Agriculture/Horticulture Program Leader - Millbrook, NY

The Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County (CCEDC) Agriculture/Horticulture Program Leader will provide high-level program and administrative leadership, deliver programs and coordinate overall Agriculture/Horticulture programming efforts, providing leadership and supervision to the Agriculture/Horticulture program area staff.

Represent Cornell Cooperative Extension to community leaders, Extension colleagues, volunteers, and members, Cornell University faculty and staff, government officials, and the general public in a professional manner. Secure and manage program resources, as well as facilitate support for other program areas as appropriate. This position will also ensure that the educational programs reflect the current needs and the diversity of people in the County, and that programs conform to the objectives and mission of Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Association.

This is a working educator position as well as a management position. Using land grant, research, and evidence-based materials and resources, the Program Leader designs and delivers hands-on education and outreach to farmers, landowners, gardeners, volunteers, town and County officials, and County residents, including workshops, field days, farm and site visits, consultations, presentations, and community events, while leveraging the staff they oversee as well as external partners to extend the reach and impact of the program.

The Program Leader also serves as a generalist source of support for farmers, working in partnership with the Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program (ENYCHP), whose specialists support specific questions on many crops, and facilitating connections to ENYCHP, Cornell faculty, and other agencies and resources as farmers’ needs require. The Program Leader will stay current on trends in agriculture and horticulture and ensure that programs keep pace with the evolving needs of farmers and residents.

Required Qualifications:

- Master’s degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Management, or related field.
- 4 years of relevant work experience (PHD may substitute for 2 years’ experience), including experience managing other staff.
- Ability to meet travel requirements associated with this position.
- Ability to work flexible hours, which may include evenings and/or weekends, as appropriate.

- Ability to transport supplies and equipment with or without accommodation.
- Ability to clearly communicate and to read and write in English.
- Ability and willingness to work with various audiences and maintain cultural sensitivity.

- Knowledge of the principles, theory, research, and application of subject-matter appropriate to area of Agriculture and Horticulture.
- Proficiency with windows-based software including use of the internet and Microsoft Office Suite including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Excel.

- Ability to communicate effectively through oral, written and visual channels using traditional methods as well as electronic technology.
- Demonstrated experience in effective supervision and management.

- Demonstrated experience with fund development, management and grant writing.
- Demonstrated experience and ability to work independently and as part of a team with internal and external partners at multiple levels within organizations and across communities.
- Ability to initiate, plan, organize, implement and evaluate informal education programs for diverse audiences.
- Demonstrated experience teaching adults and delivering hands-on, practical education, such as workshops, field days, farm or site visits, and one-on-one technical assistance, to farmers, landowners, gardeners, and community members.
- Ability to quickly assess a farmer’s question or need, connect them with the right specialist, program, or resource, and follow through until the need is met.

- Ability to effectively lead, manage, and participate in professional team efforts and highly functioning work teams.

- Ability to relate effectively to co-workers, advisors, community, and professional leaders and clientele groups.
- Demonstrated ability to build trust and relationships with farmers, volunteers, staff, and community partners.
- Ability to identify and make use of program resources within the community and to establish a leadership role within the community and association.
- Ability to identify and secure funding that supports programs, including grant writing, developing public and private partnerships.
- Ability to organize, manage, and prioritize multiple tasks, deadlines, requirements, and priorities to complete work in a timely manner and within established deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Background or course work in leadership, management, research methodology, education, grant writing/management, non-profits and/or Agricultural/Horticulture Economic Development.
- Knowledge of the philosophy, organization and operation of Cooperative Extension.

Responsibilities/Essential Functions:

Program Responsibilities :

Program Assessment - 5%

- Provide program leadership in applying subject matter knowledge to identify needs, gaps, and trends in the community in collaboration with supervisor, program committees, staff, Cornell faculty, agency partners, and other community constituents within scope of the Association and Statewide Plan of Work.
- Analyze program needs based on assessments and input from community groups, staff and other interested parties.
- Make recommendations for programmatic offerings, enhancements, and/or improvements based upon assessment.
- Maintain direct linkage with Cornell University faculty/program units, Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program (ENYCHP) and other Land Grant Universities as appropriate, for program assessment guidance related to Agriculture and Horticulture programming efforts.
- Gather first-hand input on educational needs through farm and site visits, listening sessions, surveys, and everyday contact with farmers, landowners, gardeners, and residents.
- Stay alert to changing conditions affecting farmers and residents, such as markets, labor, weather, technology, and regulations, and adjust programming so it keeps pace with their evolving needs.

