Center Director and Professor - North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC)

Center Director and Professor - North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC)

Apply now Job no: 540990
Work type: Tenure-Track Faculty
Location: Gadsden
Categories: Biology/Life Science, Executive/Director/Management, Agricultural Sciences
Department:  - AG-NFREC-QUINCY

Classification

Title:

Ctr Dir & Prof

Candidates for the faculty rank of Professor shall be qualified for the rank of Associate Professor and, in addition, be a recognized national or international authority or an outstanding teacher in their field or specialization. A candidate for this rank must have a distinguished record of achievement beyond the associate professor level.

This is a 12-month 100% (1.0 FTE) administration position. The Center Director is the administrative head of the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) and provides leadership and support for research, extension and teaching programs essential to the agricultural, natural resource conservation, environmental and consumer interests of the area encompassing the eastern Florida Panhandle through the Suwanee Valley and much of NE Florida.

A key component of success in the Director position is stakeholder engagement across these areas that will unify efforts toward common interests and identify stakeholder needs. The Director is responsible for encouraging development of proactive programs addressing present and future needs of surrounding agricultural, natural resource and urban communities. NFREC programs seek to improve the viability of regional agricultural economics, protect and enhance natural resources, support sound urban landscape practices and encourage positive interests at the urban-agricultural interface.

The Center Director is responsible for effective management of NFREC resources - most importantly budgetary and personnel management - and for development of short- and long-term goals involving programs, equipment, physical plant and personnel. The Center Director is to actively seek private funding and endowments to enhance the sustainability of the NFREC. Encouraging and supporting faculty to seek extramural grant opportunities is a key job requirement.

The Center Director will liaise with local, state, and federal agencies and will interact with UF/IFAS administration, county extension faculty, other UF faculty and staff, and agricultural and environmental leaders in accordance with the Center’s mission and goals. The Center Director is expected to use appropriate communication and management skills to promote teamwork among faculty and staff, delegate responsibilities to associate center directors at the three NFREC locations as appropriate and make timely decisions.

The Director is responsible for evaluation of NFREC faculty programs and initiation of tenure and promotion actions in consultation with department chairs and also must actively engage in filling positions after retirement on established programs. The Center Director is expected to work strongly towards establishing new faculty positions and programs with a clear vision for future agriculture and natural resource development goals for the region and the state.

The Center Director will form stakeholder advisory committees, composed of clientele, to assist with program related recommendations and decisions and to generate support for needed facilities and equipment. The Center Director should initiate and encourage cooperative research projects with national and international institutions. The Center Director reports directly to the Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources and is responsible programmatically to the Deans for Academic Programs, Research and Extension.

The Center Director must take an active role to develop and maintain goodwill for the Center among various support and clientele groups, local agencies, and consumers. Strong ties must be developed and maintained with commodity organizations, regulatory agencies, environmental groups and local and statewide governmental agencies. The Director will cooperate with UF/IFAS Department Chairs, other UF/IFAS Research and Education Center directors, county extension faculty and other UF units in…