Cooperative Extension Vegetable Crop and Weed Science Advisor Serving Monterey, San Benito, and

The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources seeks a Cooperative Extension Vegetable Crop and Weed Science Advisor for Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties. The advisor will develop research and education programs to support the vegetable industry, addressing sustainability issues like labor costs, diseases, and water scarcity. The position is based in Salinas, California, and involves collaboration with various specialists and outreach through publications and educational events.
Cooperative Extension Vegetable Crop and Weed Science Advisor
Serving Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties - 24-28

University of California Agriculture and Natural
Resources

County Locations: Monterey County, San Benito
County, Santa Cruz County

Date Posted: March 7, 2025

Closing Date: April 28, 2025

Job Description: Download

The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC
ANR) invites applications for a UC Cooperative Extension
Vegetable Crop and Weed Science Advisor, serving Monterey,
San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties. The advisor will
develop an innovative multi-county applied research and extension
education program to support the vegetable industry on the Central
Coast.

Location Headquarters: University of California
Cooperative Extension Office in Monterey County, Salinas,
California.

Position Details

The Central Coast produces most of the salad vegetables consumed in
the United States and is a major exporter of vegetable products to
Mexico, Canada, Asia, and the Middle East. Multiple issues threaten
the long-term sustainability of the vegetable industry in the
region, including high labor costs, the emergence of new diseases
and insect pests, food safety risks, water scarcity, and the
impacts of nutrients and pesticides on water quality.

The Vegetable Crop and Weed Science Advisor will be a keystone
position to lead teams of ANR advisors and specialists to
collaboratively develop research and outreach programs in issues
surrounding vegetable production and weed control. Vegetable
production issues include fertilizer and nutrient management and
will involve other advisors and specialists working in crop
nutrition, water management, and soil health. Weed management
skills complement the expertise of advisors and specialists with
appointments serving agriculture technology, range science,
viticulture, strawberry production, entomology, environmental
horticulture, plant pathology, and small farms. Weed management is
a critical issue due to the low tolerance for weeds in vegetable
fields, the high cost of hand labor, diminishing chemical control
options due to regulations, and the threat of potential and actual
invasive weed species in range and wild lands.

Research efforts will focus on vegetable production and weed
management. Examples of needed research include: 1. Evaluating best
management practices to reduce nitrate impacts on ground and
surface water; 2. Identifying practices and varieties that reduce
cadmium uptake in spinach; 3. Nutrient management in organic
vegetable systems; and 4. Innovative weed management strategies to
reduce weed pressure in high-value horticultural crop production
such as vegetables. Publication of research results and knowledge
is expected to include various UC ANR series, technical sheets, and
peer-reviewed journals.

Outreach will include standard extension methods such as newsletter
and trade journal articles, extension publications, and organizing
and participating in educational trainings and seminars. In
addition, the advisor will use an appropriate mix of contemporary
and emerging electronic tools such as online learning, web content,
blogs, social media, impact and evaluation tools, and videos.
Extensive collaboration internally with other ANR academics and
externally with other researchers, government agencies, and private
industry is expected. The advisor will serve as a resource in
vegetable crop production and weed science for other ANR advisors
and specialists, as well as consultants, pest control advisors,
agricultural commissioners, government scientists, and regulatory
personnel.

Counties of Responsibility. This
position has programmatic responsibilities in Monterey, San Benito,
and Santa Cruz Counties.

Reporting Relationship: The advisor serves under
the administrative and academic guidance of the University of
California Cooperative Extension Tri-County Director for Monterey,
San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties. It is not a remote position;
the candidate must be available to work onsite at the headquarters
location in Monterey County and travel to and be present in all
three counties. Specific expectations for maintaining office hours
and fieldwork in the geographic area covered by this position will
be outlined upon hire by the respective directors and
supervisors.

Qualifications and Skills Required

Required Qualifications

Education: A minimum of a master's degree in
vegetable crop production, horticulture, weed science, agronomy, or
a related field is required at the time of appointment.

Key Qualifications
• Knowledge of and experience in commercial crop production,
applied research, and educational programming.
• Experience collaborating across disciplines on research and
education projects.
• Interest in and a desire to pursue a career in UC Cooperative
Extension
• Technical competence in commercial crop production: The
candidate should be able to design and implement a program that
leads to positive impacts for Central Coast vegetable growers.
• Demonstrated excellence in written, oral, interpersonal, and
information technology communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a team member
with key stakeholders, county-based staff, community-based
organizations, and colleagues in UC ANR.
• Ability and means to travel on a flexible schedule as needed.
Proof of liability and property damage insurance on vehicle used is
required. Must possess a valid California Driver's License to drive
a county or university vehicle.
• The CE Advisor must possess or obtain within one year a
Qualified Pesticide Applicator Certificate (QAC) or License (QAL)
prior to applying or supervising the application of any
pesticide.

