Director of Agricultural Innovation and Partnerships, CSU SPUR Campus

Colorado State University, United States

Updated: over 1 year ago
Location: Denver, COLORADO
Deadline: 21 Aug 2022

Posting Details
Posting Detail Information


Working Title Director of Agricultural Innovation and Partnerships, CSU SPUR Campus
Position Location Fort Collins or Denver, CO. Regular travel required between locations.
Is this position eligible for hybrid or remote work?
Research Professional Position No
Posting Number 202200605AP
Position Type Admin Professional/ Research Professional
Classification Title Management II
Number of Vacancies
Work Hours/Week 40
Proposed Annual Salary Range $175,000 to $200,000 plus comprehensive benefits package. Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Employee Benefits
Colorado State University (CSU) is committed to providing employees with a strong and competitive benefits package that supports you, your health, and your family. Visit CSU’s Human Resources website for detailed benefit plan information for permanent full-time and part-time faculty and administrative professional employees in the following University benefit areas: https://hr.colostate.edu/hr-community-and-supervisors/benefits/benefits-eligibility/ & https://hr.colostate.edu/prospective-employees/our-perks/ .
Desired Start Date
Position End Date (if temporary)
To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on 08/21/2022
Description of Work Unit
The College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS) at Colorado State University fulfills our institution’s land-grant mission through its economic impact, cutting-edge research, and innovative education. The College offers undergraduate majors with different concentration options as well as graduate degree programs within the College and its five academic departments.
At CSU’s Spur Campus in metropolitan Denver, CAS seeks to engage with diverse partners to co-create and deliver a diverse, dynamic, and self-sustaining portfolio of research, teaching and engagement programming that contributes to the Spur vision of global leadership at the nexus of food, water and health.
ABOUT THE CSU SPUR CAMPUS AT THE NATIONAL WESTERN CENTER:
The Spur campus is a project of the CSU System, which is comprised of three campuses: CSU in Fort Collins, CSU Pueblo, and CSU Global. In conjunction with its partners, the CSU System will open three buildings in 2022 focused on water, food and agriculture, animal health, and sustainability at Spur at the National Western Center (NWC). Within the Spur buildings, CSU will conduct research and convene experts from around the globe; students of all ages will engage with science and have opportunities for exploratory learning, transforming their thinking about food, water, and health and the careers available in these fields; and partners will bring evolving content to the year-round campus. The campus also includes spaces specifically designed to support startup companies, including leasable wet labs, offices, and shared meeting spaces. Learn more at www.CSUSpur.org .
Position Summary
Colorado State University (CSU) seeks visionary candidates for the newly created position of Director of Agricultural Innovation and Partnerships. The Director will play a key role in fostering a world-class agricultural innovation ecosystem across Colorado that benefits diverse stakeholders and enables regenerative agricultural practices.
The Director will facilitate strategic partnerships and solutions to alleviate bottlenecks in the Colorado agricultural innovation ecosystem by serving as a bridge between the research, engagement, and education activities and assets at CSU with diverse external partners including entrepreneurs, investors, producers, industry, commodity associations, international research institutions, non-profits and government.
CSU’s new Spur campus in Denver provides the ideal platform to catalyze innovations that address challenges across the food value chain. The Director will work closely with leaders across the College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS), Colorado State University, CSU Spur campus, and broader CSU System for strategic coordination of innovation programming at CSU Spur and with CSU Fort Collins campus activities, elevating existing work and capturing new opportunities.
The Director will serve as a key member of the CAS leadership team, while developing collaborations across university boundaries. This position reports to the dean of the college and works in close collaboration with the College’s academic leadership, administrators, faculty, staff and other campus officials to design and implement a wide range of partnerships critical to the college’s strategic vision and goals.
The Director must be an experienced professional with exceptional interpersonal, communication, strategic planning, project management, and professional judgment skills. The Director should have experience and deep familiarity with the process by which scientific insights can be translated and scaled to address real-world challenges.
The Director will be an individual who takes initiative, possesses a “can-do” attitude and develops trust and confidence within CSU and among CSU’s external constituencies. This individual will also possess the demonstrated ability to independently design, implement, manage and execute multiple projects simultaneously, and effectively build teams and leverage support across reporting lines. The Director will steward partnerships from initiation throughout their longevity and advise college leadership of optimal engagement as needed.
The successful candidate will have the energy, drive, and enthusiasm to think strategically, solve problems creatively, and recognize and seize opportunities quickly. The Director will thrive in an often unpredictable, dynamic, customer-service oriented environment where the individual will have a high degree of flexibility and accountability. This position will be appointed for an initial term of three years, with the potential for renewal and the expectation that Director will develop a sustainable business model for the program.
Required Job Qualifications
· Completed Master’s or graduate professional degree in a field relevant to agricultural sciences or agricultural innovation.
· At least ten years of significant professional experience, to include design and implementation of organizational strategies, management of multi-stakeholder projects, personnel, and budgets.
· Extensive experience in relationship development and communication with a diverse range of stakeholders, across various sectors.
· Demonstrated commitment to principles and strength of diversity and inclusive excellence in people and programs as demonstrated by administrative leadership, persistent effort, active planning, allocation of resources and/or accountability for diversity and inclusion outcomes.
· Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date.
Preferred Job Qualifications
· Terminal degree(s) in a field relevant to agricultural sciences or agricultural innovation; scientific degree considered an asset
· Demonstrated knowledge of challenges and opportunities facing Colorado agriculture; experience and relationships within state/regional agricultural innovation ecosystem considered an asset.
· Demonstrated knowledge of agricultural production practices including farming and ranching.
· Demonstrated experience in agricultural technology startup creation, funding, and exit.
· Professional experience in a higher education environment.
· Demonstrated leadership experience in launching innovative programs and developing sustainable business models for cross-functional or multi-stakeholder initiatives.
· Extensive network within the national/regional agricultural innovation ecosystem including investors, entrepreneurs, and industry.
· Ability to influence and navigate relations in a diverse, complex organization.
· Ability to work independently while collaborating across functional units.
· Demonstrated ability to build momentum and successfully keep multiple complex projects moving forward simultaneously.
Diversity Statement
•Personal and professional commitment to diversity and inclusion as demonstrated by involvement in teaching, research, creative activity, service to the profession and/or diversity/inclusion activities.

