Director of the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension

The Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension (IANRE) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) seeks an enthusiastic new Director to guide the organization through a time of rapid change. The Director will provide visionary leadership as the costs and impacts of programs are assessed and help the Institute determine a path forward.

The Director of the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension (IANRE) is the principal administrative officer of the Cooperative Extension Service (CES), the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (AFES), and the Mining and Petroleum Training Service (MAPTS) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). The Director reports directly to the UAF Provost and provides visionary leadership to IANRE units by working with staff, faculty and the public to create an engaged organization that is responsive to the needs and goals of Alaskans. The Director promotes to the people of Alaska the visibility of the university and its engagement and research activities, and consults with state and community leaders to ensure that IANRE is responsive to the needs of Alaskans. The Director works within UAF and the UA system to support academic units in natural resource research and extension and outreach programming. The Director will be charged with leading IANRE through a period of change by prioritizing programs and seeking efficiencies in the face of budgetary reductions.

The organization:

UAF is the Land Grant institution for the State of Alaska and is home to IANRE. IANRE consists of the Cooperative Extension Service (CES), the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (AFES), and the Mining and Petroleum Training Service (MAPTS), each with a statewide mission that is overseen by the Director.

The CES is an outreach and engagement program that supports the public service and Land Grant mission of the university in partnership with the US Department of Agriculture. In addition to a statewide office on UAF’s main campus, CES has six district offices, three outreach centers, and four service centers across the state of Alaska with each serving different regions of the state. The CES’ mission is to interpret and extend relevant research-based knowledge in an understandable and usable form, to encourage the application of this knowledge to solve the problems and meet the challenges that face the people of Alaska, and to bring the concerns of the community back to the university.

AFES includes the Fairbanks Experiment Farm, the Matanuska Experiment Farm & Extension Center, and the Delta Junction Field Research Site. The Georgeson Botanical Garden and the Reindeer Research Program are located at the Fairbanks farm. Researchers associated with the experiment station focus on creating knowledge and solving problems in agriculture, forest sciences, and other related disciplines.

MAPTS is managed by an executive director, and its team of instructors and coordinators deliver training, development and consulting services to the resource industries of Alaska.

Support for IANRE comes from the state, the US Department of Agriculture, private industry, foundation support, and other sponsored research. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is the USDA division that manages federal funding of the nation’s experiment stations and the extension service.

Duties:

Providing leadership and oversight for the financial management of IANRE including federal and university funding allocations; and increasing program funding from all available sources including contracts, grants, and fees and forging partnerships; Ensuring accountability of IANRE to the University, USDA, stakeholders, and the public; Increasing acquisition of gifts, donations, and endowments supporting Cooperative Extension programs by working in concert with UAF’s Office of Advancement and Community Engagement

Providing leadership in the development of a UA system-wide engagement effort; Developing partnerships between IANRE and other programs with outreach, engagement and public services throughout the UA system; Providing leadership in the development and coordination of educational programs, applied research, and scholarship, focusing on issues and problems important to Alaskans; Recognizing, supporting and collaborating with all of the extension and outreach programs at UAF and providing leadership in outreach and community engagement activities for the betterment and well being of all Alaskans; Advocating for IANRE as a significant educational resource for the State with relevant local, state, and national entities

Supervising state-wide administrators, faculty, professionals and classified staff, conduct performance evaluations and make recommendations about personnel actions; Providing vision and leadership for agricultural and forestry and other natural research related research at UAF, recognizing the importance of sustainability in agriculture and all natural resource fields. Fostering statewide relationships with local governments and elected officials as well as with the private sector, non-profits, and the public; Effectively integrating the missions of the IANRE to efficiently meet the Land Grant mission in Alaska in word and spirit; Aggressively engaging in entrepreneurial initiatives with industry and strategic partners. Recognizing, supporting and collaborating with all research outreach programs at UAF.

REQUIRED EDUCATION OR TRAINING:

Masters or Ph.D. degree required

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE:

Evidence of academic leadership at increasing levels of responsibility

TYPICAL EXPERIENCE:

The successful candidate will have successfully accomplished increasingly complex goals and objectives requiring high-level leadership, promotion of diversity, communication, vision, and management skills.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES:

Excellent leadership, organizational, planning, supervisory, and problem-solving skills; Demonstration of administrative and leadership effectiveness in a complex organization with responsibilities for budgeting, financial planning, personnel management, strategic planning, and critical decision making; An outstanding record of achievement or creative discovery in a professional field; Demonstrated experience in the leadership of an extension, experiment station or similar outreach/research program; Demonstrated scholarship in natural resources; Demonstrated ability to seek funding that supports the core mission of IANRE; Demonstrated commitment to diversity in the management of programs and resources and a proven ability to relate effectively to a wide variety of people of diverse backgrounds, including experience with and an understanding and respect for cultural, ethnic, and individual differences; Thorough understanding and knowledge of the broad diversity of fields and disciplines within IANRE, including the nature, value, and inter-relationships of the represented disciplines; Strong verbal and written communication skills including electronic media; Strong understanding of and ability to engage and support work in a digital landscape; Ability to work independently and collaboratively; Ability to travel within and outside Alaska; Demonstrated ability to make decisions in a fair and equitable manner; Demonstrated understanding of community and economic development across a broad spectrum of organizations and cultures; An appreciation for the “engaged university” as characterized by the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities; A holistic and innovative vision for the role and function of IANRE in a Land, Sea and Space Grant University; A management style that is inclusive and empowers others to succeed, fosters respect, builds pride in the accomplishment of shared goals, and feeds upon two-way communication; Thorough understanding and knowledge of the role of research, outreach and workforce development as a collaboration with the University, the State, the Land, Sea and Space Grant system, and the USDA in service to the people of Alaska; Evidence of leadership for research and/or educational programs in both rural and urban communities and a commitment to serving all communities regardless of population; Natural resource experience in Alaska or another Northern location; and Knowledge of the history, cultures and economy of Alaska.

UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual: www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination