Assistant Extension Agent (Pesticide Safety Education and Invasive Pest Management) with University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, HI

The Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences (PEPS) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) invites applicants for a tenure track position in pesticide safety education and invasive pest management at the assistant extension agent level beginning August 1, 2024.  

The department seeks candidates whose service is centered on pesticide safety education and invasive pest management. Candidates with multidisciplinary/ interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary experience in pesticides safety, pesticides application and training, and weed identification and pest management are encourage to apply. The department is particularly interested in candidates who have experience working with industry and government stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to address the needs and requests for pesticide safety training, and collaborate with other county agents statewide especially in programs in other departments.    
 
The University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) is an indigenous-serving institution with a commitment to becoming a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning. The University of Hawaii at Manoa is classified as an “R1” institution; part of a 10 campus statewide system that has 48,373 students enrolled (Fall 2022), and it is a uniquely structured Minority Serving Institute (MSI) and Land Grant University (LGU) within the US Western-Pacific region. UH is one of a few M.I-LGUs offering Associate, Baccalaureate, Masters, and Ph.D. STEM degrees, as well as post-graduate certificates.
 
Duties and Responsibilities

1. Serve as the liaison for State of Hawaii with the EPA’s Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) 
2. Provide an annual Pesticide Safety Training (PST) short course, periodic Pesticide Safety Training workshops, Worker Protection Standard (WPS) and other related trainings such as Respirator Safety Training and the WPS Train-the-Trainer (TTT) program to support an Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS) etc. throughout the state 
3. Coordinate and secure funds related to PSEP from EPA, HDOA, and other funding sources. Address the needs and demands for PST by the landscape industry, Hawaii Farm Bureau, HDOA, Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC), seed industry, DLNR and USDA 
4. PSEP trains people to be certified or recertified to use restricted-use pesticides. 
5. Support a pest diagnostic service on Oahu (in particular on weed identification). 
6. Collaborate with other county agents statewide especially with programs in PEPS, TPSS, HNFAS and NREM (multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary) to assist in weed, arthropod pest, and disease diagnosis and recommend weed or pest management strategies wherever appropriate 

Minimum Qualifications
 

1. A Master’s Degree in Weed Science, Entomology, Plant Pathology, or related field from a college or university of recognized standing, with major work in agriculture, or a related field, or, in addition to the Bachelor’s Degree, 30 credit hours of post-baccalaureate academic work in a field appropriate to the individual’s job.
2. At least three years of successful experience in Cooperative Extension work, Weed Science, Entomology, Plant Pathology work or equivalent in closely related fields; 
3. Ability to exercise independent judgment and to assume responsibility for developing an Extension program; 
4. Demonstrated collaborations with other agents in an integrated cooperative extension system, and with related agencies. 
5. Ability to engage successfully in a multicultural and multi-ethnic environment
6. Obtain a Pesticide License within 6 months of hire (if not having one at the time of hire.)

Desirable Qualifications
 

1. Have a driver license 
2. Knowledge in weed identification 
3. Demonstrated cooperative extension experience
4. Demonstrated knowledge of effective strategies in working with diverse faculty, staff, students and/or community members.
5. Demonstrated ability to support and promote the university’s mission of diversity, equity and inclusion

The application will be considered incomplete if any of the required documents are not included or are unreadable. Incomplete applications will not be considered.