Grower Outreach & Extension Specialist

Job Title: Grower Outreach & Extension Specialist

Reports to: Director of Grower Education

Annual Salary: $65,000-$85,000

About the California Strawberry Commission (CSC)

The California Strawberry Commission is an established leader among agricultural organizations. We have the foundation of a 64-year-old organization, combined with the excitement and energy of a startup. We represent more than 400 strawberry farmers, shippers, and processors, proudly working together to advance strawberry farming for the future of our land and people. Commission programs create opportunities for success through groundbreaking programs focused on workforce training, strawberry production research, and nutrition research. Through science-based information and education, we deliver good news about sustainable farming practices that benefit the health of people, farms, and communities.

About the Position

The Grower Outreach & Extension Specialist is an exempt full-time, in-person position with a 40-hour per week schedule, which includes benefits. The candidate should be based in, or willing to relocate to, Watsonville or the Santa Maria area. The normal schedule is Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.

The Grower Outreach & Extension Specialist plays a pivotal role in enhancing the support and development of strawberry growing operations along the Central California coast. This position is ideal for someone with a passion for the strawberry industry and a dedication to building relationships with strawberry growers and their employees. As the primary liaison, the Specialist will focus on evaluating and meeting the needs of California strawberry growers.

Key responsibilities include facilitating educational programs in areas such as best practices in food safety, strawberry production, labor management, and pesticide safety. As a member of the five-person Grower Education team, the Specialist will collaborate across various departments within the Strawberry Commission to advance the strategic goals of the industry.

Executing field-based projects is a critical aspect of this role and demands excellent communication skills to effectively inform and educate growers, shippers, and farm-level employees. Fluency in Spanish is crucial and occasional overnight travel will be required.

This position requires the ability to perform essential in-person activities, with the appropriate safeguards, including a vaccination(s) in accordance with Title VI, the ADA, EEOC guidance, and FEHA.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Develop and implement specialized agricultural extension programs targeting strawberry growers, focusing on food safety, leadership skills, labor management, strawberry production (pest/disease management), and regulatory compliance.
• Create new education programs informed by research findings to enhance strawberry production practices for growers and their employees.
• Produce educational materials, resources, and guidelines for growers and field-level employees, ensuring the content is informative, practical, and accessible.
• Conduct surveys and maintain professional relationships with strawberry growers, their employees, and key industry stakeholders.
• Organize and lead informational meetings on critical and emerging topics, ensuring timely and efficient coordination.
• Connect CSC staff with growers and industry members to support cross-departmental initiatives.
• Work closely with CSC staff to monitor and address emerging issues affecting growers, particularly in production practices, food safety, regulatory affairs, and labor.
• Other duties as directed by Supervisor.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences, Horticulture, Agribusiness, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrate professional fluency in both spoken and written Spanish and English.
• Ability to read and write proficiently in both languages (bi-literate).
• Residence in, or willingness to relocate to the Watsonville or Santa Maria strawberry production region.
• Comfortable with in-person or online group training and facilitation.
• Proficient in Microsoft applications and collaboration tools.
• Self-starter with the initiative to network with various stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel overnight within California.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lift equipment and supplies up to 50lbs and use hand tools in diverse indoor and outdoor settings.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Valid CA Driver’s License.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a field relevant to agricultural education, production, research, or another related area.
• Experience using modern data collection and analysis tools (e.g., PowerBI, Tableau, or ArcGIS).
• Field experience, agricultural development work, or cross-cultural immersion in an agricultural context.
• Strong commitment to working with growers and farm employees.
• Experience developing and delivering bilingual education programs in agriculture.
• Technical knowledge in agricultural production, agribusiness, human resources, labor management, labor policy, regulatory affairs, or farm-level management.
• Multimedia communication skills for interacting with diverse audiences.

Why Join Us?

You’ll be part of a mission-driven team dedicated to supporting California strawberry growers, shippers, and processors. In this role, you’ll help strengthen Commission programs, share timely insights, and promote continuous improvement across the industry while building meaningful relationships and making a statewide impact.

What We Offer:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Retirement/Profit Sharing Plan
• Vacation & Sick Pay
• 457 Plan
• Holiday Pay
• Section 125 Plan

Submission:

E‐mail resume and cover letter to Taylor Rodgers, trodgers@calstrawberry.org with “Grower Outreach & Extension Specialist” in the subject line.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

The California Strawberry Commission is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination and harassment (including sexual harassment) against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), domestic violence, veteran or military status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law. We will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination or harassment by any employee, including supervisors and co- workers. Our commitment to equal opportunity employment applies to all persons involved in our operations and all areas of employment including, but not limited to hiring, recruitment, promotion, termination, compensation, benefits, and training. Reasonable accommodations will be made for disabled applicants and employees as well as pregnant employees upon request

The CSC is an E-Verify Employer