Job Description Summary |
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University, is looking for a dynamic leader to lead our Macon County Extension program and serve the citizens of Macon County! This individual will build partnerships and collaborate with multiple entities to deliver research-based educational opportunities that transform lives and communities. The County Extension Coordinator is a non-tenure track faculty, community-based professional of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) who knows and represents the research-based resources and other resources available through Alabama A&M University and Auburn University. They are recognized as a community leader who addresses the contemporary challenges, issues, and opportunities facing the citizens of the county through university programs and knowledge. Reasons you’ll love being a County Extension Coordinator at ACES – Auburn:
- Job Satisfaction! Be a part of life-changing work in your community!
- Excellent full-time benefits that start on Day 1!
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance options!
- Work/life balance!
- 4 weeks of vacation accrued each year.
- 96 hours of sick leave accrued annually.
- 7 paid holidays in addition to 2 weeks of paid leave during Christmas/New Years when the University closes.
- 6 weeks of paid parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child (available for BOTH moms & dads).
- AU tuition assistance for you and your dependents after a year of service.
- Generous state retirement plan along with other voluntary retirement plan options and benefits.
- Fun, flexible & diverse work environment. Every day is different!
- Supportive leadership & peers. The ACES team supports you and your work!
Primary job duties & responsibilities Program Competence and Capacity:
- Learns major programs and resources available across program areas (Agriculture, Forestry, Natural Resources, Human Sciences, 4-H and Community & Economic Development) to become actively involved in serving traditional audiences and new audiences in and outside the office.
- Develops leadership and engagement skills to be confident and credible when engaging communities of place, practice, interest, and identity across a broad spectrum of issues.
- Functions as a member of the County 4-H Team and contributes administrative and programmatic support.
- Maintains a subject matter emphasis related to one of four major program areas and participates in the appropriate priority program team (PPT).
- Participates in professional development related to educational programming, county office administration, customer service, and public relations and marketing.
County Office Administration:
- Serves as ACES primary representative in the county and develops an ethic of customer service as the front-door to the state’s land grant universities.
- Responsible for the recruitment, hiring, supervision, professional development, mentoring and performance assessment of administrative support position, agent assistants, and potentially an administrative professional position or temporary staff.
- Responsible for the daily operation of the office, including staffing, scheduling, promoting a positive culture, and teamwork within and outside the office.
- Responsible for county budget administration and the interface with County Commissions and municipalities to provide local support for office space, utilities, equipment, and program supplies.
- Ensures compliance with laws, statutes, and University policy that regulate the handling of public funds and program implementation.
- Understands, implements, and promotes EEO, ADA, Civil Rights, and other affirmative action polies and procedures within the County Extension Office and in the countywide community.
Program Leadership:
- Provides leadership for county program initiatives, a balanced and comprehensive county plan-of-work, some program delivery related to subject matter emphasis, to ensure county office is current on programs and resources.
- Serves as role model for others in using innovative and creative approaches to program development and delivery.
- Organizes a County Extension Advisory Committee and provides leadership in analyzing and interpreting information to assess needs through stakeholder input.
- Meets regularly with colleagues across multiple counties (SET) to share needs assessment results, coordinate programs, and establish priorities and new initiatives.
- Cooperates and informs Regional Extension Agents, State Extension Specialists, and appropriate Assistant Director for Programs and Assistant Director for Field Operations and has a positive working relationship with staff and clients in SET and PPT.
- Manages local data collection in line with program area requirements. Prepares an evaluation and success stories of delivered educational programs focused on short, intermediate, and long-term outcomes and impacts.
Program Management and Marketing:
- Provides leadership to develop working relationships with local stakeholder groups, organizations, and agencies and to function as ambassador for ACES.
- Follows appropriate fiscal management for programmatic needs and appropriately administers the resources and completes all system reports when due.
- Secures resources (volunteers, contracts, grants, fees, and donations) to support local and priority programs and initiatives within county and may participate in grant funded projects led by State Extension Specialists.
- Utilizes multiple delivery modes to include face-to-face interactions, printed materials, online and digital formats that provide greater audience access, quick delivery of information, and convenience.
- Serves as the primary contact for all forms of traditional and social media to disseminate information and market programs and has a professional presence in major forms of media.
- Identifies innovative ways to engage targeted under-served and under-represented audiences.
- Builds programmatic partnerships and networks to multiply organizational capacity.
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Minimum Qualifications |
Minimum Qualifications
- A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in Agriculture, Natural Resources, Forestry, Family and Consumer Sciences, Business Administration, Management, Education, Marketing, Public Relations or a related field is required.
The successful incumbent will be required to obtain a master’s degree within five years after successfully completing a probationary period. Minimum Required skills:
- Candidates must have experience in leading others or completion of broad leadership training
- Experience managing budgets
- The position requires exceptional communication, managerial and leadership skills
- Must possess a strong work ethic and a sense of responsibility
- Must demonstrate a high degree of objectivity
- Exhibit effective interpersonal and written communication skills
- The ability to work successfully with staff, volunteers, community leaders, and county officials
- Excellent public relations skills and the ability to connect local program needs with the ACES mission are required
- The successful candidate must demonstrate a highly collaborative work style, the ability to engage and motivate others, a positive attitude, show enthusiasm for the work, be a self-starter, and work with minimum supervision
- The ability to act creatively, confidentially, and professionally when working with people from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds
- Demonstrate the ability to take initiative, work independently, and manage multiple projects
- Demonstrated leadership competencies that include servant leadership experience
- A high level of motivation and effective organizational management are expected
- Driving is a required function of this position. Must have a valid driver’s license and access to reliable transportation
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Desired Qualifications |
- A master’s degree in a discipline directly related to one of our major program areas (agriculture, forestry, natural resources; human sciences; 4-H youth development; community engagement/development) is highly preferred
- Demonstrated work history of coaching, training, performance evaluation, merit, and other Human Resources related tasks
- Proven success in securing financial resources such as grants and extramural funding, budget management, and fiscal accountability
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