Director of Extension Fire Program and Asst/Assoc Professor

position Information:

The Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) and Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University (OSU) invites applications for a full-time (1.00 FTE), 12-month, combination position as Director of Extension Forest Program & Assistant/Associate Professor of Practice: Extension Specialist, reflecting duties in both academic and administrative areas.

The Director of Extension Fire Program position is a part-time (0.50 FTE) 12-month professional faculty position and the Assistant/Associate Professor of Practice position is a part-time (0.50 FTE), 12-month, fixed-term academic faculty position with an academic home in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society.

Appointment at the Assistant Professor rank is anticipated; however, appointment at a promoted rank may be considered depending upon the qualifications of the successful candidate.

The position is housed within the Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Program (FNR), within the College of Forestry at Oregon State University.

The Fire Program Director provides leadership of the FNR Extension Fire Program and supervision of Fire Program employees (six Regional Fire Specialists and one Fire Program Manager). The Director guides and supports the Fire Program team in pursuing its mission, vision, goals, and programmatic activities, which are focused on fire resilience, a culture of adaptation, and fire-adapted ecosystems. The team’s mission is to foster fire-adapted communities and resilient landscapes through place-based partnerships, with a focus on equity and environmental justice.

The Director is expected to:

• lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of research-based education and outreach programs that align with the team’s mission.
• supervise and support program faculty and staff, providing guidance on program planning, delivery, and evaluation while fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team environment.
• work across Extension, university units, and external partners to identify emerging issues, integrate current fire science into programming, and ensure alignment with stakeholder and community needs.
• build and maintain partnerships with state, tribal, and federal agencies; non-governmental organizations; and other relevant groups to enhance program reach and impact.
• serve as a key representative of the program at state, regional, and national levels, contributing leadership, expertise, and coordination in advancing wildfire policy, preparedness, and resilience efforts.

As an Extension Specialist, this position will have responsibility for Extension and Applied Research/Scholarship. Their work will address wildland fire science issues in forests, rangelands, and other ecosystems in Oregon to support wildfire resilience and foster fire-adapted cultures and ecosystems. They will seek to understand stakeholder needs and assets, and use these insights to develop and deliver tailored educational opportunities, providing technical assistance to support collaborative, landscape-scale wildfire resilience and adaptation efforts. Primary audiences may include natural resource managers, wildland fire managers, Tribal Nations, industry representatives, agency personnel, students, private landowners, and the general public.

This faculty member is required to use modern learning tools, employ and practice engaged scholarship, promote integration of programs across disciplines that are demand-driven and use open source tools that continually align with innovation and shifts in educational program delivery. Active and effective communication with staff and key stakeholders is critical to the success of this position. Oregon State University and the OSU Extension Service are committed to maintaining and enhancing a collaborative and inclusive community that strives for equity and equal opportunity. All employees of Extension are responsible for helping to ensure that these commitments are achieved.

Commitment to inclusive excellence:Oregon State University is committed to creating and maintaining compassionate and inclusive learning and working environments for all learners, visitors and employees. We envision collaborative community environments that enhance civility and embrace diversity. All employees are responsible for achieving this commitment. This commitment includes, but is not limited to, complying with Civil Rights and Language Access regulations. In addition, this individual will support the Fire Team to design, develop, maintain and/or carry out Extension programs to ensure that educational programs and outreach activities serve diverse populations, including those that have been historically marginalized/excluded from participation.

An offer of employment does not guarantee Oregon State University’s ability or commitment to sponsor employment authorization within the U.S.

Key Responsibilities:

This faculty member embeds the commitment of the university to a collaborative and inclusive community in all interactions and duties performed. This individual ensures that educational programs and outreach activities serve diverse populations, including those that have been historically marginalized/excluded from participation.

Fire Program Director

50%: Program Leadership and Administration

• Provide leadership, supervision, and direction for assigned staff, including hiring and training employees, and planning, assigning, and reviewing work. Support staff in developing and achieving goals, assess performance through completion of written evaluations, and provide mentorship and coaching as needed.
• Promote professional development opportunities for assigned staff, and maintain a personal professional development plan, including training, conferences and workshops, and web-based learning opportunities. Professional development activities may include wildland and prescribed fire activities.
• Establish, manage, and maintain internal and external partnerships including, but not limited to, other faculty and units within OSU, land and fire managers, non-governmental organizations, practitioner networks and science exchanges, and other academic institutions.
• Manage an FNR Extension Fire Program Advisory Committee comprised of representatives from these partner entities.
• Collaborate with team members, partners, and community leaders to identify education and engagement needs and priorities for initiatives related to fire resilience, cultures of adaptation, and fire-adapted ecosystems.
• Participate at the state and national level in promoting the FNR Extension Fire Program and in sharing program progress and achievements.
• Track trends, initiatives, and developments in wildland fire science, cross-boundary collaboration, and community engagement and education in the context of wildfire resilience and adaptation.
• Secure and manage external funding to support programmatic growth and expand statewide impact.
• Seek opportunities to promote and strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion in the program and in the fields of wildfire resilience and adaptation more broadly. Seek opportunities to implement new and emerging program content, strategies, and tactics to reach underserved audiences across the state.
• Coordinate with the Fire Program Manager to facilitate the team in collective planning, development, implementation, and assessment of educational outreach programs and in planning and development of content for curriculum, publications and non-credit courses.
• Provides oversight of the fire program budget.

