Work Location: The extension office is located in Arcadia, Louisiana. The areas to be served are Bienville and Red River Parishes, which are located in Northwest Louisiana.
Position Description: The Assistant/Associate/ Extension Agent will work under the supervision and direction of the parish chair, regional director, and FCS regional coordinator and FCS state office staff. This position is 60% general nutrition and 40% Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Plan Education (SNAP-Ed). The Extension Agent is responsible for organizing and maintaining an advisory committee involving local government officials, volunteers, health professionals, community residents, and other stakeholders to identify local nutrition-related needs and locally appropriate strategies to address those needs. The agent will provide community-based nutrition education programming for adults and youth, geared toward promoting healthy behaviors to help prevent or manage chronic disease. The agent will also provide leadership in planning, implementing, evaluating, and reporting food and physical activity environmental and systems interventions. As an Extension employee, the agent must be willing to continue professional development and maintain professional competence and its application to programming. The incumbent is expected to perform other tasks that may be assigned by supervisor(s) and work cooperatively with other Extension faculty at the parish, district, and state levels. In order to attend and conduct programming to meet the needs of the clientele, this position requires occasional overnight travel and working on evenings and weekends.
Qualification Requirements: A baccalaureate degree in nutrition, dietetics, community and family nutrition, family and consumer sciences, human development, physical fitness/human performance, public health or closely related degree from an accredited college or university is required. Degrees may be considered in a different area, but the candidate must have prior formal nutrition education and provide a broad understanding of Nutrition, Health and Wellness. Degrees in other fields that relate to the duties of the position may be considered if combined with directly related experience. Must have an undergraduate degree with an overall grade-point average of at least 2.5 (all GPA requirements based on a 4.0 system) and a 3.0 for graduate work attempted, if any, or master’s degree or a current grade-point average of at least 3.0 on at least 12 hours of graduate credit. This applicant must demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills. A master’s degree in a field listed above is desired. Experience in recruiting, training and supervising volunteers and experience in teaching and applying principles of leadership development to both youth and adults is also desired. Knowledge of public relations and the ability to cope with change are highly desirable characteristics. Knowledge of nutrition, foods, and chronic disease is preferable. Ability to work with and through others is essential as is the ability to function with minimum supervision.
Salary and Benefits: Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The LSU AgCenter has an attractive benefits package with a wide variety of benefit options. Benefits offered include retirement, multiple medical insurance options, supplemental insurances (dental, life, long-term disability, accident, vision, long-term care, etc.), Tax Saver Flexible Benefits Plan (saves tax dollars on some child care and medical expenses), university holidays (14 per year, typically includes a week off at Christmas), generous annual (vacation) and sick leave benefits, Employee Assistance Program, and possible educational leave and tuition exemption for coursework at campuses of the LSU System. Specific benefits depend on job category, percent effort and length of employment.
Conditions of Employment: A personal automobile and appropriate insurance coverage is required (travel allowance provided). Satisfactory completion of two specific graduate level extension courses (6 credit hours) is generally required in the first two years of employment. Additionally, a faculty member who does not have a related master’s degree must complete an additional 9 hours of related graduate level coursework in order to be promoted to associate agent and such promotion must occur in the first seven years of employment. An exception is that additional agent experience may be substituted for nine hours of coursework, but not for the two required courses.
Date Available: Upon completion of the selection process.
Application Deadline: September 1, 2023 or until a suitable candidate is identified.
Application Procedure: Apply online at https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU (or in Workday for internal applicants) by attaching cover letter with resume including a statement of professional interest and goals, official university transcripts, and two letters of reference, and a statement describing how diversity would figure into your extension activities. Paper, faxed or e-mailed application materials will not be accepted, except that in lieu of attaching the reference letters online, they may be sent directly to:
Dr. Ronald Strahan, Regional Director
Red River Research Station
262 Research Station Drive
Bossier City, La. 71112
Email: rstrahan@agcenter.lsu.edu
Phone: 318-408-0972, Fax: 318-741-7433
Web site: www.lsuagcenter.com
The LSU Agricultural Center is a statewide campus of the LSU System and provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer
