Regional Extension Animal Science and Forage Specialist

Online applications must be received before 11:59pm on:

July 9, 2025

If a date is not listed above, review the Applicant Instructions below for more details.

Available Title(s):

270-NN_FACULTY - Assistant Professor, 395-NN_FACULTY - New Tenure-Track - Pre-Academic Year

Business Title:

Regional Extension Animal Science and Forage Specialist

Employee Type:

Faculty

Position Term:

9 Month

Position Details:

Washington State University (WSU) and the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) seeks a Regional Extension Animal Science and Forage Specialist.  This is a permanent, 9-month, full-time, tenure-track position.  May be eligible for up to 2- months summer salary, conditional on successful performance and funding.  The appointment is at the rank of Assistant Professor in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Program Unit (ANR). The position is headquartered at the WSU Benton County Extension Office in Kennewick, Washington and will serve the food animal and forage cropping needs in the Benton and Franklin region.

THE OPPORTUNITY

This position is responsible for leading outreach for agricultural Extension programs in food animal production and forage agronomy and cropping systems across Benton and Franklin counties and Southcentral Washington. Program will focus on beef, dairy beef and/or dairy animal production and forage agronomic production of harvested and grazing systems, along with farm enterprise management and decision support systems. Each year, nearly 1.1 million cattle are raised, fed, milked, or harvested in Washington State, with the majority of production concentrated in Central Washington in the Columbia Basin and Lower Valley regions of Benton and Franklin counties.  The state’s beef industry is quite diverse and includes cow/calf producers, stocker operations, feeders, packers, niche marketers, dairy beef producers, dairies, and youth beef producers. Washington’s beef industry is also unique in that it has a complete industry from cow/calf to harvest meaning that the cattle industry in Washington is made of cow/calf producers, cattle feeders and has two major beef packing plants located within the state.

This position is structured around two primary focus areas: food animal production (approximately 70% of the candidate's effort) and forage production systems and management (around 30%), covering both harvested and grazing forage systems. Within the food animal production segment, 5% to 20% of the effort is expected to support 4-H and youth animal agriculture production and education, ensuring engagement in youth development while maintaining a strong emphasis on livestock production. This incumbent is expected to develop, conduct and evaluate outreach and Extension programming based on sound animal science and agronomic practices, and on-farm research in collaboration with WSU and ARS colleagues and industry. This incumbent will join and contribute to WSU research and Extension teams to address issues and opportunities of highest priority to area farmers in Benton and Franklin counties.

The incumbent will be expected to acquire extramural funding to develop, sustain and strengthen ongoing programs and new program initiatives. This person will also facilitate and promote WSU programs and research opportunities through collaborative relationships with other Extension Specialists and WSU Researchers.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct needs assessments to inform the development of the program and integrate the outcomes into program planning, implementation, delivery, and outcome evaluation.

• Develop and lead an Extension program that provides agricultural production and farm business management education to farmers, ranchers, managers, agribusinesses, and other stakeholders. Focus areas of this position will be food animal production and forage production and cropping systems, with an emphasis on cattle production.

• Develop an applied, researched-based program with Extension components using web-based technologies, conferences, classes, workshops, newsletters, and social and mass media. Audiences will include large and small acreage producers, processors, managers, allied industry, educators, and stakeholders.

• Develop publications and creative works in print and electronic formats for stakeholder audiences, as well as scholarly articles and publications for appropriate professional journals.

• Engage in grant development and secure extramural resources to advance food animal agriculture and forage cropping systems through applied research and outreach.

• Collaborate and cooperate with internal and external agricultural partners, including faculty and staff at Research and Exten