Judging Team Coach (livestock and/or meats)/Agriculture Program Specialist

Position available: Judging Team Coach (livestock and/or meats)/Agriculture Program Specialist

Rank & salary: Full-time, 9-month, non-tenure track position. Competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. Benefits include attractive retirement, group life and group health insurance programs and a tuition assistance program for employees, spouses, and dependents.

Appointment date: Position is available August 2013

Date of this notice: January 2, 2013

Job description: Full-time, nine-month, appointment within the Department of Agriculture. Responsibilities include coaching and recruitment for an intercollegiate livestock and/or meats judging team, teaching live animal and carcass evaluation and other discipline-specific courses in the candidate’s area of expertise, and assisting faculty and staff with classroom and laboratory instructional activities utilizing the Fort Hays State University Farm. Responsibilities also include development and coordination of university livestock/meats events involving 4-H, FFA, and community college participants. The successful candidate will provide academic advising to undergraduate students, assist with departmental recruiting efforts and activities, and will serve as an advisor to one or more student organizations.

Education: B.S. degree in Animal Science or a closely related field (M.S. degree preferred).

Experience: The successful candidate must have competitive experience with an intercollegiate livestock or meats judging program. Previous coaching and teaching experience is preferred. This individual must have a working knowledge of the livestock and meat industries. Strong oral and written communication skills are required, as is the ability to work effectively with university students, staff, faculty, and representatives of the livestock and meat industry.

Application: Send a resume, a statement that addresses the candidate's philosophy of competitive livestock/meat evaluation in relation to industry application, copies of all post-secondary transcripts (official transcripts are required at the time of employment), and names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references to: Ms. Stephanie Eckroat, Search Committee Chair, Department of Agriculture, Fort Hays State University, 600 Park Street, Hays, KS 67601-4099. Telephone: (785) 628-8615; fax: (785) 628-4183; e-mail: seckroat@fhsu.edu [4]. A review of applications will begin February 15, 2013, and will continue until a suitable candidate is identified. Electronic applications are preferred and will be accepted until the position is filled. Final candidate will have consented to and successfully completed a criminal background check.

Department: The Department of Agriculture has seven full-time faculty positions, @ 230 undergraduate majors, and offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture. Students who select the Agriculture major pursue program options in agricultural education, agronomy, animal science, beef cattle management, and general agriculture. Five classified staff employees oversee individual operations (beef, dairy, sheep, swine, and dryland crop production) on a 3,825 acre University Farm. This facility is available to provide students with access to hands-on experiential learning opportunities that complement the classroom experience. See the department’s home page at www.fhsu.edu/agriculture [5] for additional information.