ITHACA, N.Y. — The human resource challenges facing agriculture are huge, but Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development believes that education and research are important to discover and implement solutions that help farm employers, employees, the ag industry and rural communities. The program is looking for two talented professionals to join its innovative team. These positions offer unique opportunities for career growth and the chance to make important contributions to agriculture and those who work in the industry.

Extension Associate, Management Development Specialist

This position will support extension and research projects focused on solving problems and supporting development of New York’s agricultural workforce in all types of farm production. Primary projects for this position will include developing and teaching leadership and management development courses and workshops for online and in-person delivery. As an innovative and experienced educator, you will expand knowledge and access to management development and effective human resource management to all sectors of agriculture. You will interact with and focus efforts on developing Spanish-speaking and ESL agricultural supervisors and managers. You will work collaboratively, across disciplines, and with a variety of stakeholders, to develop, demonstrate, and guide better supervisory leadership across NYS. The state is a national leader milk production and specialty crops such as apples.  You will champion diversity, equity and inclusion by providing unbiased access to world-class research and industry expertise to all New York farmers; and serve as a trusted resource, enabling stakeholders to build knowledge and develop skills to engage employees, build teams and develop an effective workforce. At Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development, we’re developing the people who feed New York families and the world

This is an academic position and a master’s degree is required. More details and application instructions at this link: Extension Associate.

Extension Support Specialist, Workforce Development Specialist

This position will work closely with the existing Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development team to develop and implement programs in two important areas: workforce development and training improvement for farms and agribusinesses, and the development and improvement of farm-provided employee housing. Specific duties will include:

• Championing and administering apprenticeship programs for farm and industry employees in close cooperation with employers, CALS, CCE, and SUNY educators, and other industry organizations.
• Recruiting employees and employers to participate in apprenticeship programs to enhance individual employee careers and the attractiveness of agricultural industry careers.
• Develop training programs and outreach initiatives that enhance farm employee onboarding programs and other on-farm training programs, including the use of technology tools.
• Employee housing actions will include conducting on-farm employee housing evaluations using established tools, providing constructive feedback to farm employers, assisting in housing financing and improvement efforts, and coordinating industry stakeholders who are interested in employee housing improvement.
• The Extension Support Specialist also supports research projects focused on solving problems and supporting development of New York’s agricultural workforce.

A bachelor’s degree in agriculture, management or related field and the ability to take the initiative is required. More details and application instructions at this link: Extension Support Specialist.

For any technical or application questions, contact Cornell Human Resources using the links provided. For questions about the nature of the positions, contact Richard Stup, Director of Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development at rstup@cornell.edu or (607) 255-7890.

–Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development