Establish priorities that align with USU Extension and Utah
State University goals.
Translate organizational priorities into actionable plans and
measurable outcomes.
Work with faculty and staff to establish goals, priorities, and
expectations for their respective areas.
Identify emerging opportunities, challenges, and needs
throughout Utah and position Extension to respond effectively.
Advise Extension executive leadership regarding programs,
facilities, personnel, resources, partnerships, risks, and
opportunities.
Lead and support organizational change and strategic
initiatives.
Identify opportunities for collaboration across programs and
centers while preserving the distinct mission and strengths of each
area.
Agriculture & Natural Resources
- Provide executive leadership for USU Extension's statewide
agriculture and natural resources portfolio.
- Support Extension faculty, staff, specialists, programs, and
initiatives serving Utah's agricultural producers, landowners,
communities, industries, home horticulture, and natural
resources.
- Strengthen connections among county and statewide Extension
programming, academic departments, researchers, industry,
government agencies, and community partners.
- Support development of responsive programming addressing
current and emerging agricultural and natural resource needs.
- Encourage interdisciplinary approaches that connect university
expertise with practical needs throughout Utah.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen, expand, and sustain
high-impact Extension programming.
- Advocate for the personnel, financial, and program resources
necessary to support effective statewide delivery.
Strategic Centers & Facilities
- Provide executive leadership and long-term strategic direction
for the USU Botanical Center, Davis Agricultural Heritage Center,
Ogden Botanical Gardens and Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter.
- Support the distinct educational, agricultural, horticultural,
environmental, conservation, research, demonstration, and
community-facing missions of the centers.
- Work with center leadership to establish long-term strategic
and operational priorities.
- Provide strategic oversight for significant Extension
facilities, land, equipment, and other physical assets.
- Identify opportunities to increase utilization, programming,
partnerships, visibility, and community impact.
- Coordinate facility, capital, maintenance, and infrastructure
priorities with appropriate university partners.
- Support sustainable operational and financial models for
Extension centers.
- Encourage collaboration among centers and other Extension
programs when shared expertise, facilities, or resources can
increase impact.
- Ensure responsible stewardship of university facilities, land,
equipment, and other resources.
Organizational Leadership & People
Development
- Provide direct leadership, supervision, coaching, and
development to county Agriculture and Natural Resources faculty and
program coordinators. There are approximately 50 direct
reports.
- Administrate the promotion and tenure process for county
faculty in the Agriculture and Natural Resources department.
- Build a strong and collaborative leadership team across
programs and centers.
- Establish clear roles, responsibilities, decision-making
authority, expectations, and accountability.
- Support faculty in addressing complex organizational,
personnel, programmatic, and operational issues.
- Evaluate organizational structures and workforce needs and
recommend changes when appropriate.
- Oversee and support recruitment, retention, professional
development, and succession planning.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, professionalism, innovation,
transparency, accountability, service, and responsible
stewardship.
- Encourage communication and collaboration across geographically
dispersed personnel and programs.
Financial & Resource Stewardship
- Provide strategic oversight of financial, personnel, facility,
and program resources across the portfolio.
- Work collaboratively with Extension executive leadership and
Extension Business Services to establish funding and resource
priorities.
- Provide strategic direction regarding allocation and use of
resources while maintaining appropriate financial controls and
administrative responsibilities.
- Review financial and operational performance and identify areas
requiring attention or investment.
- Evaluate the long-term financial sustainability of programs,
centers, facilities, and initiatives.
- Support development of grants, gifts, partnerships, program
revenues, and other external resources.
- Ensure resources are aligned with Extension priorities and used
responsibly.
- Promote accountability and stewardship of state, federal,
county, grant, gift, program-generated, and other university
resources.
Partnerships & External Relations
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with county and
municipal governments, state and federal agencies, agricultural
organizations, industry, businesses, nonprofit organizations,
community partners, donors, and other stakeholders.
- Represent USU Extension in appropriate statewide, regional,
university, and community discussions.
