Small Farms Extension & Research Associate 2 (Korean, Chinese, or Spanish Bilingual) Riverside,[...]

Small Farms Extension & Research Associate 2 (Korean, Chinese, or Spanish Bilingual) – Riverside, CA Job ID: 85196 Small Farms Extension and Research Associate will assist UC ANR Small Farms Advisors in delivering technical assistance, training, outreach, and applied research to support small-scale, diversified, and historically underserved farmers. The role focuses on on‑farm production challenges, regulatory compliance, marketing, and incentive program support. Must provide expert, technical assistance in English and one of Korean, Chinese, or Spanish to enhance on‑farm productivity and access to resources. Key Responsibilities 75% of time Provide growers with direct, one‑on‑one, bilingual technical assistance and extension support. Travel to farms, conduct farm visits, and meet with farmers individually to assist with production challenges, marketing, regulatory compliance, and access to grants, incentives, and economic relief programs. Assist farmers with online applications and collect data to identify barriers to program access. Assist with survey development and data collection for county‑level and statewide needs assessments to inform strategic planning of outreach, training, and applied research. Assist with translation and review of survey questions and with recruitment of survey participants. Collect and organize evaluation data from participants at workshops and individual farm visits, gather input from farmers, and conduct basic analyses to inform program improvements. Organize and maintain electronic records such as farmer contact lists and coordinate bilingual outreach through radio, social media, newsletters, farm visits, and networking. Organize, promote, and assist with extension workshops on a range of research, extension, and technical assistance topics. Gather data to inform policy discussions, summarize results for policy communications, and develop presentations for meetings with nonprofit partners, regulatory agencies, and policymakers to discuss research‑based information on small‑farm needs and challenges. Develop and design bilingual educational materials and deliver educational programming to assist small‑scale farmers in accessing markets and assistance programs, complying with regulations in areas such as food safety, labor, groundwater use, fertilizer use, pesticide use, and organic certification, and addressing crop production challenges through improved irrigation, nutrient management, pest management, and other practices. Serve as a lead worker on multi‑county outreach and technical assistance efforts, acting as a subject matter expert for specific project topics. Collect soil, plant, insect, water, and other types of samples to assist with research and technical support activities. 15% of time Assist the Small Farms Advisor with research activities and data management, including data collection for field research trials. Travel to field research sites to complete activities. Keep accurate and timely records, develop systems to organize reporting data, manage database and Excel records, assist with tracking activities, farmer contacts, expenses, and prepare data summaries. Conduct basic data analysis on demographic, survey, and field trial data. Provide oral and written reports on data collection and results on a regular basis. Assist in development of reports required by funding agencies and internal reporting procedures. 10% of time Provide coordination and bilingual support for outreach projects with growers, such as on‑farm demonstrations and tailgate meetings. Order supplies for research and extension projects. Prepare equipment and supplies necessary for fieldwork and data collection. Recruit farmers to participate in on‑farm research trials and assist with translation and communication to facilitate research activities. Coordinate logistics necessary for data collection with county office staff and other research assistants. Keep academics, staff, and other project collaborators informed of data collection status, pertinent results, and issues affecting research projects. Travel to farms to conduct outreach, training, and research activities. Requirements A minimum of a Bachelor's degree with coursework in agriculture or social sciences relevant to agricultural extension, applied research, and community engagement, and/or equivalent experience or training. Excellent organizational skills to collect data and maintain data integrity. Attention to detail and accurate results. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Excellent time‑management skills and the ability to manage multiple project tasks to ensure successful completion. Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills to communicate complex agronomic, business, and regulatory topics to growers in an understandable manner. Ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information relevant to grower needs and challenges, applications of research results, and policy communications. Experience working in an agricultural setting or directly with farmers. Proficient bilingual communication skills, including the ability to read, write, translate, and effectively communicate technical agricultural information in a language relevant to growers within the county region served by the position, such as Spanish, Hmong, Chinese, or Korean. The position requires bilingual communication skills in English and Korean, Chinese, or Spanish. Preferred Skills General knowledge of biological and natural sciences, including soils, entomology, plant physiology, and pathology, and/or general knowledge of social and economic sciences. Working knowledge of basic agricultural research methods and/or experience in applied research. Experience conducting surveys, focus groups, analysis of demographic data, or other social science research methods. Experience in extension, adult education, project coordination, public speaking, community development, or community outreach. Demonstrated skills and experience communicating research results to diverse audiences. Experience working with disadvantaged, marginalized, or historically underserved communities. Special Conditions of Employment Must possess a valid California Driver's License to drive a County or University vehicle. Proof of liability damage insurance on vehicle used is required. Reimbursement of job‑related travel will be paid according to University policies. Ability and means to travel to farms within assigned counties, including remote and rural areas, a minimum of two days per week as needed, and occasional travel outside the assigned counties. Travel including travel outside normal business hours may be requested. Overtime and occasional weekend work as needed, usually on short notice to meet operational needs may be requested. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check. This position requires a background check and may require fingerprinting due to the nature of the responsibilities. As of January 1, 2014, ANR is a smoke‑ and tobacco‑free environment; smoking, smokeless tobacco products, and unregulated nicotine products, including e‑cigarettes, are strictly prohibited. You will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs, as may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements. Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer. Misconduct means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, the following UC policies address some forms of misconduct: UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy UC Anti‑Discrimination Policy Abusive Conduct in the Workplace #J-18808-Ljbffr University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources