Agriculture Education & Operations Coordinator

Berea-College; Berea (KY); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work College Program mentoring

Job summary

Berea College in Berea, KY seeks an Agricultural Education & Operations Coordinator to connect the College Farm with academic programs, coordinates educational activities, and support operations, while pursuing the farm's financial goals. You will work with faculty, farm staff, and students to create hands-on learning opportunities using farm enterprises as living laboratories.

The role emphasizes supervision of Work College Program students, mentoring, and aligning learning with career

Qualifications

• BS or BA in agriculture or a related field.
• 3-5 years of experience in agriculture, cooperative extension or related organizations.
• Competent in MS Office suite, social media platforms and cloud-based enterprise systems.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Understanding of small farm economic challenges and sustainability.

Responsibilities

• Academic and Educational Coordination: design and coordinate farm-based educational activities with academic programs.
• Agricultural Operations Coordination: monitor farm enterprises and support operations on schedule.
• Administrative and Financial Support: manage budgets and routine administrative functions.
• Outreach, Communications, and Public Engagement: represent the College Farm and ANR in communications and events.
• Student Workforce Development: recruit, train, and mentor student workers; coordinate Work College contracts and timesheets.

Skills

MS Office

Social media

Record-keeping

Farm equipment

Communication skills

Education

BS/BA in agriculture

Tools

Cloud-based enterprise systems

Job description

The Agricultural Education & Operations Coordinator serves as the liaison connecting the Agriculture and Natural Resources and other academic programs with the College Farm enterprises. This position coordinates educational activities, supports administrative operations, facilitates communication among faculty and farm personnel, and helps ensure that the College Farm functions as an integrated teaching, learning, and demonstration resource while fulfilling its financial goals. The coordinator must possess a strong working knowledge of administrative and financial processes, livestock, horticulture, and value-added agricultural enterprises to effectively connect farm operations with classroom instruction, student work experiences, research projects, public programs, and community engagement activities. Working closely with and in collaboration with the Director of Farm Enterprises, farm staff, faculty, and students, the coordinator develops opportunities for experiential learning while supporting the operational, administrative, and outreach functions necessary to advance the mission of the College Farm as a regional model learning laboratory.

Following long-standing tradition and practice at Berea College, this position includes responsibility for supervising, mentoring, and developing students in the College's integrated Work College Program. This supports student learning, career readiness, and the program's learning goals and outcomes. The Work College Program provides a developmental framework that guides student learning while creating a structured mentorship opportunity, with role-specific training that equips faculty and staff mentors to support student development. Faculty and staff mentors play an essential part in helping students connect their work-learning-service experiences with broader academic, professional, and personal development. For faculty, this aligns with Berea's tenure and promotion criteria

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Regular and predictable attendance is essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Academic and Educational Coordination (30%):

• Design, schedule, coordinate, and as appropriate, lead class visits, field labs, workshops, demonstrations, and other farm-base educational activities that use Farm Enterprises as a living laboratory for instruction and applied learning in collaboration with Agriculture and Natural Resources and other academic programs.
• Collaborate with faculty to plan an deliver farm-based educational experiences, including support faculty-led activities and independently leading assigned activities. Support special projects and undergraduate research.
• Develop schedule and systems that align academic needs with farm operations.
• Coordinate outreach programs that connect students and community members with agricultural learning opportunities.

Agricultural Operations Coordination (30%):

• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of all College Farm enterprises and production systems through participating in weekly operational activities and support operations on a weekend and holiday rotation.
• Work with Director of Farm Enterprises and Assistant Managers to understand seasonal production cycles, operational priorities, and educational opportunities,
• Facilitate communication among Horticulture, Livestock, and Farm Store production units with external partners.
• Support documentation, operational planning, and program reporting to assist with regulatory compliance, certifications, an operational records.
• Coordinate special projects that advance learning outcomes and enterprise sustainability.

Administrative an Financial Support (15%):

• Manage accounts payable and receivable, purchasing, budgets, and routine administrative functions.
• Assist with departmental reporting and recordkeeping.
• Coordinate communication and information to support scheduling, event planning, and department operations.

Outreach, Communications, and Public Engagement (15%):

• Serving as knowledgeable representative of the College Farm and ANR program, coordinate and administer farm tours and educational visits as needed.
• Develop and maintain content highlighting student learning, sustainability initiatives, and production enterprises for internal and external audiences via website, social media, and promotional materials.
• Assist Director of Farm Enterprises with external engagement and partnerships.

Student Workforce Development (10%):

• Recruit, train, mentor, and, when appropriate, directly supervise student workers in support of educational and operational goals.
• Coordinate work college program contracts, timesheets, and resources that support educational and operational goals of the program.
• Assist students in connecting workplace experiences with learning outcomes while promoting student leadership and professional skill development.

Other roles/duties will be assigned as necessary to assist the College in the attainment of the goals set forth and the enhancement of a positive, respectful learning environment for all staff, faculty an students.

Education required to ensure success in this position:

• BS or BA in agriculture or a related field

Experience required to ensure success in this position:

• 3-5 years of experience in agriculture, cooperative extension or related agricultural organizations
• Competent in MS Office suite, social media platforms and cloud-based enterprise systems

Special skills, knowledge and abilities:

• Understanding of small farm economic challenges, organic production, food and agriculture trends, and the complexities of sustainability
• Broad understanding of regional agriculture, including crop, horticultural and livestock production
• Knowledge of current regulatory and compliance requirements for farms and foods
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Skill and experience in social media used in education, marketing, organizing, and sales
• Record-keeping, accounts payable and receivable
• Student development and education
• Capacity to operate farm equipment

License, certification, or registration necessary:

• Valid Driver's License

Physical requirements:

• Ability to work in hot and cold environments, both outside and inside
• Ability to repeatedly lift 50 lbs
• Ability to travel independently by car and/or plane
• Some rigorous activity with extensive walking

Environmental conditions:

• Exposure to odor, dust, pollen, mold, animal dander, invertebrate pests, manure, adverse environmental conditions, and inclement weather.
• Limited activity inside of walk-in freezers and refrigerators

Ability to operate the following vehicles or equipment:

• Truck with trailer (containing livestock or livestock products), preferred
• Tractor with implements, preferred