Associate Director for Sustainable Food Economies - UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (UC SAREP) - Academic Coordinator III (24-10)

County Locations: Ventura County, Yolo County

Date Posted: October 7, 2024

Closing Date: November 18, 2024

Location Headquarters: UC ANR, Davis, CA or Hansen Research and Extension Center, Camarillo, CA

Position Overview

The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) invites applications for an Associate Director for Sustainable Food Economies, University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (UC SAREP), Academic Coordinator III.

Purpose: The UC SAREP Associate Director for Sustainable Food Economies will provide statewide leadership, coordination, and oversight for programs supporting local and regional food systems in California, focusing on economic opportunities for diverse farm and food businesses operating sustainable production, processing, and distribution systems. The Associate Director will lead UC SAREP's food systems programs and will direct the UC Master Food Preserver (MFP) Program, with guidance from the UC SAREP Director.

This position will support existing programs such as education and technical support for food hubs, agritourism, and institutional procurement and will pursue new opportunities to integrate statewide programming across the food supply chain, working in coordination with other Associate Directors and program leaders within an expanded statewide program. The Associate Director will enhance UC SAREP's ability to support a diversity of sustainable farm and food businesses involved in local and regional marketing, aggregation, transportation, processing, preservation, and procurement of crops and food products. This position will work to increase sustainability within California food systems, such as by decreasing food waste, supporting food sovereignty, and increasing equitable access to healthy, sustainably produced foods for local communities.

Programmatic Responsibilities

Lead statewide efforts to support local and regional sustainable food systems and increase economic opportunities for a diverse clientele of farm and food business operators through outreach, technical assistance, extension, and applied research activities.
Provide statewide leadership and oversight to the UC Master Food Preserver (MFP) Program and oversee its expansion to include training for value-added product development, Cottage Foods Operations, and preservation methods for crops valued by diverse cultural communities.
Oversee budget of large statewide contracts and grants for UC SAREP food systems activities and the UC MFP Program.
Collaborate with the UC SAREP Director to develop new sources of funding, including preparing large grant applications, seeking philanthropic donations, and building relationships with local, state, and federal agencies.
Synthesize research-based information and needs assessments to communicate impacts, challenges, and opportunities for sustainable food systems at a state and national level through engagement with partner organizations, policy makers, state and federal agencies, and other stakeholders.
Lead preparation of collaborative peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations, policy papers, and technical memoranda presenting best practices for outreach and extension, challenges and opportunities for sustainable farming and food businesses, and policy recommendations.

Leadership

Lead strategic planning and visioning efforts for the UC MFP and UC SAREP food systems programs, in collaboration with the UC SAREP Director.
Build the capacity of UC SAREP to support sustainable economic development through interdisciplinary collaborations across UC SAREP programs, with UC ANR advisors and specialists, and through community partnerships.
Supervise UC SAREP statewide academic and staff positions in food systems, economic development, and the MFP Program.
Provide direction to the MFP Program Manager in oversight of county-based MFP coordinators and over 400 MFP volunteers.
Coordinate professional development activities for MFP and food systems academics and staff.
Contribute to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion within UC SAREP programs.

Counties of Responsibility: This position is focused on work across the state and will coordinate activities across multiple counties and regions. Travel to UC SAREP meetings and field visits to sites conducting program activities is expected.

Reporting Relationship: The Associate Director for Sustainable Food Economies serves under the administrative and programmatic guidance of the UC SAREP Director.

Qualifications and Skills Required

Required Qualifications

Education: A minimum of a Master's degree in a discipline relevant to the position, such as food systems, food science, agricultural economics, nutrition, community development, agricultural business, economics, geography, agroecology, or policy, or a related field providing content expertise in marketing, aggregation, processing, preservation, and/or procurement of produce and food products is required at the time of appointment.

Demonstrated program leadership in extension or in a related field such as food policy, community development, nutrition, food sovereignty, or adult education.
Demonstrated commitment to developing program activities based on priorities expressed by diverse communities of stakeholders.
Demonstrated subject matter expertise in an academic discipline relevant to local and regional food systems, food processing, distribution, or marketing, sustainable agriculture, and/or community and economic development.
Ability to build, support, and lead diverse teams and promote a culture of inclusivity and belonging.
Track record of fundraising through extramural funding and/or development opportunities.
Effective project management skills and ability to evaluate program impacts.
Strategic planning and visioning skills to determine new directions for program activities, funding sources, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Administrative experience including managing contract and grant budgets, reporting and evaluation, and understanding and following institutional policies.
Experience supervising staff, students, or volunteers including performance management, conflict resolution, and team building skills.
Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion both for UC ANR employees and for external partners and clientele served by UC ANR programs.
Ability to travel on a flexible schedule as needed. Must possess valid California Driver's License to drive a County or University vehicle.
This is not a remote position. The candidate must be available to work onsite.

Desired Experience

Familiarity with inclusive educational and outreach methods relevant to the diversity of farming and food business operators and communities in California.
Experience of working across multiple disciplines in whole systems approaches that consider multiple elements of agricultural and food systems as complex coupled human and natural systems.
Professional accomplishment in applied, stakeholder-driven research in a field such as agricultural or environmental economics, food science, food policy, food sovereignty, or another relevant discipline.
Familiarity with local, state, and federal policies and agencies relevant to food systems.
Strong diplomatic skills to engage in dialogue and creative problem-solving with diverse groups of stakeholders and partners.
A PhD or at least three years of experience relevant to extension education, program administration, team leadership, applied food systems research, or community and economic development is preferred.

Skills Required - UC ANR Academic Coordinator III

Technical Competence and Impact: Strong understanding of key concepts related to food systems, community and economic development, extension education, and environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Ability to design and assess outreach and education programs that lead to positive changes within local communities that can extend to regional, state, and national impacts.

Communication: Demonstrated excellence in written, oral, interpersonal, and virtual communication skills. Ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders and to share complex information in a manner tailored to the audience, including communications to policy makers, funders, and other external stakeholders.

Collaboration, Teamwork and Flexibility: Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a team member with others in a collaborative leadership model and matrixed team environment. Ability to facilitate communication and coordination among multiple team members and related programs. Ability to adapt programs and activities as stakeholder, program, and organizational needs change.

Lifelong Learning: Demonstrated commitment to ongoing professional improvement.

About UC ANR

UC ANR is a division of the University of California (UC) system that bridges the gap between local issues and the expertise of the UC system by providing research-based information, educational programs, and technical expertise to the public in areas such as agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, and youth development . click apply for full job details

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