Program Development - 10%

- Provide overall program leadership in the application of subject matter knowledge to develop educational strategies for the Agriculture/Horticulture programming area.

- Develop/create high-quality educational program materials to address the needs of the program and program participants in the Agriculture/Horticulture area using proven educational methodologies as well as innovative techniques to reach diverse target populations within the community and region.

- Design the curricula, lesson plans, handouts, demonstrations, and hands-on learning activities used in the workshops, field days, and trainings the Program Leader teaches.

- Based on program evaluation data, formulate and implement specific program changes to improve overall program quality, deliverables and impact and meet the need of diverse program participants.
- Research, identify and select existing resources for use in Agriculture/Horticulture offerings.
- Ensure that program development and program structure are within both the Association and the state-wide Plan of Work and that they meet the diverse needs of program participants.
- Maintain direct connection with Cornell University faculty and other Land Grant Universities as appropriate, for guidance in program development.

Program Delivery: Education and Outreach - 25%

- Directly deliver hands-on, evidence-based education and outreach to diverse audiences in Dutchess County.
- Plan, teach, and facilitate a regular calendar of workshops, seminars, field days, farm and garden demonstrations, and trainings for farmers, landowners, gardeners, volunteers, and County residents.

- Serve as a first point of contact and generalist source of support for farmers, responding to questions through farm and site visits, phone and email consultations, and walk-in requests, answering what can be answered directly, and connecting farmers to ENYCHP specialists, Cornell faculty, and other agencies and resources for specialized needs, with follow-up to be sure the question gets answered.
- Facilitate the partnership with ENYCHP, whose specialists support specific questions on most crops, by routing farmer questions to the right specialist, coordinating specialist farm visits, workshops, and field days in Dutchess County, and following up with the farmer.

- Deliver presentations and training to town and County boards and officials, agricultural organizations, schools, and community groups on topics such as farm viability, land stewardship, and horticulture.
- Teach and mentor volunteers, including Master Gardener volunteers, in partnership with the Community Horticulture Program Coordinator.
- Create and share practical educational content, such as fact sheets, articles, newsletter items, videos, and social media posts, that translates research-based information into usable guidance for local audiences.
- Track participation and results of education and outreach activities (participants reached, contact hours, and practice changes) and report them to the Executive Director and Board.
- Serve as a generalist resource in the area of Agriculture and Horticulture and provide educational programs and resources to landowners, farmers, town officials, County officials and County Residents, connecting them to specialized expertise as needed.
- As part of program delivery relay issues of importance to local and regional agricultural boards such as but not limited to the Dutchess County Agricultural Advisory Committee, Dutchess County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board, the Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester Farm Bureau and Destination Dutchess, Inc.
- Serve as a general resource on agricultural and horticultural practices for farmers, landowners, and residents, referring specialized questions to the appropriate partner, such as the County Agricultural Navigator.
- Provide overall program leadership of and participate in delivery of innovative and multi-disciplinary program efforts utilizing a variety of teaching methods, including formal and informal workshops, seminars, social and mass media consistent with identified educational needs.
- Consult and utilize target audiences/stakeholders, collaborators, organizations, agencies, government, and other key partners in program delivery efforts.
- Foster acceptance of programs, methods and policies to address community and individual needs and consider diverse audiences.
- Maintain direct linkage with Cornell University faculty, program units and other Land Grant Universities as appropriate for program delivery guidance.
- Ensure program delivery is within the scope of the statewide and Association Plans of Work.
- Represent CCE before the public, participants, community leaders, government officials, Cornell or other land grant universities in a professional manner as part of program delivery.

