Demo

Beef Cattle Specialist/ Assistant Professor

Ag Jobs
Fargo, ND Full Time
POSTED ON 4/15/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 5/11/2026
The Department of Animal Sciences at North Dakota State University is pleased to announce recruitment for a twelve-month, tenure-track 70% extension, 30% research Beef Cattle Extension at the rank of Assistant Professor. NDSU Extension is an organization that values people who excel, adapt easily, exhibit passion for helping others and are excellent communicators. The beef cattle specialist is a member of a statewide Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources team responsible for providing leadership to create and deliver innovative learning experiences that empower North Dakotans to improve their lives and communities.

LOCATION: North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND.

DESCRIPTION OF POSITION: The Department of Animal Sciences at North Dakota State University is seeking a qualified person to fill a 12-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor position to provide state-wide educational leadership in beef cattle management and production related to nutrition, reproduction, precision livestock management, genetics, and/or other relevant fields.

RESPONSIBILITES:

The successful candidate will:
  • Develop an Extension-First program focused on issues impacting beef producers in North Dakota and the region
  • Work across disciplines, departments, research extension centers, and county extension offices in concert with industry representatives and stakeholders in the development and implementation of innovative beef cattle extension programs
  • Develop extension programs utilizing a variety of delivery methods to reach intended audiences and that focus on transformational education to improve the regional beef cattle industry
  • Facilitate the transfer of research results into practical applications for beef cattle producers
  • Foster a spirit of open communication with stakeholder groups and act as a liaison along with other Extension personnel to the North Dakota beef industry for NDSU
  • Develop and provide leadership for professional development opportunities for extension agents and specialists related to beef cattle production
  • Develop educational materials individually and through a team approach with on and off-campus livestock specialists and county agents to be disseminated through educational meetings, in-depth training, publications, and new technologies as appropriate
  • Develop mass media materials, including news releases; participate in radio and television programming, utilize social media, and interact with other media outlets on beef cattle related topics
  • Develop a regionally and nationally recognized research program in beef cattle management and production related to nutrition, reproduction, genetics, and/or other relevant fields
  • Acquire extramural funding to support extension and research programs
  • Actively participate in graduate student advising and mentoring
  • Publish research in peer-reviewed journals appropriate for the discipline
  • Provide service to the department, college, university, and appropriate professional societies in the discipline
  • Form collaborative relationships with on- and off-campus colleagues, including beef cattle producer groups, to enhance research capacity
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
• Ph.D. degree in animal sciences or closely related discipline
• Excellent oral and written communications skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Experience with beef cattle production, research, and/or beef industry
• Ability to develop an outstanding beef cattle extension program
• Documented ability to compete for extramural funding in areas of beef cattle management and production related to nutrition, reproduction, genetics, and/or other relevant fields
• Interested in developing an extension and program on application of precision technologies to beef cattle systems.
• Documented ability to develop and publish materials targeted toward beef producers
• Documented ability to publish in refereed scientific journals
• Experience working with undergraduate/graduate students, industry colleagues, or others in a mentoring capacity
• Documented ability to function in a team setting, both as an effective team member and as a leader and to interact collegially with a diverse group of students, staff, faculty, and administrators

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Proven record of developing an outstanding beef cattle extension program
  • Proven record of publishing in peer-reviewed journals
  • Evidence of experience working with precision livestock management technologies
  • Proven record of developing written extension-type articles/bulletins, including popular press articles, social media, and experience working with mass media
  • Proven record in securing extramural funding
  • Evidence of involvement in developing innovative instructional techniques and delivery methods to reach beef cattle producers
  • Demonstrated ability to develop collaborative research programs within and across disciplines
  • Proven record of working directly with beef cattle producers in research, extension, consulting, or other industry capacities
  • Proven record of developing and providing leadership for professional development opportunities for extension agents and specialists related to beef cattle production
DESCRIPTION OF DEPARTMENT: The Department of Animal Sciences at North Dakota State University is composed of 24 full-time faculty and 30 support personnel. The department offers undergraduate majors in animal science, veterinary technology, and equine studies, and graduate opportunities in numerous disciplines related to animal science. Current enrollment is approximately 380 undergraduate and 28 graduate students. Our faculty are nationally and internationally recognized for excellence in extension, research, and teaching. Highly productive and dedicated faculty members have developed robust research programs in diverse areas ranging from animal production systems to molecular biology. Core research areas include ruminant nutrition, reproductive biology, and meat science. State-of-the-art facilities include well-equipped laboratories with ample space for teaching and research purposes. Our faculty members interact with county extension agents, off-campus extension staff, scientists at research extension centers, other departments, universities, state and federal agencies, and also collaborate nationally and internationally. In addition, our faculty members provide leadership in nationally recognized extension and outreach programs, which serve a variety of stakeholders. For further details about the department and research and/or extension programs go to our web site at https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/ansc/ .

Salary and Benefits

Salary is commensurate with qualifications. This position also provides a startup package to help establish the successful candidate's extension program. NDSU offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes single or family health insurance coverage with premiums paid for by the university - with an effective date for new employees the first of the month following the date of hire. Other benefits include wellness benefits, basic life insurance, retirement plan, tuition waiver, annual leave, employee assistance program, sick leave, and holiday pay. Optional benefits include supplemental life, dental, vision, long-term care insurance, flexible spending account, and supplemental retirement plans. Information about employment benefits is available at here .

Application Deadline

Initial screening of applicants will begin on 2/11/26 and continue until a suitable candidate is selected. Applications received by the screening date will be ensured full consideration.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

The application should include the following:
• Application letter showing how all minimum qualifications are met, and highlighting preferred qualifications that are met
• Statement of Extension philosophy (1-2 page)
• Detailed curriculum vitae
• Transcripts of coursework for all university degrees
• Names, titles, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses for three references

For further inquiries about this position, please e-mail Dr. Carl Dahlen, Search Committee Chair at carl.dahlen@ndsu.edu . Include a phrase such as "Inquiry into NDSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Position" in the subject line.

NDSU Extension

NDSU Extension provides science-based education that improves the economic, health and community conditions for North Dakotans. Our emphasis is on strengthening agriculture, stimulating communities, developing youths' potential, building strong families, and protecting the environment.

Striving to provide North Dakotans with the help they need, we believe:
  • In lifelong learning through transformational education
  • That all people belong and deserve respect
  • In stakeholder input to guide program development
  • In science-based, locally relevant information
  • In the value of partners and collaborations.
We are also committed to creating an inclusive and multicultural organization.

We are the link between the public and our land-grant university, North Dakota State University. You will find NDSU Extension at work in every North Dakota county, at Research Extension Centers, and at the main NDSU campus. Our team of more than 250 dedicated professionals is committed to serving North Dakota's citizens.

Our goal is to be the premier lifelong education network that helps North Dakotans improve their quality of life. As the issues facing North Dakotans become increasingly complex, NDSU Extension will continue to meet people's needs as they adapt to this changing environment. Extension is committed to being innovative, adaptable and willing to listen to people's needs and concerns to create new ways of thinking, learning, and addressing issues today and in the future. To learn more visit https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension

The University
North Dakota State University is distinctive as a student-focused, land-grant, research university. Our main campus is in Fargo, N.D., with Extension and Research Experiment Station locations across the entire state. NDSU has been listed in the Top 100 public research universities in the U.S. for research and development in agricultural sciences, psychology and social sciences, based on reported research expenditures.

NDSU is an exciting place to work, offering a stimulating and diverse environment richly populated with people pursuing lifelong learning and personal growth. Employees often attend on-campus cultural events, lectures, athletic events, and enjoy walks through our beautiful campus.

NDSU employs more than 6,000 full-time and part-time employees across the state, making it the second largest employer in the community. NDSU is the best college in North Dakota, according to Money Magazine (September 2018). NDSU was named a 2019 Best Value College by Forbes. Fargo made Livability.com's top 10 list of cities to find a job and was ranked at No. 11 for best places to live overall.

