Assistant/Associate Extension Agent (Community Development

Louisiana State University Agricultural Center; United States; On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plan

Medical insurance options

Supplemental insurances

Tax Saver Plan

University holidays

Vacation & sick leave

Employee Assistance Program

Tuition exemption

Job summary

LSU AgCenter Cooperative Extension Service is seeking an Assistant/Associate Extension Agent to collaborate with Extension agents statewide, fostering community engagement and economic development. You will support communities in planning, securing funding, delivering programming, and building sustainable partnerships for long-term impact.

Strong communication and leadership abilities are essential. Based in Louisiana with an emphasis on regional outreach and collaboration across

Qualifications

• A baccalaureate degree in extension education or closely related field with GPA requirements as stated (2.5 overall; 3.0 for grad work or 3.0 on 12 hrs grad credit).
• The applicant must demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
• A master’s degree in a listed field is desired; experience in leadership development and volunteer supervision is also desired.

Responsibilities

• Help communities identify funding opportunities and provide technical assistance for development.
• Plan, implement, evaluate, and report outcomes of educational programs; train Extension personnel and stakeholders.
• Develop outreach materials and cultivate partnerships to advance local economic growth.

Skills

Organizational skills

Written & verbal communication

Social media use

Public speaking

Partnership development

Self-motivation

Audience engagement

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (desired)

Job description

Assistant/Associate Extension Agent

Work Location: 0101 Efferson Hall (LSU Ag Center)

Pay Grade: Academic

Job Description

The successful candidate will work with Extension agents across Louisiana to support community engagement, capacity building, and local economic development initiatives. Responsibilities include helping communities identify and pursue state, federal, private, and philanthropic funding opportunities; providing technical assistance related to community and economic development, community resilience, strategic planning, and related topics; and assisting communities in implementing development initiatives that strengthen long-term economic stability. The Assistant/Associate Extension Agent will provide leadership for community and economic development programming in assigned regions through the LSU AgCenter Cooperative Extension Service. Responsibilities include planning, implementing, evaluating, and reporting outcomes of educational programs; delivering training for Extension personnel, community leaders, and stakeholders; presenting at conferences; and developing outreach and communication materials. The successful candidate will cultivate strong partnerships with community leaders, elected officials, agency representatives, business and industry leaders, and other stakeholders to advance local and regional development efforts. They will support communities through needs assessments, surveys, strategic planning, business retention and expansion activities, entrepreneurship education, and other community development initiatives. The position requires collaboration with multidisciplinary Extension and research teams to help communities make informed decisions that promote economic growth and resilience. The successful candidate will also be expected to secure external funding and develop sustainable partnerships to support program expansion and long-term impact. The Assistant/Associate Extension Agent will work under the supervision of the Regional Director in the domicile region.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include helping communities identify and pursue state, federal, private, and philanthropic funding opportunities; providing technical assistance related to community and economic development, community resilience, strategic planning, and related topics; and assisting communities in implementing development initiatives that strengthen long-term economic stability. Responsibilities include planning, implementing, evaluating, and reporting outcomes of educational programs; delivering training for Extension personnel, community leaders, and stakeholders; presenting at conferences; and developing outreach and communication materials.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated organizational skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to use social media in a variety of formats.
• Comfort presenting in front of small and large crowds.
• Experience establishing solid partnerships.
• Highly self-motivated.
• Innovative audience engagement and development.
• Demonstrated skills in partnership development and project management.

Qualification Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree in extension education, education, agricultural economics, agricultural sciences, economic development, sociology, public administration, public planning, community nutrition, public health, family and consumer sciences, or closely related field from an accredited college or university is required. Must have an undergraduate degree with an overall grade‑point average of at least 2.5 (all GPA requirements based on a 4.0 system) and a 3.0 for graduate work attempted, if any, or master’s degree with an overall grade‑point average of at least 3.0 or a current grade‑point average of at least 3.0 on at least 12 hours of graduate credit.
• The applicant must demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
• A master’s degree in a field listed above is desired.
• Experience in recruiting, training and supervising volunteers and experience in teaching and applying principles of leadership development to both youth and adults is also desired.
• Knowledge of public relations and the ability to cope with change are highly desirable characteristics.
• Ability to work with and through others is essential as is the ability to function with minimum supervision.

