What are the responsibilities and job description for the Grassland Research and Extension Manager position at Virginia Tech?
Job Description
This position is supported by Advancing Markets Program grants developed to foster greater grassland resilience and encourage management that improves ecosystem services of forage-livestock production systems. It is essential that this person be able to help farmers implement a suite of grazing / land management practices and work to track the effect of these changes over time. The person in this position will work under the direction of the State Forage Extension Specialist and lead collaborations with producers, Virginia Cooperative Extension agents, Small Farm Outreach Program Agents, Agency personnel, forage industry players, and students/personnel in Virginia Tech’s Sustainable Grasslands Lab in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences.
Job Description:
The successful candidate will provide direct, one-on-one technical assistance to producers; develop, coordinate, and lead outreach programming; provide research support; and, administer grassland management programs focused on building resilient, sustainable, and productive grazing systems through collaborative science and cooperative extension. The candidate will instruct, guide and assist farmers on how to implement best management practices. The candidate will collect samples to track changes in soil health in response to management practices implemented on participant farms. Suitable candidates will supervise other staff and students, manage research and for the project (including data collection, analysis, and curation; laboratory and field operations work and maintenance), conduct extension activities and required reporting.
The successful candidate must work closely with farmers, researchers, students, extension agents, and community stakeholders. Knowledge of grassland management, demonstrated effective communication skills, ability to coordinate activities for other staff and students, and capacity to implement practices - particularly those involving on-farm trials and participatory research - are key skills and knowledge areas.
Required Qualifications
A master’s degree in agronomy, natural resources management, or conservation, or a bachelor’s degree (in previously mentioned disciplines) and significant professional level experience or expertise that equates to the minimum educational qualifications. Must be able to drive and work independently.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with warm-season native grasses and silvopasture establishment and management. Soil sampling and management. Supervisory experience in a research setting.
Overtime Status
Exempt: Not eligible for overtime
Appointment Type
Restricted
Salary Information
52,221-73,109
Hours per week
40
Review Date
07/19/2026 (open until filled)
Additional Information
The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
About Virginia Tech
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.
Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Dr. John Fike at jfike@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
This position is supported by Advancing Markets Program grants developed to foster greater grassland resilience and encourage management that improves ecosystem services of forage-livestock production systems. It is essential that this person be able to help farmers implement a suite of grazing / land management practices and work to track the effect of these changes over time. The person in this position will work under the direction of the State Forage Extension Specialist and lead collaborations with producers, Virginia Cooperative Extension agents, Small Farm Outreach Program Agents, Agency personnel, forage industry players, and students/personnel in Virginia Tech’s Sustainable Grasslands Lab in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences.
Job Description:
The successful candidate will provide direct, one-on-one technical assistance to producers; develop, coordinate, and lead outreach programming; provide research support; and, administer grassland management programs focused on building resilient, sustainable, and productive grazing systems through collaborative science and cooperative extension. The candidate will instruct, guide and assist farmers on how to implement best management practices. The candidate will collect samples to track changes in soil health in response to management practices implemented on participant farms. Suitable candidates will supervise other staff and students, manage research and for the project (including data collection, analysis, and curation; laboratory and field operations work and maintenance), conduct extension activities and required reporting.
The successful candidate must work closely with farmers, researchers, students, extension agents, and community stakeholders. Knowledge of grassland management, demonstrated effective communication skills, ability to coordinate activities for other staff and students, and capacity to implement practices - particularly those involving on-farm trials and participatory research - are key skills and knowledge areas.
Required Qualifications
A master’s degree in agronomy, natural resources management, or conservation, or a bachelor’s degree (in previously mentioned disciplines) and significant professional level experience or expertise that equates to the minimum educational qualifications. Must be able to drive and work independently.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with warm-season native grasses and silvopasture establishment and management. Soil sampling and management. Supervisory experience in a research setting.
Overtime Status
Exempt: Not eligible for overtime
Appointment Type
Restricted
Salary Information
52,221-73,109
Hours per week
40
Review Date
07/19/2026 (open until filled)
Additional Information
The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
About Virginia Tech
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.
Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Dr. John Fike at jfike@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.