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Cooperative Extension Area Pistachio Advisor - Serving Kern and Kings Counties (AP 25-34) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Description: Cooperative Extension Area Pistachio Advisor - Serving Kern and Kings Counties (AP 25-34) University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Application Window Open date: October 13, 2025 Next review date: Sunday, Nov 23, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee. Final date: Sunday, Feb 1, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled. Position description Position Overview The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) invites applications for a UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Area Advisor at the Assistant rank. The Advisor will develop an innovative multi-county applied research and extension education program focused on the large pistachio industry in Kern and Kings Counties, and supporting citrus production in Kern County by providing information to local growers. The Advisor will develop problem-solving and educational programs for high-priority production issues related to climate and drought resilience in pistachios, including warmer temperatures, decreased water availability, and decreased water quality. Research and extension solutions may include rootstock and cultivar selection, irrigation and soil management, and emerging innovative farming practices. Additionally, the incumbent will work on horticultural solutions to production challenges in pistachios, integrating research and expertise from colleagues in agricultural engineering, irrigation, plant pathology, and entomology to address concerns such as limited and increasingly expensive inputs (labor, water, nutrients, etc.) and emerging pests and diseases. UCCE Advisors are responsible for applied research and extension of knowledge. Research activities are applied, needs-based, and mission-oriented, focusing on addressing the challenges in our communities. Extension activities are the educational practices that Advisors use to share research results directly with clientele and communities to increase their knowledge and understanding of science-based research that supports and promotes the adoption of practices and technologies to solve problems. Extension methods may include individual consultations, presentations, organizing educational workshops and short courses, field demonstrations, farm visits, and site visits. Information may also be disseminated via radio outreach, webinars, fact sheets, policy briefs, news blogs, and social media. Publications are expected in various formats, such as newsletters, articles for the popular press, curricula, conference proceedings, and peer-reviewed publications. Successful research and extension programs result in new information that improves knowledge or understanding and adoption of new skills, practices, changed attitudes, policies, and improved environmental, health, agricultural, economic, and/or social conditions. UCCE Advisors are evaluated through an academic advancement system based on four criteria: extending knowledge, applied research and creative activity, professional competence and activity, and university and public service. Location Headquarters: The position will be based at the Kern County Cooperative Extension Office at 1031 S. Mount Vernon Avenue, Bakersfield, California, 93307. Position Details The pistachio industry is important for the state and region, with more than half of the state's 2.4-billion-dollar pistachio crop coming from Kern and Kings Counties combined. Pistachios are a high-value "climate-smart" crop that will sustain rural agricultural economies in the warmer, drier decades to come. However, they face challenges that require local, on-the-ground, research-based solutions. The Advisor will conduct applied research on topics relevant to the pistachio industry, based on a clientele needs assessment and the Advisor's expertise. Examples of potential research topics include: Research objectives should emphasize the development of orchard systems that conserve resources in compliance with state air and water regulations. Research results and knowledge are expected to be published in various UC ANR series, technical sheets, commodity board reports, and peer-reviewed journals. The Advisor will conduct outreach to provide science-based information through workshops, field meetings, webinars, newsletters, industry and media outlets, phone calls, and online and social media tools, as appropriate for the target audiences. Extension efforts will need to cover basic information for small acreage and new growers, as well as cutting-edge information for more experienced growers. The Advisor, while strongly focused on pistachio production, will also extend information to citrus growers in Kern County. In this highly collaborative role, the Advisor will work with UC ANR Program Teams, UCCE Specialists, and others in the UC ANR network, as well as external partners such as growers, industry organizations such as the American Pistachio Growers, and local farm bureaus. Counties of Responsibility. This position has programmatic responsibilities for pistachio production in Kern and Kings Counties and citrus production in Kern County. Reporting Relationship: In this appointment, incumbents will report directly to the UC Cooperative Extension Area Director for Kern, Kings, and Tulare Counties. It is not a remote position; the candidate must be available to work onsite at the headquarters location in Bakersfield, CA, and travel to and be present in both counties served. Specific expectations for maintaining office hours and fieldwork in the geographic area covered by this position will be outlined upon hire by the supervisor(s). Qualifications and Skills Required Education: A minimum of a master's degree in horticulture, pomology, crop physiology, agroecology, plant nutrition, or a related field is required at the time of appointment. Key Qualifications Additional Skills Required UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties . click apply for full job details |