Salary and Benefits

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

• retirement
• multiple medical insurance options
• supplemental insurances (dental, life, long‑term disability, accident, vision, long‑term care, etc.)
• Tax Saver Flexible Benefits Plan (saves tax dollars on some child care and medical expenses)
• university holidays (14 per year, typically includes a week off at Christmas)
• generous annual (vacation) and sick leave benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• possible educational leave and tuition exemption for coursework at campuses of the LSU System

Conditions of Employment

A personal automobile and appropriate insurance coverage is required (travel allowance provided). Satisfactory completion of one specific graduate level extension course (3 credit hours) is required in year two or three of employment, prior to promotion eligibility to associate agent. Additionally, a faculty member who does not have a related master’s degree must complete an additional 12 hours of related graduate level coursework in order to be promoted to associate agent and such promotion must occur in the first seven years of employment. An exception is that additional agent experience may be substituted for 12 hours of coursework, but not for the required course.

Date Available

Upon completion of the selection process.

Application Deadline

December 4, 2026 or until a suitable candidate is identified.

Background Check

An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre‑employment background check.

Employment Outside Louisiana

Positions approved to work outside the State of Louisiana shall be employed through Louisiana State University’s partner, nextSource Workforce Solutions, for Employer of Record Services including but not limited to employment, benefits, payroll, and tax compliance. Positions employed through Employer of Record Services will be offered benefits and retirement as applicable through their provider and will not be eligible for State of Louisiana benefits and retirement.

Equal Opportunity and Eligibility

The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and applications will be accepted without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability.

Information on Equal Employment can be obtained from the EEO and Civil Rights Coordinator, 103 J. Norman Efferson Hall, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. Phone [phone].

It is the policy of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service to employ only United States citizens or aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States.

The LSU Agricultural Center is a statewide campus of the LSU System and provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.

About the LSU Agricultural Center

The LSU AgCenter, is one of eight campuses within the broader LSU enterprise (LSU System). The LSU AgCenter includes the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, which conducts agricultural‑based research, and the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, which extends the knowledge derived from research to the people of the state. The AgCenter is headquartered in Baton Rouge and has 12 “on campus” academic departments and five regions which are made up of 15 branch research stations and an extension office in each parish.

For more information, visit the AgCenter’s website at www.lsuagcenter.com.

LSU researchers across Louisiana are working on developing a wide‑range of innovations to improve quality of life by studying issues such as disease management, advance medical treatments, obesity, coastal protection, hurricane preparedness, energy, natural resource management and agriculture, among others. Louisiana’s Flagship University is a land‑, sea‑and space‑grant institution with academic programs in all areas of science, engineering, humanities, arts and social sciences. The University comprises of nine institutions: Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College (“LSU”), the premier flagship university for the state, which include the Paul M. Hebert Law Center and the School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University at Alexandria, Louisiana State University at Eunice, Louisiana State University at Shreveport, LSU Health Sciences Center – New Orleans, LSU Health Science Center – Shreveport, The Health Care Services Division, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and any other college, university, school, institution, or program now or hereafter under the supervision and management of the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College.

In implementing its mission, LSU is committed to: Offering a broad array of undergraduate degree programs and extensive graduate research opportunities designed to attract and educate highly qualified undergraduate and graduate students; Employing faculty who are excellent teacher‑scholars, nationally competitive in research and creative activities, and who contribute to a world‑class knowledge base that is transferable to educational, professional, cultural, and economic enterprises; and Using its extensive resources to solve economic, environmental, and social challenges.