NDSU offers a wide array of professional opportunities, including faculty, executive, managerial, professional, technical, paraprofessional, office support, servers and crafts/trades. Like a small city, NDSU operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Full-time employees are offered a superb benefit package to include 100% company paid health insurance premiums, and tuition assistance for employees and immediate family members. All of us at NDSU play an important role in serving our students and public constituencies. We encourage motivated and talented team members who thrive in a higher ed environment to join our university.

Mission - We provide transformational education, create knowledge through innovative research and share knowledge through community engagement that meets the needs of North Dakota and the world.

The Community

The home of NDSU, Fargo is a bustling metropolitan area that often is listed as one of the best places to live in the country. Fargo-Moorhead is the largest community between Minneapolis and Seattle. Nearly 250,000 people make their home in Cass and Clay counties, which are in the rich farmlands of the Red River Valley. Often cited as a leader in economic development and job creation, the area is noted for its entertainment options, wealth of activities, excellent schools and parks, and outstanding shopping. Safe and clean, the community is receiving national acclaim. In a ranked listing for Businessweek.com, Bloomberg Rankings said Cass County is the "best affordable" place in the country. To learn more about the Fargo-Moorhead area, visit www.fmwfchamber.com/ .

The State

North Dakota enjoys one of the best economies in the nation. That economy is built on historically strong and increasing agricultural productivity that leads the nation in 12 commodities. That economy is bolstered by an energy industry that recently has become the third most productive in the nation and made North Dakota the second largest oil-producing state. The viability of this industry is anticipated to extend several decades into the future. North Dakota's economic strength is providing a springboard for steadily increasing opportunities to apply the university's research and discoveries. As a result, North Dakota is experiencing unprecedented economic diversification. To learn more, visit https://commerce.nd.gov/ .

Benefits:

NDSU offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes single or family health insurance coverage with premiums paid for by the university - with an effective date for new employees the first of the month following date of hire. Other benefits include: wellness benefits, basic life insurance, retirement plan, tuition waiver, annual leave, EAP, sick leave and holiday pay. Optional benefits include: supplemental life, dental, vision, long-term care insurance, flexible spending account, and supplemental retirement plans.

No Smoking Notice :

As an employer, the State of North Dakota prohibits smoking in all places of state employment in accordance with N.D.C.C. • 23-12-10.

About Us:

North Dakota State University is distinctive as a student focused, land-grant, research university. We educate leaders who solve national and global challenges by providing affordable access to an excellent education that combines teaching and research in a rich learning environment.

NDSU is in the highest Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, R1, granted to the top research institutions in the country.

NDSU has offices across the state of North Dakota, and the main campus is in Fargo, on the Minnesota border. Along with Moorhead, Minnesota, Fargo forms one of the largest metropolitan centers between Minneapolis and Seattle. The community is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live.

NDSU is committed to fostering a community where differences are recognized as strengths. Rooted in our land-grant mission, we work together to meet the needs of North Dakota and its communities through education, research and outreach.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

NDSU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of age, color, gender expression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, participation in lawful off-campus activity, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, public assistance status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, spousal relationship to current employee, or veteran status, as applicable. Direct inquiries to: Vice Provost, Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Old Main 201, NDSU Main Campus, Fargo, ND, 58108, 701-231-7708, ndsu.eoaa@ndsu.edu.

Veteran's Preference Notice:

This position is subject to North Dakota Veteran's Preference requirements.

Reasonable Accommodation Information

North Dakota State University is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, please contact Human Resources at 701-231-8961 or ndsu.hr@ndsu.edu .

Land Acknowledgement

We collectively acknowledge that NDSU, a land grant institution, on the traditional lands of the Oceti Sakowin (Dakota, Lakota, Nakoda) and Anishinaabe Peoples in addition to many diverse Indigenous Peoples still connected to these lands. We honor with gratitude Mother Earth and the Indigenous Peoples who have walked with her throughout generations. We will continue to learn how to live in unity with Mother Earth and build strong, mutually beneficial, trusting relationships with Indigenous Peoples of our region. (see www.ndsu.edu/inclusioncouncil/native_american_initiatives/ ).

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