- Identify opportunities for collaborative programming, shared
investment, and strategic partnerships.
- Strengthen connections between university expertise and the
needs of Utah communities.
- Work with Extension and university leadership to develop
partnerships that advance organizational priorities.
- Serve as an advocate for the programs, people, centers, and
communities represented within the portfolio.
Innovation, Program Development & Impact
- Encourage innovation and responsible experimentation across
Extension programs and centers.
- Support development and implementation of new programs
responsive to emerging needs.
- Establish expectations for evaluation, outcomes, and
organizational performance.
- Use data, program outcomes, financial information, and
stakeholder feedback to inform decisions.
- Communicate accomplishments, outcomes, opportunities, and
challenges to Extension executive leadership.
Policy, Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure operations within the portfolio comply with applicable
university policies and state, federal, contractual, and funding
requirements.
- Establish expectations for appropriate financial, personnel,
operational, and program accountability.
- Work collaboratively with Extension Business Services, Human
Resources, Sponsored Programs, Facilities, Risk Management, and
other university partners.
- Identify significant organizational and operational risks and
ensure they are appropriately addressed.
Promote appropriate internal controls and responsible stewardship
of university resources.
- Ensure faculty and staff within the administrative portfolio
understand and fulfill their responsibilities for compliance and
accountability.
- Additional Responsibilities
- Perform other duties as assigned in support of USU Extension
and Utah State University priorities.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- Master's degree in an agriculture or natural resources related
field (i.e. animal science, range management, horticulture,
agronomy, forestry) plus substantial progressively responsible
leadership experience; or an equivalent combination of education
and experience.
- Rank of Extension Professor or Professor with tenure or if
outside Utah State University the equivalent of Full Professor rank
with tenure.
- Demonstrated experience leading complex organizations,
programs, centers, or multiple functional areas.
- Demonstrated experience supervising, developing, and supporting
employees.
- Experience with strategic planning, organizational development,
financial management, resource allocation, and
decision-making.
- Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain productive
relationships with various internal and external stakeholders.
- Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and
problem-solving skills.
- Experience working with elected officials, especially county
elected officials.
- Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and lead
effectively within a complex organization.
Preferred Qualifications
- Significant leadership experience within Cooperative Extension,
higher education, agriculture and/or natural resources.
- Experience working as a county faculty/agent or Extension
specialist.
- Experience leading statewide or geographically dispersed
programs and personnel.
- Experience overseeing significant facilities, centers, land, or
public-facing operations.
- Experience working with state, federal, county, grants, gifts,
program-generated, and other funding sources.
- Demonstrated success developing external partnerships and
securing resources.
- Experience leading organizational change or developing new
programs and initiatives.
- Knowledge of the land-grant university and Cooperative
Extension mission.
Required Documents
Along with the online application, please attach:
- Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in
the Candidate Profile under "Resume/CV"
- Cover letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your
application
**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**
Advertised Salary
Commensurate With Experience
ADA
This position operates primarily in a professional office
environment but requires frequent travel throughout Utah to
Extension offices, university facilities, agricultural operations,
centers, community locations, and other program sites. Work may
occasionally occur outdoors and involve exposure to varying weather
conditions, uneven terrain, agricultural environments, and active
facilities. Frequent evening and weekend work is required,
including attendance at university, industry, community, donor, and
stakeholder events.
The position requires extended periods of sitting and working at a
computer, as well as standing and walking during meetings, events,
facility visits, and site tours. The employee must be able to
travel independently to locations throughout the state and
occasionally transport or handle materials associated with
meetings, events, or program activities.
The position requires the ability to manage multiple and competing
priorities, exercise sound judgment, analyze complex organizational
and financial information, communicate effectively with a wide
range of audiences, and make decisions in situations that may
involve sensitive, confidential, or time-sensitive matters. The
employee must be able to lead and participate in meetings,
presentations, negotiations, and difficult conversations; adapt to
changing priorities; and work effectively with geographically
dispersed employees and stakeholders.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with
disabilities to perform the essential functions of the
position.
