Jobs at Member Institutions & APLU

The North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (NDAES) is currently conducting a search for the Director of the Williston Research Extension Center (WREC).

The Director will have administrative responsibility for pursuing excellence in agricultural research and educational programs for the WREC, located near Williston, ND.  The Director will provide leadership, supervision and performance evaluations for Center staff, and facilitate collaboration between the Center staff and other research and Extension professionals in the NDSU system, as well as agencies, organizations, and entities that aid agriculture, related industries, or economic activities in the region. The Director will manage the Center’s budget and coordinate budget development in conjunction with the Director of the NDAES, the WREC advisory board and State Board of Agricultural Research and Education. The Director will provide leadership in obtaining external, competitively funded research and/or educational awards, and develop collaborative projects important to the well‐being of rural communities, agricultural production systems and natural resources in northwestern North Dakota. Research effort focuses on dryland and irrigated crop production practices, crop germplasm evaluation and improvement, plant disease control and management, evaluation of new agricultural technologies, cropping systems and crop rotation research, and foundation seedstocks production. This person will report to the Vice President of Agricultural Affairs.

About the Center:

The WREC, established in 1907 and relocated to the present site in 1954, is an 800-acre semi-arid farm located in northwest North Dakota near the city of Williston. In 2001, an additional 160 acres were purchased in the Nesson Valley and an irrigated research and development project was established.  The WREC scientists and Extension Specialists conduct research in areas such as crop variety evaluation, herbicide performance and other cultural management research, cropping systems, regenerative agriculture, soil health and soil and water conservation practices. The WREC staff includes several M.S and Ph.D. scientists.  The main dryland crops in the MonDak region are spring wheat, durum wheat, canola, and lentil.  Barley, oat, safflower, field pea, chickpea, flax, sunflower, corn, alfalfa and potato are grown as cash crops or for livestock feed. The MonDak region represents both western ND and eastern Montana.

About Williston, ND:

Williston is a city in and the county seat of Williams County, North Dakota, United States. The 2020 census gave its population as 29,160, making Williston the sixth-largest city in North Dakota. The city’s population nearly doubled between 2010 and 2020, due largely to the North Dakota oil boom. For more information please visit https://www.visitwilliston.com/visit/.

Minimum Qualifications

• Earned M.S. in an agricultural discipline closely aligned with the Center’s research programs from an accredited institution.
• Three years of documented experience in planning, designing, and implementing research or extension programs in a related field that is aligned with the mission of the center such as cropping systems, agronomy, plant pathology, animal science, soil science and natural resource management, precision agriculture, agricultural economics, livestock production systems, sustainable agriculture, or other closely related fields.
• Demonstrated ability and skills in people management, leadership, team building, effective delegation, conflict management and resolution.
• Demonstrated experience managing and supervising employees in a collegial fashion.
• Demonstrated abilities in fiscal management.
• Demonstrated success in obtaining extramural funding, and/or experience developing strong collaborative research with other scientists, research extension centers and/or agencies and organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with diverse agricultural clientele, agri‐business, community groups, and local and state policy makers.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with scientists, agricultural producers, and other clientele associated with agriculture and natural resources.
• Demonstrated use of operational business management technology.

Preferred Qualifications

• Earned Ph.D. in an agricultural discipline closely aligned with the Center’s research programs from an accredited institution.
• Significant experience and accomplishments in research and extension programming in an area related to applicable research needs for northwestern North Dakota.
• Demonstrated experience with dryland crop, irrigation, and/or livestock production systems.
• Extensive and documented experience as a leader of multi‐disciplinary research and extension programs and a record of accomplishment leading multidisciplinary teams and groups.
• Demonstrated and effective use of agricultural technology.
• Demonstrated ability to manage large, complex budgets.
• Significant record of creativity, initiative, and entrepreneurial approach to garnering funds to support research or extension programming.
• Ability to work across distance to accomplish research and extension mission with main station and other research extension centers.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and experience with management of projects and resources.
• Demonstrated experience or knowledge of crop-based seedstock production practices.

Special instructions to applicants:

Applications are accepted online only at https://jobs.ndsu.edu. Create an account, search for opening #2948656, and create and submit your application when prompted.  Interested applicants should submit the following:  1.) Cover letter (two pages maximum), 2.) Curriculum vitae, 3.) Leadership statement (two pages maximum), and 4.) Names and contact information (telephone numbers, postal address, email address) of three professional references. Screening will begin on July 26, 2023.