Extension Specialist

35%: Extension and Outreach

• Assess needs and assets of target audiences and use results to focus program development efforts. Assessment methods should include combinations of focus groups, surveys, evaluation of secondary data, key informant interviews, and other techniques purposefully implemented to gain a clear understanding of audience needs.
• Contribute to educational programs such as classes, workshops, short courses, seminars, field tours, webinars, web-based instructional modules, videos, etc. focused on wildfire resilience and adaptation, and the Application of wildland fire science.
• Lead and assist in development of educational materials such as Extension publications, magazine and newsletter articles, social media, video, mass media, peer reviewed and technically refereed articles in appropriate journals and other outlets.
• Provide technical assistance, capacity building, and analytical service to collaborations and partnerships related to wildfire resilience and adaptation, and the application of wildland fire science.
• Develop an annual plan of work that addresses educational needs equitably across the state and evaluates the quality and impact of educational programs provided.

10%: Applied Research and Scholarship

• Conduct applied research and scholarship on wildland fire science issues in forests, rangelands, and other ecosystems in Oregon in the context of supporting wildfire resilience and adaptation, fostering fire-adapted cultures and systems, and advancing equity and environmental justice.
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate students and serve on graduate committees.
• Scholarly and creative work is understood to be intellectual work whose significance is validated by peers and which is communicated. Emphasis is placed on peer recognition as a professional practitioner in community settings. Peer recognition from scholarly accomplishments can take many forms, such as publication in peer-reviewed journals, or description
  and evaluation of novel community-based professional practice or research application, program development and innovation, outcomes of innovative programs and/or services, definitive professional practice reviews, or case studies. Authorship of extension publications, local or regional “practice” publications, book chapters, and electronic information delivery media is considered scholarly if it is either peer reviewed or if there is evidence of its adoption and use by peers. Invited presentations, poster and podium presentations, and published abstracts at state and national levels are other examples of scholarship, provided that evidence of peer validation is provided. Documented impact due to local or regional adoption of practices developed through research activities is considered scholarship. Advising government agencies, industry, or professional groups are all considered evidence of scholarship.
• For more information on the scholarly outcome expectations for this position, refer to the Division of Academic Affairs Promotion Guidelines for Professor of Practice Appointments and Promotion. The criteria for Teaching, Advising, and Other Assignments provides guidelines for documenting and evaluating achievement.

5%: Service

• Participate with local, state, and federal resource agencies and nongovernmental organizations on emergency services and natural resource management advisory councils and committees.
• Serve on Department, College, and University committees.
• Represent the wildfire resilience discipline within the University.
• Serve as peer reviewer for relevant journals and other scientific outlets.
• Participate in professional and scientific organizations.

Minimum Requirements:

• Master’s degree in natural resources management, social sciences, or other related fields.
• Demonstrated experience providing informal education regarding wildland fire.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams effectively through collaborative decision-making and respectful engagement.
• Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders and communities, such as natural resource professionals, wildland fire managers, Tribal Nations, industry representatives, agency personnel, students, private landowners, and the general public.
• Demonstrated strengths in interpersonal, written and oral communication.

For individuals seeking the rank of Associate Professor (Practice): Candidate should have a demonstrated record of accomplishment in wildland fire science and formal or informal instruction that merits appointment as an Associate Professor (Practice), meeting the OSU teaching, advising, scholarship, and service criteria for appointment at the desired rank (see the OSU Guidelines for Professor of Practice Appointments and Promotion for details). OSU will consider previous years of experience at other similar institutions towards timelines for rank promotions.

This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.

This position requires driving a university vehicle or a personal vehicle on behalf of the university; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a motor vehicle history check, possess and maintain a current, valid driver’s license in their state of residence, be determined to be position qualified and self-report convictions as per University Policy 05-030. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of Oregon ecosystems, natural resources, and wildland fire issues and needs.
• Experience supervising a team with diverse skills, interests, and work styles while fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team environment.
• Experience participating in multi-stakeholder collaboratives pertaining to natural resources.
• Experience developing and delivering educational programs to audiences with varying technical backgrounds.
• Demonstrated capacity to produce scholarly outputs, including peer-reviewed publications, Extension materials, or professional presentations.
• Track record of securing external funding through grants, contracts, or partnerships, and managing a budget.
• Demonstrated commitment to creating respectful, safe, and inclusive work and learning environments, including active efforts to engage historically marginalized or underserved communities.
• Ability to communicate effectively with media representatives and respond to public inquiries or concerns.
• Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to lead strategic planning efforts, set short and long-range goals and objectives, manage time, work under pressure and manage multiple projects effectively.

To view full position description and apply:

Professor of Practice: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/181067

Tenure Track: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/181066