College/Department Highlights
Utah State University Extension provides research-based programs
and resources to individuals, families, businesses, and communities
throughout Utah. As part of Utah's land-grant university, Extension
connects university expertise and research with the practical needs
of Utahns.
Through faculty and staff located across the state, USU Extension
delivers programs in agriculture and natural resources, youth
development, family and consumer sciences, community and economic
development, and other areas responsive to Utah's changing
needs.
The Executive Director - Agriculture, Natural Resources &
Strategic Centers will play a key role in bringing together
Extension's people, programs, partnerships, expertise, and physical
resources to strengthen communities and create meaningful impact
throughout Utah.
University Highlights
Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah's premier
land-grant, public service university. As an R1 research
institution, Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge and
serving the public good through innovative research and scholarly
activities that are grounded in reciprocal engagement with local,
regional, and global communities. USU prepares students to be
active, civically engaged leaders who are prepared to address
critical societal challenges. Dedicated to providing a high-quality
and affordable education, USU remains a leader in research,
discovery, and public impact.
USU enrolls over 29,800 students, both online and in person at
locations throughout the state. Utah State's 30
locations include a main campus in Logan, Utah, residential
campuses in Price and Blanding, and six additional statewide
campuses, along with education centers serving every county. USU
educates students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries.
For over 100 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns,
serving every county in the state.
Competing at the NCAA Division I level in 16 sports, USU is a proud
member of the Pac-12 Conference, officially joining on July 1,
2026. The Aggies capped a historic final season in the Mountain
West by capturing nine combined regular-season and tournament
titles in 2025-26, with five teams advancing to postseason play.
This tradition of excellence extends to the classroom, where 232
student-athletes earned academic honors, and to the community,
where USU ranked second nationally in Division I service hours,
with nine teams placing in the top 10 for community service.
Utah State is dedicated to fostering a community where all
individuals feel respected, valued, and supported and where
diversity of thought and culture are cultivated. We seek to
recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will
champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach,
and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community
and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and
be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when
they named
https://www.usu.edu/today/story/usu-named-best-employer-in-utah"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">Utah State the best employer in
Utah in 2023.
Learn more about USU.
The university provides a
Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers
for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is
committed to providing access and a reasonable accommodation for
individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable
accommodation for a disability, contact the university's ADA
Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at (435) 797-0122 or
hr@usu.edu.
*updated 07/2026
To apply, visit https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/10710/executive-director-%e2%80%93-agriculture%2c-natural-resources-%26-strategic-centers%2c-usu-extension/job?in_iframe=1
Notice of Non-discrimination
In its programs and activities, including in admissions and
employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate
discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color,
religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual
orientation, gender identity, disability, status as a protected
veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title
IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.
Utah State University is an equal opportunity employer and does not
discriminate or tolerate discrimination including harassment in
employment including in hiring, promotion, transfer, or termination
based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic
information, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability,
status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by
University policy or any other federal, state, or local law.
Utah State University does not discriminate in its housing
offerings and will treat all persons fairly and equally without
regard to race, color, religion, sex, familial status, disability,
national origin, source of income, sexual orientation, or gender
identity. Additionally, the University endeavors to provide
reasonable accommodations when necessary and to ensure equal access
to qualified persons with disabilities.
In all circumstances, Utah State University follows state and
federal laws related to sex-segregated spaces.
The following office has been designated to handle inquiries
regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing
regulations and/or USU's non-discrimination policies:
Civil Rights & Title IX Office
Old Main Room 405
1475 Old Main Hill, Logan UT 84322
titleix@usu.edu
(435) 797-1266
For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit
crtix.usu.edu or contact:
U.S. Department of Education
Denver Regional Office
303-844-5695|
OCR.Denver@ed.gov
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
800-421-3481 |
OCR@ed.gov
*updated 08/2026
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