Employer
UC Agriculture & Natural Resources
Location
Alhambra, CA – Los Angeles County
Description of Location
This position will be located in the UCCE Los Angeles County office with responsibilities in high population density areas including the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area/LA Basin Los Angeles and surrounding cities and counties. The headquarters for this position is close to the University of California Riverside (UCR) campus, allowing for close collaborations with UCR’s highly regarded Urban Entomology Program.
Over 17 million people live in the greater Los Angeles area and thousands of structural professionals provide pest control services to businesses and consumers. Schools, childcare centers and public housing agencies in the area are being required to implement IPM programs. Southern California oceans and urban creeks have been identified as impaired by pesticides and there is strong support from local and regional agencies as well as UCCE offices to implement IPM programs.
Please visit the following website for more information regarding UC Cooperative Extension in Los Angeles County: http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu.
Salary
Beginning salary will be in the Cooperative Extension Assistant Advisor Rank and commensurate with applicable experience and professional qualifications. For information regarding Cooperative Extension Advisor salary scales, please refer to the University of California, ANR website: http://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/187037.pdf.
Closing date of competition
January 3, 2015
Date position available
Until filled
Description of duties
The University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, a statewide program with local development and delivery, is seeking a Cooperative Extension advisor to conduct a multi-county-based extension, education and applied research program to address urban pests. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) combines available pest management technologies including cultural, chemical, and biological controls plus ecology and systems science with the goal of producing an ecologically and economically sound pest management system. IPM stresses an interdisciplinary approach to the science and practice of pest management.
JOB DESCRIPTION:
The UC Cooperative Extension Area IPM Advisor will facilitate interactions and information exchange among campus based academics, CE advisors and community stakeholders. The purpose of the position is to initiate, coordinate, and/or conduct adaptive research projects and educational programs with the goal of implementing IPM for public and private structures including schools, homes, restaurants, institutions, businesses, and public housing.
This position will address issues related to damage from structural pests such as drywood or subterranean termites and nuisance or public health pests such as ants, bedbugs, fleas, yellowjackets, and cockroaches. This work will be done in cooperation with UC Advisors, Cooperative Extension Specialists, Experiment Station academics, pest control advisers (PCAs), structural pest management professionals (PMPs), and public agencies, including public housing, schools, parks, and regulatory agencies.
The Area IPM Advisor will also work with regulatory agencies as a point of contact to assist in developing outreach information, treatment protocols, and researching mitigation methods for pests.
The successful candidate’s program should focus on the evaluation of existing or relevant pest structural pest management practices and the development of innovative approaches for pest management to both optimize protection of structures and human health and minimize adverse environmental impact.
Candidates will be evaluated on their demonstrated ability or experience in structural pest management and their understanding of urban and community IPM research and extension methodologies. Landscape pest management experience as it relates to pests invading structures is also desirable.
The Area IPM Advisor will be an academic member of the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. As an academic employee in Cooperative Extension, the individual is responsible for performance in: extending knowledge and information; applied research and creative activity; professional competence and activity; and University and public service.
For more information about the Statewide IPM Program, visit the web site at: http://www.ipm.ucanr.edu/. The Statewide IPM Program provides essential infrastructure support for implementing IPM including educational materials, training and web based services.
The Area IPM Advisor is responsible for providing research-based information to assist clientele in solving pest and pesticide related problems in public and private landscapes and structures. Program emphasis will be directed toward the development and implementation of IPM programs as they relate to arthropod management as well as pesticide reduction or mitigation to minimize human health and environmental impacts. The Area IPM Advisor will initially focus programs in the Los Angeles Area:
Conduct and report regular needs assessments to identify priority issues or problems relevant to the local clientele groups being served.
Develop and implement effective UC ANR Cooperative Extension applied research and educational programs to address the identified priority needs of the clientele that are consistent with ANR’s Strategic Vision and ANR initiatives http://ucanr.edu/files/906.pdf.
Conduct applied research designed to monitor changes and solve locally relevant problems.
Disseminate useful, science-based information to inform clientele, using extension methods that are responsive to clientele needs and appropriate for the audience and situation.
Maintain and promote Cooperative Extension’s credibility by providing science-based knowledge and skills independent of personal or parochial interests.
Evaluate programs and report accomplishments, results, and potential or actual impacts to scientific and lay audiences.
Develop collaborative teams with other UC ANR academics, including campus-based specialists, AES faculty, CE Advisors and/or others, to address priority issues for UC ANR.
Qualifications sought
A minimum of a Master’s Degree is required in entomology or a closely related field, although other advanced degrees are encouraged. A broad understanding of integrated pest management principles, including experience or training in invertebrate biology and ecology, cultural and biological controls, and pesticides/toxicology is required. Quantitative skills and experience with experimental design are required. Practical experience or training in structural pest management is highly desirable. Experience or education in other pest disciplines such as urban wildlife management is also highly desirable.
The position requires the ability to work effectively on an interdisciplinary basis with researchers in the Agricultural Experiment Station, Cooperative Extension Specialists in pest management, UCCE Advisors, PCAs, Pest Management Professionals, and public agencies. The ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, is essential. The position requires extensive travel within the Los Angeles region and occasionally inside and outside of the state.
The position requires a qualified pesticide applicators certificate or license from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to be obtained within 4 months of employment.
Application procedure
Submit what
Cover letter, application, transcripts, and CV/resume
Submit to
For a full position vacancy announcement and application procedures please visit http://ucanr.edu/Jobs/Jobs_990/ or contact Kim Ingram at kcingram@ucanr.edu and refer to position listing AP#14-09. To assure full consideration, applications should be submitted by January 3, 2015 to ANRacademicsearch@ucop.edu.
Additional Information
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, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status.