Academic Job Description
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Department of Food Science
Southwest Regional Extension Associate
Position Function
The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA), based in the
Department of Food Science at Cornell University, is a collaborative project funded
by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States
Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) to provide educational outreach
assistance to fresh produce growers and packers, including grower cooperatives,
to increase their understanding of the critical role they play in public health
by implementing food safety practices on the farm and in packinghouses. Since
2010, the PSA has been developing and delivering a standardized curriculum to
educate fruit and vegetable growers, educators, industry members, state
departments of agriculture, and regulatory officials on current best practices
and guidance related to produce safety, as well as the regulatory requirements
that were issued by the US FDA in November 2015 in the Standards
for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human
Consumption (a.k.a., Produce Safety Rule) as part
of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). In addition to conducting trainings to
increase understanding and implementation of practices in the FSMA Produce
Safety Rule, the PSA team provides technical assistance, develops additional
educational materials and facilitates collaboration nationally and
internationally to address implementation challenges.
As
a key member of the PSA team, the Southwest (SW) Regional Extension Associate
(REA) will be responsible for planning, organizing, instructing, and evaluating
PSA training programs for produce growers, extension educators, and regulatory
personnel in their region. Due to extensive
national and international collaboration established by the PSA, it is
anticipated the SW REA will interact with a diverse population of individuals
and groups with specific emphasis in the Southwest including, but not limited
to, State Departments of Agriculture personnel, commodity groups, Land-Grant
University personnel, and the Western Center to Enhance Food Safety (WRCEFS) collaborators.
The SW REA will facilitate and provide
leadership for in-person meetings as applicable, conference calls and webinars
and be directly involved in training other individuals to use the developed
curriculum; provide continual feedback to PSA leadership through preparation of
regional impact reports, training evaluations, and outreach activities; and participate
in weekly PSA team calls. Must be willing to travel regionally
and nationally a significant amount of time (~50%) pending COVID-19 control,
including non-traditional and weekend work hours. This position will be located in the
Southwest U.S. with exact location being flexible within the region. Position will be supervised by the PSA
Director, Dr. Elizabeth A. Bihn.
One-year
term renewable depending on performance and available funding.
Anticipated
Division of Time
Program Planning & Implementation (40%)
·
Work as part of
the PSA team with emphasis on honest, transparent, and open communication.
·
Coordinate and
participate in university, statewide, regional, and nationwide training
programs to deliver the Produce Safety Alliance’s developed curriculum to increase
grower knowledge and ability to comply with regulations and market demands for
food safety practices.
·
Provide science-based
knowledge through educational activities including direct teaching, webinars,
and other meetings and workshops for fruit and vegetable growers and other
produce industry personnel.
·
Ensure outreach
includes a major program emphasis on the adoption of Good Agricultural
Practices (GAPs) and produce safety practices on farms and in packinghouses,
and assist growers in compliance with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.
·
Act as a liaison
between Cornell University and PSA collaborators, including regional Land-Grant
Universities, State Departments of Agriculture, the WRCEFS, and grower
organizations in the Southwest.
·
Participate in
the PSA Lead Trainer and Trainer-of-Trainers assessment processes to continue
to develop a cadre of capable and empowered trainers across the globe.
Building Collaborative Regional Networks (20%)
·
Provide
leadership in identifying and supporting regional training needs of underserved
growers by working with 1862, 1890, and 1994 Land-Grant Universities, FSMA
Regional Centers, produce industry, non-government organizations, and State Departments
of Agriculture.
·
Communicate with produce
industry members and external stakeholders through public presentations at
regional grower conferences, at Extension meetings, and to governmental and
non-governmental agencies.
Research & Outreach Projects (20%)
·
Plan, develop,
and maintain educational materials in partnership with PSA team and
collaborators including supplemental curriculum material,
regional/commodity/industry specific educational materials including new fact
sheets, brochures, tools, and information for the Internet, including social
media such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.
·
Prepare research
results for curriculum, proposals, peer-reviewed publications, and seminars
including data from focus groups, surveys, evaluations, and other activities.
·
Perform general
library and internet searches to support ongoing and future Extension outreach and
research projects.
