State Program Leader Integrated Pest Management in Commercial Vegetable Production County Agent

State Program Leader – Integrated Pest Management in Commercial Vegetable Production County Agent III (Assistant Professor equivalent)

Department: Agriculture and Natural Resources

Salary: County Agent III
- Calendar Year (equivalent to Assistant Professor) as per current AFT/AAUP contract.

Position Summary: Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, is seeking a community-engaged scholar to provide statewide leadership, educational programming, and applied research-based expertise in our Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM), specifically focused on commercial vegetable production. This full-time, 12-month, 100% Extension-funded tenure-track position, to be housed at an off-campus Rutgers NJAES Extension Research Farm or county Extension office (TBD), offers an exciting opportunity for developing new strategic and innovative initiatives in the areas of commercial vegetable production and sustainability.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive organization, which empowers all staff to contribute towards a vision for success. Rutgers University and the ANR Department have a strong commitment to attracting diverse faculty and providing excellence in community engagement following the Rutgers Diversity Strategic Plan ( (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). ), the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Diversity Plan ),

and Rutgers Cooperative Extension Diversity Equity plan (  ), which is why we encourage candidates from diverse, underrepresented communities to apply.

Reporting to: the Chair of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, this position will provide statewide leadership and collaboration across working groups, stakeholders, and Extension Departments and Specialists specifically for commercial vegetable producers.

The position will:

• Provide collaborative statewide leadership for a multidisciplinary state-of-the-art IPM program for commercial vegetable growers
• The educational and development activities in the Vegetable IPM program
• Improving and enhancing the sustainability of NJ’s commercial vegetable industries

Identify and expand IPM efforts to include new and emerging crops and issues such as soil health, ag viability, and climate resiliency (weed management, for example).

As the statewide point of contact, provide support for all ANR and RCE in determining research and programmatic needs across the state, and will communicate and interact with commodity groups to evaluate the needs of clientele.

Hire, train, and supervise regional staff and seasonal scouts.

Actively promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through outreach, engagement, and recruitment efforts both internally (colleagues and students) and externally (growers and stakeholders).

Responsible for data collection, analysis, and crop-specific recommendations.

Secure grants, contracts, and other external funding streams to expand/enhance educational programs and apply research efforts.

Actively participate in appropriate Departmental, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University, and administrative functions.

Establish an outstanding program, the merits of which will lead to regional and/or national recognition.

Development of educational materials, production guides, and recommendations, etc.

Completing on-farm consultations, virtual and in-person meetings, conducting demonstrations, and/or participating in ongoing field research.

Encourage adoption of new technologies and techniques in production and pest management.

Collaborative efforts with other researchers at Rutgers and across the region and commodity sectors in multidisciplinary projects designed to fill IPM operational voids.

In a team approach, strategize current IPM programs into Integrated Crop Management (ICM) efforts, developing multidisciplinary program components, exploring current and future needs of the commercial vegetable industry to develop new educational programs and outreach efforts.

This position assists clientele in implementing and sustaining proper IPM agricultural practices in commercial vegetable production. Proven track record and ability to:

• Explore and implement programs that lead to knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that will improve the viability of commercial agriculture industries
• Document effective changes for the sustainability of commercial agricultural industries in NJ
• Garner external funding to support and expand programmatic outreach
• Coordinate, conduct, and publish the results of applied research
• Create, deliver, and evaluate programs for professional and grower audiences using both direct and indirect methods and a variety of delivery methods.

• Apply community-engaged learning…