculture-related programming. This will include organizing, delivering, and evaluating educational programs related to recreational and farm pond management, freshwater ecology, and fisheries management, and assisting in developing and implementing new programs, as needed, to meet the needs and address the challenges of recreational fishpond owners. Programming should focus on research-based management practices and their environmental impacts. The EA will occasionally contribute to grant writing and other activities that support applied research and demonstrations benefiting clients. The EA will use multiple educational delivery methods to share information with clients, including printed materials, workshops/group meetings, applied research and demonstration projects on farms or at Auburn University research farms, pond-related consultation visits, social media, and web resources. The EA will assist the Aquatic Resources team leader and administrators in project outcome and impact evaluations.

he candidate will work with local clientele, advisory groups, commodity organizations, and other interested parties to determine program needs in the region. As a team member, the EA will partner with Aquatic Resources team members and the region’s County Extension Directors (CEDs) to plan, implement, and evaluate aquatic educational programs conducted in the region. Participating in regional and state discipline-related associations and other stakeholder groups helps the EA build a reputation as an educational leader with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

The primary role of an Extension Agent is to provide programmatic leadership in a subject-matter discipline.

Program Leadership:
1. Cooperates and informs internal stakeholders and has a positive working relationship with staff and clients in assigned geographical and subject-matter area.
2. Conducts and analyzes needs assessment results.
3. Participates and contributes to the development of the Priority Program Team (PPT) plan-of-work and develops an individual plan-of-work involving other Extension Agents and County Extension Directors.
4. Offers comprehensive disciplinary programming to support transformational change and participates in interdisciplinary programming.
5. Functions as an effective educator using innovative and creative approaches and demonstrates outstanding written and oral communication skills.
6. Conducts program evaluations to reach plan-of-work objectives and impacts have a positive effect in assigned area.
7. Submits well prepared and timely reports and shares results with stakeholders and partners.

Program Management:
1. Budgets and manages fiscal resources within ACES policies and guidelines and serves as a good steward of all resources.
2. Builds relationships with volunteers and partners; recruits and manages volunteers within ACES policy, and trains new volunteers.
3. Secures extramural funding (grants, contracts, donations, sponsorships, programming fees, etc.) to support and expand programming.
4. Provides supervision and/or program support for staff/volunteers where appropriate.
5. Identifies innovative ways to engage targeted under-served and under-represented audiences.

Public Relations:
1. Provides subject-matter support to local and regional stakeholders and organizes new networks or coalitions to build community capacity.
2. Establishes relationships with stakeholder organizations, participates in stakeholder organizational programming, and serves as ACES primary subject-matter representative.
3. Establishes media contacts and actively uses multiple media outlets.
4. Serves as a positive role model for the organization, establishes positive relationships, and contributes to the mission and goals of ACES.
5. Supports the mission and goals of ACES; knows resources available at parent institutions, fosters teamwork, and interacts professionally and collegially.
6. Fosters a positive culture within the organization and through mission implementation and provides positive professional leadership to stakeholders and peers.

Extension Scholarship:
1. Provides input into new programs and utilizes research-based curriculum and resources.
2. Recognized as a subject-matter resource through authorship of routine Extension products.
3. Develops credibility as a disciplinary expert in assigned area.
Professional Development:
1. Participates in in-service training and develops personal professional development goals and objectives to grow in subject-matter area.
2. Participates in appropriate professional organizations and may complete appropriate professional certificates.
3. Meets competency expectations and standards of PPT.

Requirements

Focus of Education: Discipline related to extension programming.

Focus of Experience: Experience implementing, managing, or delivering educational programs in a relevant discipline, including formal and/or informal teaching methods.

Level 1: Bachelor’s degree and 0 years of experience.
Level 2: Bachelor’s degree and 4 years of experience or Master’s degree and 2 years of experience.

License and Certifications:

• Valid driver's license

This position requires regular travel to carry out Extension responsibilities, and the successful incumbent must have access to reliable transportation.

Desired Qualifications:

1. 1. A Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries, Aquatic Sciences, Aquaculture, Aquatic Biology, Environmental Sciences, or related field WITH at least two years of relevant work experience is preferred.
   2. A Master’s degree is preferred.

Contact Information

1115x

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