Desired Experience
• Experience in conducting field research in agriculture;
planning and implementation of broad, large-scale research and
extension programs.
• Experience in building partnerships and with multidisciplinary
teams.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively plan projects, manage teams
and implement an applied research and outreach program, including
setting measurable goals and objectives.
• Skills in IGIS, spatial analysis, or statistics
• Bilingual skills (Spanish/English)

Learn more about Skills and Areas of Programmatic
Review (including Professional Competence, University and
Public Service and Affirmative Action and DEI) at: https://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/319460.pdf

About UC ANR

UC ANR is a division of the University of California (UC) system
that bridges the gap between local issues and the expertise of the
UC system by providing research-based information, educational
programs, and technical expertise to the public in areas such as
agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, and youth development.
UC ANR is part of a nationwide Cooperative Extension network, which
began in the early 20th century to connect research from land-grant
universities with the everyday needs of people in communities
across the United States. Today, we collaborate with farmers,
ranchers, diverse communities, youth and adult educators, and
policymakers to address local and statewide issues related to food
systems, water, climate change, and sustainable agriculture through
a statewide network of campus-based researchers, county-based
Advisors, and community educators. Our mission is to cultivate
thriving communities, sustainable agriculture, resilient
ecosystems, and economic prosperity in California and globally
through equitable generation and sharing of collaborative,
science-based solutions. Over 180 UCCE Advisors conduct applied
research and extension education from county-based UCCE offices
serving all 58 counties from 70+ locations. By working and living
among those we serve, UC ANR expands the University of California's
reach to engage all people and communities in California, ensuring
equal access to the resources UC has to offer. Our vision is that
UC ANR will be valued in every California community for meaningful
engagement and making a positive difference in people's
lives.

About Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz
Counties

The Central Coast counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz
have been called the nation's "Salad Bowl." The total value of
vegetables produced in the tri-county area was nearly $3.5 billion
in 2022. Organic production has steadily increased on the central
coast, with gross sales of more than $1 billion in Monterey County
alone in 2022. The three counties have a combined population of
over 750,000 residents. Larger cities include Salinas, Hollister,
and Watsonville. In addition to its abundant agriculture, the area
features world-renowned stretches of coastline and tourist
attractions such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Fisherman's
Wharf. Monterey County, where the position will be located, is just
over 100 miles from the City of San Francisco.

Learn more about
• UC ANR and UC ANR Mission
Statement.
• UC ANR administers Statewide
Programs and Institutes that focus research and extension on
solving priority problems that engage ANR academics and UC faculty
in integrated teams
• UC ANR Strategic
Initiatives help unify, communicate, and advocate for the work
we do.
• UC ANR UC ANR uses seven
Public Value statements to communicate how our work makes a
difference to the public.
• UC ANR academics are expected to share and exhibit UC ANR's
commitment to UC ANR's Affirmative
Action policy
• UC ANR academics are expected to share and exhibit UC ANR's
commitment to
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce and
will honor your experiences, perspectives, and unique identity. We
encourage applications from members of historically
underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with
disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ+ community members, and others who
demonstrate the ability to help us create and maintain working and
learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and
welcoming.
• As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to
disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or
judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that
they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for
misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged
misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing
conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including,
but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting
sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment,
discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the
employer.

UC Sexual
Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC
Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third
Parties

APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in
Employment

Salary & Benefits

Salary: The salary range for this Cooperative
Extension Advisor position is Assistant Rank, Step I ($82,900) to
Step VI ($105,200). Step placement in the advisor series is based
on applicable experience and professional qualifications. For
information regarding Cooperative Extension Advisor salary scales,
please refer to the University of California website: https://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/358478.pdf

If the successful candidate is currently a UCCE Advisor, the
candidate will be offered the position without change to the
candidate's current rank, step, salary and/or appointment terms;
and if applicable, is eligible to retain indefinite status.

This position is eligible for indefinite status following three
successful reviews and subject to terms noted in UC ANR Policy and
Procedure Manual, Section 315 of the ANR Policy and
Procedure Manual (PPM):

Benefits: The University of California offers
comprehensive benefits including health insurance, retirement
plans, two days per month paid vacation, one day per month paid
sick leave, and paid holidays. This position is eligible for
sabbatical leave privileges as per the terms of the University
policy. For more information, refer to the UC Benefits website at:

https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

How to Apply

If you are interested in this position, please visit: https://recruit.ucanr.edu/ and
choose "applicants" (refer to position 24-28). An in-person
finalist interview may be required as part of the search
process.

Closing Date: To assure full consideration,
application packets must be received by

April 28, 2025 - (Open until filled)

Questions?

Contact Katie Kilbane; email: klkilbane@ucanr.edu

Applicants may wish to explore the UC Davis Services for
International Students and Scholars web page at https://siss.ucdavis.edu and the
UC ANR
Green Card Sponsorship Guidelines & FAQ's for
reference.

University of California Cooperative Extension

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all
applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining
agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or
local government directives may impose additional
requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative
Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive
consideration for employment without regard to race, color,
religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national
origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or other
protected categories covered by the UC non discrimination
policy.

As of January 1, 2014, ANR is a smoke- and tobacco-free environment
in which smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco products, and the
use of unregulated nicotine products (e-cigarettes), is strictly
prohibited.

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