Hundley Whaley Director and Field Specialist in Agronomy

University of Missouri (MU) Office of Extension and Engagement

Hundley-Whaley Extension and Education Center

Plant Health & Technology Program

MU TITLE: Assistant/Associate/Full Extension Professional

LOCATION: Albany, Missouri and primarily serves DeKalb, Gentry, Harrison and Worth Counties in the Northwest Region with additional service across the state as needed.

Overview of Responsibilities

This position has two clear and connected responsibilities. First, the person serves as Director of the Hundley-Whaley Extension and Education Center and is responsible for the daily operation, management, visibility, and long-term success of the Center. Second, the person serves as a Field Specialist in Agronomy for an assigned four-county region in northwest Missouri.

Together, these responsibilities make Hundley-Whaley both a well-managed Extension and Education Center and a regional hub for agronomy education, applied research, demonstrations, and producer engagement.

Agronomy Specialist Emphasis

The emphasis area for this position is agronomy. This includes the science and management of crops, forages, soils, weeds, insects, and plant diseases. The specialist plans, delivers, and evaluates educational programs that help farmers, landowners, agricultural businesses, and community partners make sound crop and forage management decisions.

Examples of agronomy programs may include soil testing, precision agriculture, crop and hay production, pest monitoring, grazing systems, pesticide application, weed management, disease management, variety testing, crop production economics, and best management practices for corn, soybean, forage, and other regional cropping systems.

The specialist works closely with the farming community, including producers, farm families, agronomic commodity groups, agricultural businesses, industry representatives, university colleagues, Extension specialists, local partners, and local and statewide elected officials. The goal is to provide timely, research-based information that improves farm profitability, supports sound management, and strengthens agriculture in northwest Missouri.

Director of Hundley-Whaley Extension and Education Center

The Director of Hundley-Whaley Extension and Education Center is responsible for the daily operation and management of the Center. Located near Albany, Missouri, on second-bottom river soils, the 375-acre Center provides an excellent location for agronomic research, demonstrations, and producer education. Current and future work may include corn and soybean best management practices, crop production economics, variety testing, Agri-product comparisons, forage and soil management, and precision agriculture.

The Center also includes a newly established precision agriculture testbed to support research, demonstrations, technology evaluation, and producer education. A key part of the director's role is to help MU faculty, Extension specialists, field specialists, industry partners, and producers use Hundley-Whaley as a place to conduct applied work, host field days, demonstrate new practices, and connect research-based information with farm-level decisions.

The director supervises the daily work of farm support staff, including full-time, part-time, permanent, and seasonal employees. This includes hiring or recommending staff for hire, training employees, assigning work, evaluating performance, addressing personnel issues, setting work schedules, and ensuring that safety equipment and procedures are used properly.

The director also oversees equipment maintenance, recommends equipment replacement when needed, coordinates research projects and plot locations, supports tours and educational events, manages farm and Center data needs, and works with researchers, clientele, administrators, and partners. The director helps secure external resources to support Center operations, research, demonstrations, technology needs, and facility improvements, and prepares the Hundley-Whaley operations budget for approval.

Appointment

This position is a 12-month, ranked, non-tenure track appointment at the rank of assistant, associate, or full Extension Professional. Rank will be determined at the time of appointment based on qualifications and experience in accordance with MU Extension faculty standards. This position will hold the working title of Hundley Whaley Director and Field Specialist in Agronomy.

As a Field Specialist and EEC Directors, your workload distribution at appointment will be 25% Administration, 65% Extension Teaching and 10% Traditional Service.

This appointment is renewable annually at the discretion of the University and workload distribution may change at the discretion of Extension leadership. Circumstances affecting continued employment include, but are not limited to, work performance, fund availability, and educational priorities.

CORE DUTIES OF MU EXTENSION SPECIALISTS

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 teach new and foundational concepts, link people to resources, support partner organizations, participate in research, train volunteers, evaluate programs, foster innovation, and serve communities. MU Extension Specialists work as a team to expand educational attainment, foster economic development, and improve health outcomes. These core duties fall into three major areas:

Educate, Create, and Connect.

• 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.

Professional Expectations

• 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 relations, organization knowledge, leadership, and professionalism.
• Offer timely, research-based information during times of natural disasters or similar events.
• Represent the University of Missouri on boards and committees as assigned.
• Participate in professional development events to improve both technical and leadership skills.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support the mission of MU Extension.

Additional Expectations

• MU Extension programs often occur outside of normal business hours. MU Extension Specialists should expect to attend these events as needed to meet the needs of learners, clients, and stakeholders.
• MU Extension Specialists travel regularly throughout Missouri and occasionally to out-of-state locations. MU Extension requires specialists to have a valid Missouri driver's license, a legally operating vehicle, and wireless telephone/data service for university use. MU Extension specialists receive reimbursement for approved travel expenses, per University of Missouri policy.

MU EXTENSION LEADERSHIP RECEIVED

The Senior Program Director for Agriculture & Environment provides overall programmatic leadership. Programmatic supervision comes from the Education Director for the Plant Health & Technology program area and administrative oversight from the Regional Director for the Northwest region.

MU EXTENSION INFORMATION

The University of Missouri (MU) Office of Extension and Engagement's distinct land-grant mission is to improve lives, communities, and economies by producing relevant, reliable, and responsive educational strategies throughout Missouri. Our dedicated and knowledgeable specialists and staff collaborate with researchers and community leaders to develop and deliver programs that address the needs of Missourians, including educational attainment, economic development, and healthy people. For more information about MU Extension and Engagement, please visit https://extension.missouri.edu/

UNIVERSITY INFORMATION

The University of Missouri, also known as Mizzou and MU, is the Flagship University of the four-campus University of Missouri System. It is one of the state's land-grant universities. MU's comprehensive undergraduate programs and its graduate, professional, and research programs attract an annual enrollment of more than 30,000 students. MU Extension and Engagement programs are located on all four campuses and in 114 counties and St. Louis city.

An earned master's or Ph.D. with appropriate coursework demonstrating knowledge of Agronomy, Plant Sciences, Crop Sciences, Soil Sciences at the time of appointment.

Candidates will be evaluated on:

Oral and written communication skills.

This position offers a minimum starting salary of $70,000, with the final salary determined based on the candidate's qualifications and experience.

Complete the brief online application and be prepared to upload:

* Cover Letter

* Resume/CV

* Copies of all unofficial academic transcripts, and

* a list of 3-5 references

For questions regarding the online application process contact MUHR@missouri.edu or call 573.882.7976. For technical problems with the online application process contact Helpdesk@missouri.edu or call 573.882.5000.

Employment visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/departments-staff/human-resources/benefits-retirement

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To request ADA accommodations, please call the Director of Accessibility and ADA at 573-884-7278.