Program Evaluation -5%

- Develop program evaluation framework to measure program impacts and gain input/insight for continuous improvement.
- Interact with program participants, advisory committees, Cornell program specialists and faculty, and county and community leaders to obtain evaluation data for programs.
- Provide leadership for analyzing and evaluating programs and communicate outcomes and recommendations to the Executive Director, Administrative team, Board, program advisory committee, Cornell faculty, county and community leaders.
- Make recommendations for programmatic changes/improvements to strengthen and improve program offerings.
- Evaluate implemented change impacts and utilize information to direct future work.
- Maintain direct linkage with Cornell University faculty and program units for program evaluation guidance as needed.

Applied Research - 5%

- Collaborate in the applied research process in conjunction with Cornell University faculty as identified and opportunities present to design or create applied research collection framework.
- Communicate social and economic changes to Cornell University Specialists that may be studied and/or acted upon as identified.
- Maintain direct linkage with Cornell University faculty and program units for guidance in applied research as appropriate.
- Collect and process diagnostic lab samples, as needed.
- Ensure applied research is within the scope of the statewide and Association Plan of Work.
- Translate applied research findings and local trial results into practical education for farmers, gardeners, and residents.

Administrative Responsibilities :

Direction - 15%

- Provide high level leadership to determine program priorities and goals in consultation and collaboration with supervisor, program committees, staff, Cornell faculty, agency partners, and other community constituents.
- Lead the development and enhancement of community partnerships to encourage the incorporation of Agriculture education programming and special events.
- Provide leadership for and develop and plan effective strategic communication and marketing efforts to reach target audiences and meet program objectives through public relation initiatives including networking/collaborating with government, economic, educational and community organizations.
- Provide leadership for and plan promotion of public events and programs including, but not limited to, assisting with mass media efforts related to upcoming events and programs.
- Develop relationships with partner agencies, organizations, industries, and community leaders in order to obtain their assistance in program development.
- Identify and develop strategies to secure fiscal resources for program continuance and enhancement.
- Provide leadership in budget development for the Agriculture/Horticulture program area.
- Provide leadership for the development of staffing plans that support educational programming efforts.
- Structure work plans, schedules, and staffing.

Management - 25%

- Lead and guide staff, using a high level of administrative and subject matter expertise, in effective program development, delivery, and evaluation methods. Provide leadership and supervision for the Agriculture/Horticulture programming staff by coaching, supporting and enabling educators in the delivery of educational programs achieving program objectives and meeting the needs of professionals and consumers.

- Provide high level program management in all aspects of the Agriculture/Horticulture Program area.
- Provide complex administrative management in providing leadership to facilitate problem solving and conflict management that arise in the operation of the Agriculture/Horticulture Program area.
- Implement policy and programmatic changes to address identified gaps/needs in the community, county and/or region.
- Identify and manage resources and activities needed to carry out program priorities and goals in consultation and collaboration with supervisor, program committees, staff, Cornell faculty, agency partners, and other community constituents.
- Supervise, manage and direct the work of educators and staff in the delivery of appropriate, established educational programs to achieve program objectives and meet the needs of the target population.

- Provide continuous feedback, coaching, and performance management to Agriculture area educators and staff.
- Evaluate performance and conduct annual performance reviews of Agriculture/Horticulture area educators and staff.
- Effectively manage program budget allocations. Provide fiscal management and budget development leadership to ensure expenditure of funds complies with funding requirements, grant specifications, and adheres to Association strategies/Plan of Work.

- Ensure volunteer direction and management procedures are followed according to established policies and procedures (VIP) by providing guidance, leadership and resources for volunteers and volunteer leaders including recruitment, screening, orientation, training, evaluation, and management.

Coordination/Operation - 5%

- Utilize effective marketing and communication strategies in the promotion of Agriculture/Horticulture programming to include, but not limited to, print media, news media, social media and multi-media efforts.
- Effectively maintain existing professional relationships with other agencies, organizations and businesses to facilitate continued programming efforts.
- Actively serve on appropriate regional, state and national committees and task forces that support overall educational and organizational efforts of the Cornell Cooperative Extension system.
- Complete required financial documentation to meet the grant or budget requirements.

- Initiate grant-writing and contract development activities in order to secure funding.
- Schedule, coordinate, facilitate and/or participate in project-related meetings, trainings and conference calls as required or as needed.

