Job Description
Overview
Extending knowledge, improving lives! Make an impact in your community and in the lives of Alabamians.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) is seeking a self-motivated Aquatic Resources Extension Agent to serve a 19-county region. This role focuses on educating landowners, professionals, and the public on key aquatic resource topics, including farm pond management, watershed conservation, stormwater management, and drought preparedness.
Reasons you’ll love being an Extension Agent at ACES – Auburn:
- Job Satisfaction! Be a part of life-changing work in your community!
- Excellent full-time benefits that start on Day 1!
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance options!
- Work/life balance!
- 4 weeks of vacation accrued each year.
- 96 hours of sick leave accrued annually.
- 7 paid holidays in addition to 2 weeks of paid leave during Christmas/New Years when the University closes.
- 6 weeks of paid parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child (available for BOTH moms & dads).
- AU tuition assistance for you and your dependents after a year of service.
- Generous state retirement plan along with other voluntary retirement plan options and benefits.
- Fun, flexible & diverse work environment. Every day is different!
- Supportive leadership & peers. The ACES team supports you and your work!
Program Priority Area: Aquatic Resources (AQR)
The Agent will be housed in Fayette, Alabama
Geographic Area of Responsibility: Lauderdale, Limestone, Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, Morgan, Marion, Winston, Lamar, Fayette, Walker, Cullman, Jefferson, Bibb, Chilton, Lowndes, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Sumter, Greene, Hale, Perry, Choctaw, Marengo, Dallas, Wilcox Counties.
The Extension Agent (EA) will join a highly motivated team of agents and specialists as an active member of the Aquatic Resources Extension Team, which includes several existing programs, such as Recreational Fishpond Management, Freshwater Aquatic Resource Management, Alabama Watersheds, and Aquaculture-related programming. This will include organizing, delivering, and evaluating educational programs related to recreational and farm pond management, freshwater ecology, and fisheries management, and assisting in developing and implementing new programs, as needed, to meet the needs and address the challenges of recreational fishpond owners. Programming should focus on research-based management practices and their environmental impacts. The EA will occasionally contribute to grant writing and other activities that support applied research and demonstrations benefiting clients. The EA will use multiple educational delivery methods to share information with clients, including printed materials, workshops/group meetings, applied research and demonstration projects on farms or at Auburn University research farms, pond-related consultation visits, social media, and web resources. The EA will assist the Aquatic Resources team leader and administrators in project outcome and impact evaluations.
The candidate will work with local clientele, advisory groups, commodity organizations, and other interested parties to determine program needs in the region. As a team member, the EA will partner with Aquatic Resources team members and the region’s County Extension Directors (CEDs) to plan, implement, and evaluate aquatic educational programs conducted in the region. Participating in regional and state discipline-related associations and other stakeholder groups helps the EA build a reputation as an educational leader with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Team Description: Extension Agent’s (EA’s), Urban Extension Agent’s (UEA’s), County Extension Directors (CEDs), and Specialists form the core of Extension teams. This EA will participate as a cohesive team member working with local clientele, advisory groups, volunteers, and other interested parties to determine regional needs for program outreach. As a team member, the EA will partner with other EA’s and CEDs to provide educational leadership in planning, implementing, evaluating, and reporting programs conducted in the region.Responsibilities
The primary role of an Extension Agent is to provide programmatic leadership in a subject-matter discipline.
Program Leadership:
1. Cooperates and informs internal stakeholders and has a positive working relationship with staff and clients in assigned geographical and subject-matter area.
2. Conducts and analyzes needs assessment results.
3. Participates and contributes to the development of the Priority Program Team (PPT) plan-of-work and develops an individual plan-of-work involving other Extension Agents and County Extension Directors.
4. Offers comprehensive disciplinary programming to support transformational change and participates in interdisciplinary programming.
5. Functions as an effective educator using innovative and creative approaches and demonstrates outstanding written and oral communication skills.
6. Conducts program evaluations to reach plan-of-work objectives and impacts have a positive effect in assigned area.
7. Submits well prepared and timely reports and shares results with stakeholders and partners.
Program Management:
1. Budgets and manages fiscal resources within ACES policies and guidelines and serves as a good steward of all resources.
2. Builds relationships with volunteers and partners; recruits and manages volunteers within ACES policy, and trains new volunteers.
3. Secures extramural funding (grants, contracts, donations, sponsorships, programming fees, etc.) to support and expand programming.
4. Provides supervision and/or program support for staff/volunteers where appropriate.
5. Identifies innovative ways to engage targeted under-served and under-represented audiences.
Public Relations:
1. Provides subject-matter support to local and regional stakeholders and organizes new networks or coalitions to build community capacity.
2. Establishes relationships with stakeholder organizations, participates in stakeholder organizational programming, and serves as ACES primary subject-matter representative.
3. Establishes media contacts and actively uses multiple media outlets.
4. Serves as a positive role model for the organization, establishes positive relationships, and contributes to the mission and goals of ACES.
5. Supports the mission and goals of ACES; knows resources available at parent institutions, fosters teamwork, and interacts professionally and collegially.
6. Fosters a positive culture within the organization and through mission implementation and provides positive professional leadership to stakeholders and peers.
Extension Scholarship:
1. Provides input into new programs and utilizes research-based curriculum and resources.
2. Recognized as a subject-matter resource through authorship of routine Extension products.
3. Develops credibility as a disciplinary expert in assigned area.
Professional Development:
1. Participates in in-service training and develops personal professional development goals and objectives to grow in subject-matter area.
2. Participates in appropriate professional organizations and may complete appropriate professional certificates.
3. Meets competency expectations and standards of PPT.Qualifications
Focus of Education: Discipline related to extension programming.
Focus of Experience: Experience implementing, managing, or delivering educational programs in a relevant discipline, including formal and/or informal teaching methods.
Level 1: Bachelor’s degree and 0 years of experience.
Level 2: Bachelor’s degree and 4 years of experience or Master’s degree and 2 years of experience.
License and Certifications:
- Valid driver’s license
This position requires regular travel to carry out Extension responsibilities, and the successful incumbent must have access to reliable transportation.
Desired Qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries, Aquatic Sciences, Aquaculture, Aquatic Biology, Environmental Sciences, or related field WITH at least two years of relevant work experience is preferred.
- A Master’s degree is preferred.
Contract TypeContinuingWhy Work at Auburn?
- Life-Changing Impact: Our work changes lives through research, instruction, and outreach, making a lasting impact on our students, our communities, and the world.
- Culture of Excellence: We are committed to leveraging our strengths, resources, collaboration, and innovation as a top employer in higher education.
- We’re Here for You: Auburn offers generous benefits, educational opportunities, and a culture of support and work/life balance.
- Sweet Home Alabama: The Auburn/Opelika area offers southern charm, vibrant downtown scenes, top-ranked schools, and easy access to Atlanta, Birmingham, and the Gulf of Mexico beaches.
- A Place for Everyone: Auburn is committed to fostering an environment where all faculty, staff, and students are welcomed, valued, respected, and engaged.
- Ready to lead and shape the future of higher education? Apply today! War Eagle!
Equal Opportunity Compliance StatementIt is our policy to provide equal employment and education opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable law. Please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance’s website to learn more.Posted Date10/15/2026
