Research Technician III (Extension Crops IPM Associate)

Overview

The Extension Crops IPM Associate will conduct outreach activities for the Utah Extension IPM Program, based in Logan, UT. This includes seasonal, on-farm monitoring of pests, writing and disseminating pest alerts, newsletter articles, and publications/fact sheets, assisting with or hosting presentations, workshops, and grower meetings, developing and posting web content, managing social media, and overall, helping to elevate the Utah IPM Program. Other activities include responding to emails and phone calls in a timely manner, organizing and purchasing field supplies, and working collaboratively with the USU Plant Health team. The candidate for this fully-benefited position may work between 30–40 hours per week based on the IPM Program needs and with supervisor approval. Ongoing employment in this role is tied to continued funding support.

Benefits of working at USU:

• Excellent benefits package with generous retirement contribution
• Belong to a large, nationally-recognized University while living in the beautiful Cache Valley; Utah State University is one of Utah’s ten largest employers
• Professional development support
• Employee Wellness program
• Increase your knowledge with tuition waivers or class auditing

Responsibilities

• Communications: Maintain oral communications with both commercial and residential vegetable and field crop producers through site visits and by responding to email/phone inquiries in a timely manner. Respond to media outlets (radio, print, streaming, etc.) regarding pest information.
• In-person Training: Collaborate with the Plant Health Team to assist in and/or organize presentations, workshops, webinars, grower meetings, demonstrations, and more. Evaluate all training activities with surveys.
• Publications: Serve as editor of the publication, Utah Vegetable Production and Pest Management Guide (print and online), writing original content, editing existing content, and managing authors. Write and distribute timely pest information through pest alert newsletters (4 to 10 per year), newsletter articles (4 per year), and fact sheets to support Utah’s commercial and residential growers.
• Digital: Update the Plant Health and IPM websites and maintain the Team’s social media sites (Facebook and Instagram). Collect and catalogue images, create videos, and more. Compile and track web and social media analytics.
• Field Work: The primary task is to conduct seasonal insect and disease monitoring on commercial farms, and the secondary task is to assist in research projects. Opportunity to apply for grant funding to conduct original projects. Maintain data and conduct simple statistics on field work. Field tasks may require heavy lifting. Vehicle will be provided.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree; or an associate degree plus two years of experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience in: horticulture, entomology, plant pathology, agriculture science, or related

• Some knowledge of crop production and crop pests

• Strong oral communication skills and good interpersonal skills

• Technical writing and editing skills

• Strong computer skills with ability to learn Adobe CS and web and social media content management

• Strong desire to work help farmers and homeowners learn

• Organized and able to work independently

• Valid driver’s license to perform essential job responsibilities, such as driving university vehicles and transporting materials

Preferred Qualification:

 

• M.S. degree in horticulture, entomology, plant pathology, agriculture science, or related

Required Documents

Along with the online application, please attach:

 

• Resume: A resume/curriculum vita to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in Candidate Profile under "Resume/CV"
• References: Contact information for three professional references (full name, email, and phone number) to be provided at the beginning of your application 
• Cover Letter: A cover letter that addresses the minimum qualifications listed above and subject area expertise, to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Documents 1-10”
• Transcript(s): An unofficial copy of your transcript(s) from college (and graduate school, if applicable), to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Documents 1-10”
• Writing Example: An example of your original writing that illustrates your ability to ex