Merced College Looking for Director, Ag Innovation Full Time

Director, Ag Innovation

Salary: $80,860.00 – $125,591.00 Annually
Job Type:
Job
Number: 20230426
Closing: 5/17/2023 11:59 PM Pacific
Location: Merced, CA
Department:

Management
Range 9
Salary will be commensurate with education and experience
*This is a categorically funded position and is
contingent upon funding

Additional compensation for doctorate

Interview dates to be
determined

Merced College is a midsized community college located in California’s Central Valley. Founded in 1962, the college
serves more than 16,000 students with room to expand on its 267 acre main campus and 120 acre Los Banos site. Merced, incorporated in 1889,
offers historical sites, affordable housing, access to the Bay Area and Sacramento, and is the Gateway to Yosemite National Park and the
Sierra mountains as well as home to the University of California Merced campus. Our tree-shaded, growing community of just over 80,000
includes multiple biking and walking trails as well as access to several lakes – large and small – throughout the county.

The
incumbent will provide regional leadership, oversight, and coordination for the Fresno-Merced Future of Food (F3) Initiative’s Agrifood
Technology & Engineering Collaborative (AgTEC) program. This groundbreaking program will provide one-of-a-kind, innovative, just-in-time and
transformative workforce development training program that will change the face of food production in the valley. With our partner
institutions, the Director will explore and develop new alternatives for assisting both traditional and incumbent agricultural workers to
compete for next generation ag careers. Students in the program will learn hands-on skills and experience how food chain systems integrate
and depend on each other to supply the consumer with agricultural products in a contextualized environment, and you’ll lead the way! To
learn more about this once in a lifetime leadership role, visit this news article announcing Merced College at Center of New Ag Tech Job Program!
Merced College Vision
Enriching
our community through educational experiences and support services:

• Degree/Certificate Programs
• Transfer
• Career
  Technical Education
• Workforce Training
• Lifelong Learning
• Basic Skills
• Community Engagement

Merced
College promotes student success through equitable access, continuous quality improvement, and institutional effectiveness, all with a
focus on student achievement.

Merced College Mission
At Merced College, students are our focus, and we are known
by their success. We transform lives through education and workforce development.
General
Description:

This is an Educational Administrator position. Under the direction of the Dean of Instruction, manages and
directs the District’s operations of the Fresno-Merced Future of Food (F3) Initiative’s Agrifood Technology & Engineering Collaborative
(AgTEC) program. The Fresno-Merced Future of Food (F3) Initiative’s Agrifood Technology & Engineering Collaborative (AgTEC) program seeks
to collectively double the annual workforce pipeline to over 8,400 job-ready workers in four years. Ag TEC will build a region wide,
industry-worker- workforce council; adopt aligned curriculum, equipment, and industry-recognized skills and competencies; and establish Ag
TEC Innovation Centers throughout the region to upskill incumbent workers for current and future careers in agriculture and also provide
pathway opportunities to incoming college students through an Ag systems certificate.

Examples of Duties

Representative Duties:

• Provide regional leadership, oversight, and coordination for the Fresno-Merced Future of
  Food (F3) Initiative’s Agrifood Technology & Engineering Collaborative (AgTEC) program
• Coordinate regional initiatives, in
  cooperation and collaboration with other regional directors
• Assist in the development of the AgTEC region wide, industry-worker-
  workforce council and industry partnerships related to the project
• Assist regional development of the adoption of aligned
  curriculum, equipment, and industry-recognized skills and competencies for the AgTEC Program
• Provide leadership and assist in
  establishing Ag TEC Innovation Centers throughout the region to serve new students and increase upskilling for incumbent
  workers
• Work closely with discipline faculty to oversee and manage the regional AgTEC programs
• Oversee the newly developed
  regional innovation centers located within their respective community college districts
• Ensure the ongoing coordination of the
  stated objectives and goals of AgTEC programs, services, and work plans
• Serve as an internal and external liaison for the Center’s
  operations, integrations with other disciplines, partnerships with research and development, and other strategic efforts to prepare
  students for industry expectations in the AgTEC workforce
• Develop and maintain a network of contacts within the agriculture and
  food technology industries to support the AgTEC training and certificate program
• Support projects related to industry partnerships,
  contextualization of curricula, and practical integration of hands-on experiences for students within the program;
• Develop
  collaboration agreements with industry partners to support the AgTEC innovations and integrations
• Work collaboratively with faculty
  and administrators to plan, organize, develop, and evaluate the programs, activities, and curriculum of assigned programs, and services
  that meet accreditation/industry standards
• Promote, communicate, and facilitate partnerships with private and public businesses,
  industries and community or public agencies, as appropriate
• Participate in community, state and national organizations and meetings
  related to area or special assignments, as needed
• Maintain current knowledge of new developments and innovations in community
  colleges and higher education in general and recommend changes to area programs to meet student and community need
• Prepare a
  variety of reports and correspondence appropriate to assignment;
• Develop the budgets and manage financial resources consistent with
  local, state, and federal policy and sound financial management principles
• Resolve student, faculty, and staff conflicts and
  issues, as needed
• Evaluate staff in accordance with proper management practices and implement articles of collective bargaining
  agreements
• Assist CTE faculty in the development of advisory committees, provide guidance in working with advisory committees, and
  attend advisory committee meetings
• Coordinate the procurement and distribution of grant funds, prepare grant applications, budgets,
  and reports for local, state, and federal grant supported programs
• Incorporate cultural and ethnic diversity in staffing,
  curriculum, programs and services
• Assure adherence of operations to federal, state, and local laws and regulations
• Serve as
  a member on various college committees and teams
• Participate in the planning, staffing and coordination of special campus events
  and/or special projects
• Support and assist in recruitment and registration outreach activities
• Review contract conditions
  and ensure compliance with all contract terms
• Sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural,
  disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students
• Perform other duties as
  assigned