·
Assist PSA
leadership in the preparation of publications and grant proposals, especially
in educational approaches and techniques to be used with emphasis on regional
program needs.
Program Evaluation (15%)
·
Conduct
evaluations of all training programs to report on performance and improve
program effectiveness.
·
Conduct and
contribute to evaluation of the nationwide education and outreach curriculum as
well as training programs that disseminate the curriculum.
·
Review
evaluations from PSA Courses hosted by collaborators within the Southwest
region.
·
Evaluate
qualifications of trainers including Lead Trainer Application Reviews
·
Develop verbal
and written presentations of program activities, and share regional impact summaries
with PSA Leadership, Executive Committee, and other stakeholders.
Other Duties as Assigned (5%)
Required Qualifications
- Master of Science (MS) degree in Food Science,
Horticulture, Environmental Science, Agricultural Science or equivalent and
a minimum of 5 years of experience in a related field.
- Advanced knowledge of Good Agricultural
Practices, fruit and vegetable production, produce safety microbiology,
and the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. Experience training growers.
- Must be a PSA Lead Trainer with a demonstrated
ability to work well with a variety of diverse audiences to organize and
conduct trainings, webinars, and other outreach activities to produce
growers and industry members.
- Must be a self-starter, interested in helping people
understand and learn how to implement produce food safety practices and
co-management on farms and in packinghouses.
- Must be able to identify and relay technical
scientific information to a non-scientific audience in a practical and
respectful manner, including ability to conduct literature reviews and
provide appropriate information to diverse audiences.
- Must demonstrate sound judgment, creativity,
management and problem-solving skills, and the ability to work well within
a team of professionals and when acting on behalf of the university. Prior experience in developing
partnership networks, preparing training materials and managing data,
managing a successful program and experience with third party audits
preferred.
- Must be personable, maintain a positive attitude,
be flexible, and be able to respond productively to criticism related to
program development and delivery so that many ideas can be shared to
achieve the best outcome.
- Must have public speaking, adult education, and
presentation experience.
- Must have and maintain a valid Driver’s License
and have dependable transportation that allows for travel to regional
locations. Must be willing to travel nationally and internationally.
- Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs.
- Must be proficient in Microsoft Office suite
(Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and webinar
programs (Zoom, Adobe Connect, Go-To-Meeting).
- Must be able to work closely with the supervisor
under remote supervision, keep supervisor informed of progress, work
independently to complete tasks and possess excellent organizational,
writing, and communication skills.
Preferred
Qualifications
- PSA Trainer, PSA Lead Trainer, or PSATrainer-of-Trainers
- Ph.D. in Food Science, Horticulture,
Environmental Science, Agricultural Science or equivalent with experience
working in produce safety.
- Experience facilitating group discussions and
leading teams of people through to completion of tasks/assignments in an
efficient, safe and timely manner.
- Research experience in an area relevant to
produce safety such as produce safety education, surface water quality, or
compost production.
- Fluency in a language other than English.
- Experience writing grant proposals and refereed
journal publications.
- Ability to work with University, regional,
and national media outlets to provide factual and timely updates about
training activities, regulatory impacts, and PSA updates.
Supervision Exercised
No direct supervision
involved in this position.\
Application
Instructions): Interested
applicants should submit a CV, letter of interest, contact information for 3 references and a statement
of contribution to diversity, equity, and inclusion via Academic Jobs
Online at the following link: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/job/20848.
Review of applications will begin on January 31, 2022 and continue until a
candidate is selected. If you have questions about this position, please email eab38@cornell.edu
Employment Assistance:
For specific questions about the position or application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or for general questions email mycareer@cornell.edu.
If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell University's Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at equity@cornell.edu. Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing mycareer@cornell.edu. Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement by clicking here. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant. EEO Statement: Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, and we do not tolerate discrimination based on any protected characteristic, including race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex/gender, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law. Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff to all identities and backgrounds. We encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.
Pay Ranges: The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:
- Prior relevant work or industry experience.
- Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.
- Academic Discipline (faculty pay ranges reflects 9-month annual salary)
- Unique applicable skills.
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