- Prepare and submit required reports related to programming activities and accomplishments to communicate results to appropriate stakeholders.

Professional Improvement - 5%

- In cooperation with Executive Director, jointly develop and pursue a professional development plan as a means to increase competencies relative to position accountabilities and to address changes and Association priorities.
- Collaborate in activities that are in general support of Cornell Cooperative Extension and perform other duties as assigned.
- Pursue personal growth through expanding personal knowledge of the total organization and through updating techniques and technical skills relating to the position.
- Stay current on trends, research, and emerging practices in agriculture and horticulture through reading, Cornell and ENYCHP trainings, conferences, and regular conversations with farmers.
- Carry out assignments and other duties as assigned by supervisor, including participation at local fairs, community activities, etc.
- Collaborate in activities that are in general support of Cornell Cooperative Extension including but not limited to attendance at staff meetings, timely reporting of expenses, working with other staff, general marketing of Cooperative Extension programs and other duties as assigned.

Health and Safety - Applies to all duties and functions

- Support the Association to maintain a safe working environment.
- Be familiar with and strive to follow any applicable federal, state, local regulations, Association health and safety policy/procedure/requirement and standard.
- Act proactively to prevent accidents/injuries and communicate hazards to supervisors when identified.

EEO/EPO and Policy - Applies to all duties and functions

- Maintain professional and respectful interactions with clientele, staff, volunteers and the public.
- Assist the Cornell Cooperative Extension system in reaching out to various audiences.
- Aware of, and adheres to, established Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Dutchess County policies, procedures and Cornell Cooperative Extension Skills for Success.
- Contribute to the overall success of the organization by performing all assigned duties in a professional, timely and accurate manner.

This is a full time, exempt, benefits eligible position. Compensation paid at the rate of $72,000.00 per year.  Excellent benefits, based on eligibility, including:

- Vacation, Sick and Personal time
- Paid Holidays
- NYS Health Insurance Program (including Dental Insurance)
- NYS Retirement
- Long-term Disability Insurance
- Voluntary Tax Deferred Annuity
- Voluntary Flexible Spending Accounts
- Voluntary Term Life Insurance
- Voluntary Personal Accidental Insurance
- Voluntary Legal Plan Insurance
- Voluntary Long Term Care Insurance
- Voluntary Auto and Homeowner’s Insurance
- Voluntary Pet Insurance
- Voluntary New York’s College Savings Program

Please be sure to read the Notice to Applicants found on the Jobs with CCE page:

https://cals.cornell.edu/cornell-cooperative-extension/join-us/jobs

How To Apply :  Applicants (including current employees of other Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations) must apply online through the APPLY button in this job posting. Current employees of Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County are considered internal applicants and must apply online through their Workday account which may be accessed here: http://workday.cornell.edu/ .  For details on how to apply, visit: https://cals.cornell.edu/cornell-cooperative-extension/join-us/jobs/apply

All applicants are requested to submit a cover letter, resume and indicate three individuals who may be contacted as a reference.   Please consider indicating in your application all information you feel would be helpful for selection committee members to know.   Once the application is submitted you will NOT be able to change your submission or add attachments. Be sure that you have followed all directions and requirements listed in the job posting.

All applications must be received on-line by December 10, 2026. Position closing dates may change based on Association needs.

No relocation or VISA Sponsorship available.

The Association may make reasonable accommodations to enable applicants to participate in the hiring process and employees to perform the essential functions of their job. For additional questions or if you require an accommodation so you may participate in the selection process you are encouraged to contact Leah Cadwallader, Regional Human Resources Manager, e-mail [email protected] or (845) 340-3990x314.

Job Title:
Association Issue Leader
Level:
No Grade - Annual
Pay Rate Type:
Salary
Company:
Contract College
Contact Name:
Leah Cadwallader

Cornell Cooperative Extension is a collaboration among Cornell University, the United States Department of Agriculture, the State of New York, and the residents of New York State. Per NYS Law, county and regional extension service associations are subordinate government agencies. This employment opportunity is with the entities listed and not with Cornell University.

Notice to Applicants: Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement . This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell Cooperative Extension as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.