Knowledge of:

• Higher education in community colleges, including the mission of the
  California Community Colleges
• Principles and practices of leadership
• Innovative approaches in education
• Successful interpersonal skills, organizational leadership, team building, staff development, and communication
  techniques
• District organization, operations, policies, and objectives
• Successful oral and written communication
  skills
• Computer-based systems for administrative, business, and educational functions
• Principles and practices of
  administration, supervision and training
• The changing educational needs of the diverse student base and the agriculture
  community
• Emerging technologies on teaching, learning, and instructional operations
• Online/distance education learning
  management systems
• Methods and techniques of program development and administration
• Principles and procedures of report
  preparation and grant management

Ability to:

• Manage assigned areas in conjunction with an
  instructional program
• Develop plans and make recommendations on improvements
• Supervise, train, coordinate, and evaluate
  assigned staff
• Effectively communicate orally and in writing
• Give clear and concise instructions
• Interpret and
  apply rules and regulations
• Establish and maintain effective and cooperative relationships with administrators, faculty, staff,
  students, vendors, contractors, and the community
• Analyze situations correctly and take effective action
• Evaluate work
  methods and performance
• Meet schedules and timelines
• Maintain accurate records and prepare reports and develop budget
  estimates
• Effectively utilize computer equipment in the performance of duties
• Learn specialized computer
  applications
• Interpret and apply District policies and procedures
• Estimate materials and labor costs
• Demonstrate
  sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and
  ethnic backgrounds of community college students

Typical Qualifications

MINIMUM
QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

Education/Training/Experience:

• Master’s
  degree from an accredited college or university in any discipline AND one year of formal training, internship, or
  leadership experience reasonably related to the administrative assignment
• Demonstrated sensitivity to and understanding of the
  diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college
  students

License or Certificate: A valid California Class “C” driver’s license. Travel to locations throughout
the District may be required.

Desired:

Education/Experience

• Management
  experience
• Work history in the areas (Agriculture Education, Agriculture Management, Education)
• Grant
  experience

PHYSICAL DEMAND AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The conditions herein are representative of
those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to
enable individual with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Environment:

Work is
performed primarily in an office environment with some travel to different sites; incumbents may be required to work extended hours
including evenings and weekends.

Physical Ability to:

• Hear and understand speech at normal levels
• Communicate so others will be able to clearly understand normal conversation
• Read printed matter and computer
  screens
• Stand or sit for prolonged periods of time
• Bend, twist, stoop, kneel, crawl, push, and pull
• Reach in all
  directions
• Work at a desk, conference table or in meetings of various configurations
• Operate office equipment requiring
  repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard

Vision:

See in
the normal visual range with or without correction.

Hearing

Hear in the normal audio range with or
without correction.

Supplemental Information

How to Apply:

1. Submit a complete
   application by the closing date/time on the Merced College career pages at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/mccd

Required Documentation:

1. Letter of
   interest addressing your qualifications for the position (cover letter)
2. Resume
3. List of three professional references (no
   reference letters permitted)
4. Legible unofficial college transcripts (undergraduate and graduate); transcripts must include
   the degree major and date the institution granted the degree; official copies are not required unless applicant is
   hired
5. Diversity Statement: The Merced College District has a diverse staff and student population. As such,
   applicants must demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of a diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability and ethnic backgrounds of
   community college students and the community at large. Please describe your leadership efforts and professional experience promoting
   diversity, equity, and inclusion in a work setting. Please do not include any personally identifying information. Limit your response to
   one (1) page.

If Applicable:

1. Foreign transcripts must include a U.S. evaluation
   and translation completed by an approved organization per the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/cl635.pdf (Download PDF
   reader)
2. Equivalency Review Form (Required for applicants who do not possess the stated minimum educational
   qualifications and are seeking consideration on the basis of equivalency) http://www.mccd.edu/offices/hr/jobs/eqforms.html

Only the required documentation as listed above will
be accepted for this recruitment. Any additional documentation will be removed from your application profile.

Interview Information: Those applicants deemed highly qualified for the position will be invited to appear
for oral interviews before a screening committee. A limited number of candidates will be invited to interviews. Interviews will be held
onsite.

Employee Benefits: Health benefits for the employee and all their eligible dependents cost
employee’s only $12 per month and provide access to PPO medical coverage, PPO dental coverage, VSP Vision coverage, and more! Please visit
our Merced College Benefits website for more details about our incredible employee
benefits. In addition, sick leave and retirement benefits are also provided.

Condition of Employment: The
selected candidate must be fingerprinted and tested for tuberculosis at his/her own expense prior to the start of employment. In compliance
with the Immigration Reform Act of 1986, all new employees are required to verify their identity and the right to work in the United
States. Merced College does not sponsor visas. All offers of employment are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees. The
applicant must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.
Individuals
with disabilities may request any needed accommodation to participate in the application process. Please submit your request with your
application to the Human Resources Office. Merced Community College District is an Equal Opportunity
Employer

To apply, visit https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/mccd/jobs/4018285/director-ag-innovation

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