Field Specialist in Agronomy – Franklin County, MO

University of Missouri (MU) Office of Extension and Engagement

MU Extension's Plant Health & Technology program

Assistant/Associate/Full Extension Professional

Union, Missouri, and primarily serves Franklin, Ste. Genevieve, St. Francois, and Washington Counties in the East Central Region along with Jefferson, St. Louis Counties in the Urban East Region, with additional service across the state as needed.

The emphasis area for this position is agronomy, which includes the science of crops, forages, soils, weeds, insects, and pathogens.

The position involves planning, implementing, and evaluatingeducational programs. Examples of agronomic programs in MUExtension include soil testing, precision agriculture, crop and hayproduction, pest monitoring, grazing systems, pesticideapplication, weed management, and disease management. The position also involves interacting with the farming community, includingagronomic commodity groups, industry representatives, farmfamilies, other university colleagues, and local and statewideelected officials

MU Extension Specialists deliver the University of Missouri to all Missourians. They serve all Missourians by bringing research-based solutions to work on local problems. MU Extension Specialists teachnew and foundational concepts, link people to resources, supportpartner organizations, participate in research, train volunteers,evaluate programs, foster innovation, and serve communities. MU Extension Specialists work as a team to expand educationalattainment, foster economic development, and improve health outcomes.

These core duties fall into three major areas:

• Educate. MU Extension specialists design, conduct, and evaluate educational programs. MU Extension specialists teach research-based information via meetings, in-person and online courses, continuing education classes, technical assistance, volunteer training, media, websites, consultation, and other educational methods. They provide inclusive educational programs that support the individual, organizational, and community goals of Missouri’s learners and clients.
• Create. MU Extension specialists develop innovative and research-informed educational products, services, materials, and other scholarly works. These include curricula, publications, presentations, educational tools, websites, and similar resources. MU Extension specialists obtain and use extramural funding to support creative works. MU Extension specialists contribute to the scholarship of Extension and Engagement by evaluating programs that result in learning and behavior changes that impact individuals and communities.
• Connect. MU Extension specialists engage with learners, stakeholders, volunteers, and communities, including county extension councils, government officials and agencies, partners, and University and professional organizations. MU Extension specialists listen and respond with care. MU Extension specialists intentionally foster engaged partnerships and robust connections to the wide array of programs offered by the whole University of Missouri System.

• Engage with councils, commissions, legislators, and stakeholders in all coverage counties to identify educational needs and then collaborate with appropriate internal and external partners to meet those needs.
• Create an annual plan-of-work that reflects local needs and aligns with statewide program area efforts. Provide a monthly report of impact to county extension council assigned, supervisors, county commissioners and others, regarding programmatic efforts. Attend at least one county extension council meeting each month and provide an oral update on program efforts.
• Collaborate with campus-based specialists on research projects and then deliver findings from those efforts via demonstrations, field days, courses, workshops, consultations, publications, and appropriate media.
• Work in collaboration with other specialist in counties of responsibility to serve the needs of the headquartered county, ensuring counties receive promotional materials in advance of programming.
• Effectively work with supervisors, other specialists, and local leaders to complete administrative tasks as needed.
• Demonstrate competency in communication, educational programming, subject matter knowledge, educational delivery, volunteer management, grant acquisition, teamwork, interpersonal…