Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension - Climate Resilient Rural Community Development - Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
 University of California-Berkeley | |
 United States, California, Berkeley | |
 Nov 07, 2025 | |
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Position overview
Position title: Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist / Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension Salary range:
The UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See the following table(s) for the current salary scale(s) for this position: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2025-26/policy-covered-july-2025-scales/t29.pdf. The current full-time base salary range for this position is $90,600 - $118,500. "Off-scale" salaries, which yield compensation that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions. Percent time:
100% Anticipated start:
July 1, 2026 Application Window Open date: November 7, 2025 Next review date: Tuesday, Jan 6, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Final date: Tuesday, Jan 6, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Position description As part of the Rausser College of Natural Resources, the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (ESPM) at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), in partnership with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), seeks an Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension (CE) in Climate Resilient Community Economic Development. This position will provide statewide leadership in climate resilient approaches to community economic development (CED), with particular attention to community resilience and disaster planning and policy that promote equity and justice within California's rural communities. California's rural and natural resource-dependent communities are on the front lines of climate change, with rural livelihoods increasingly compromised by record-setting heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires. Research shows that the process of adaptation now shapes future adaptive capacity, producing narrow and brittle resilience - vulnerable to novel shocks like COVID-19 - or broad and nimble resilience that fosters robust community responses to change in the future. UC ANR is uniquely poised to support rural residents, workers, and consumers across the state who must adapt to climate change. This position will augment UC ANR's longstanding expertise in the technical aspects of agronomy and climate science by building commensurate research and outreach capacity focused on climate adaptation and resilience within the context of community economic development in rural California, leveraging and building partnerships with relevant internal and external stakeholders. Examples of high-priority issues for this position include:
The successful candidate will provide statewide leadership on Climate Resilient Community Economic Development, with the primary components of the position involving extension and network-building, research, UCANR capacity building, and extramural funding solicitation. Extension and Networks: The successful candidate will be expected to create a collaborative, multidisciplinary research and extension program inclusive of diverse rural clientele and aligned with UC ANR's Community and Economic Development Program Area. This program should leverage collaborations with state and local government agencies (e.g. California's Climate Change Assessment, CDFA, CA Office of Planning and Research, State Water Resources Control Board, Cal Fire, local agricultural commissioners, county governments), community-based and regional organizations and networks (e.g. California Stewardship Network, California Climate and Agriculture Network, California Coalition of Family Farms, local food policy councils), UC centers and institutes (e.g. UCB Ethnic Studies Center, UCB Labor Center, UCSC Center for Economic Development, UC Riverside Center for Economic Development and Innovation), and UC ANR's network of CED county-based Advisors across the state. This successful candidate should be well positioned to liaison with California's Deputy Secretary for Climate Change and the California Jobs First] Council. Clientele for this position include climate vulnerable rural communities, including those with limited water or energy infrastructure, those economically and socially disadvantaged, and those vulnerable to wildfire risks and other disasters. Additionally, the successful candidate will be expected to collaborate with Cooperative Extension Advisors working on related issues. Specific extension-related activities of the position might include: developing workshops; writing policy briefs; hosting symposia; planning field days; organizing webinars; drafting technical documents; blogging; and facilitating networking events. Research: The CE Specialist will establish an active research program and submit original findings to be published in various journals, including (but not limited to): Journal of Rural and Community Development, Journal of Rural Studies, Journal of Community Practice, Society and Natural Resources, Environmental Planning and Management,, Rural Sociology, Environmental Health Perspectives, American Journal of Public Health, and California Agriculture. Other important outlets include proceedings of various conferences, professional publications such as ANR leaflets and manuals, and trade or organizational journals. UCANR Capacity Building: The successful candidate is expected to provide statewide CED leadership, participating in relevant UCANR program areas (e.g. Community and Economic Development; Natural Ecosystems and Working Landscapes; and Agronomy and Horticulture) and providing leadership within relevant Program Teams (e.g. Labor and Workforce Development; Food Systems, Food Waste, and Business Support; Disaster Preparedness and Response; Climate Science and Ecosystems Impacts; Water Quantity, Quality, and Security; Native American Community Partnerships; Agroecology, Organic, and Regenerative Systems; and Systemic Inequalities). Extramural Funding Solicitation: It is expected that the CE Specialist will diligently pursue sources of extramural funding/grants for research and extension activities from private, state and federal sources and will work with community groups to apply for rural development-related grants. Location & Support: The position will be housed on the Berkeley Campus in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management. The successful candidate will have an office and laboratory space on the Berkeley Campus. A startup package will be provided for equipment, computers, and travel needs. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. UCANR: https://ucanr.edu/site/about-us Department: https://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/ UC ANR's Community and Economic Development Program Area: https://ucanr.edu/site/community-economic-development California Jobs First Council: https://jobsfirst.ca.gov/ UCANR program areas: https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-anr-program-areas-and-program-teams Qualifications Basic qualifications
(required at time of application)
PhD (or equivalent international degree) or enrolled in PhD (or equivalent international degree) degree-granting program at the time of application. Additional qualifications
(required at time of start)
PhD (or equivalent international degree) required by the start date. Preferred qualifications
A doctoral degree (or equivalent) related to Climate Resilient Rural Community Development is preferred. Preferred disciplinary backgrounds include: agrarian studies, rural sociology, geography, environmental studies, political ecology, Latino Studies, Southeast Asian studies, ethnic studies, food justice and policy, disaster justice or other related fields. Other Preferred qualifications include:
Application Requirements Document requirements
Reference requirements
Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05121 Help contact: se_ap@berkeley.edu About UC Berkeley UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy (APM 210 1-d). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community, which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive. The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. For more information, please refer to the University of California's Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy and the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy. In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter. As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements. As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.
Job location Berkeley, CA
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