Essential Duties


Job Duty Category Partnership Development
Duty/Responsibility
·         Develops and maintains a deep understanding of innovations and solutions being developed within College of Agricultural Sciences and Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station across Fort Collins campus, Spur campus and statewide research centers.
·         Identifies and facilitates the development and execution of partnerships with community, corporate and agricultural production/support entities aligned with college strategic priorities and initiatives in agricultural innovation, with particular emphasis on programs and opportunities at the CSU Spur campus and aligning with CSU Spur mission and goals.
·         Cultivates productive relationships within the CSU university system, particularly CSU Spur, and broader Colorado innovation ecosystem that promote strategic integration and coordination of activities to maximize efficiency and impact.
·         Serves as a focal point for industry interested in collaborations with college researchers
·         Develops close working relationship with CAS and CSU Development teams to ensure coordinated effort.
·         Advances the College’s commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence.
Percentage Of Time 50
Job Duty Category Program/Project Management
Duty/Responsibility
·         Designs, tests, and implements programs and activities to support scientists, entrepreneurs, producers, and investors solving challenges across the food value chain, with particular emphasis on leveraging and programming innovation facilities at the CSU Spur campus as a critical statewide engagement platform.
·         Develops sustainable business model for startup support activities anchored at the Spur campus
·         Designs and manages multifaceted partnerships with internal and external stakeholders from initial conception through implementation.
·         Identifies, develops, and helps execute opportunities to further leverage college research to make an impact through interdisciplinary collaborations, intellectual property, licensing, and partnerships.
·         Directs annual AgInnovation Summit to signal leadership, convene partners and catalyze opportunities. 
Percentage Of Time 50

Application Details


Special Instructions to Applicants
For full consideration, apply by August 21, 2022 . Position is open until filled. Complete applications will include: 1) Cover letter addressing both required and preferred qualifications 2) Current resume or CV; and 3) Contact information for 3 professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notification of candidates.
Conditions of Employment Pre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires), Valid Driver’s License
Search Contact [email protected]
EEO Statement
Colorado State University is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based on race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or pregnancy in its employment, programs, services and activities, and admissions, and, in certain circumstances, marriage to a co-worker. The University will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Colorado State University is an equal opportunity and equal access institution and affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. The Office of Equal Opportunity is located in 101 Student Services.
The Title IX Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Title IX Programs and Gender Equity, 123 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-1715, [email protected] .
The Section 504 and ADA Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, [email protected] .
The Coordinator for any other forms of misconduct prohibited by the University’s Policy on Discrimination and Harassment is the Vice President for Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, Co. 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, [email protected] .
Any person may report sex discrimination under Title IX to the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education .
Background Check Policy Statement
Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.

Similar Positions