Job Description

Position Summary

The Agricultural Education Specialist serves as a key contributor to the AgTech Workforce, Industry and Innovation Center (AgWIIC), a statewide initiative to strengthen North Dakota’s agricultural workforce ecosystem. AgWIIC’s mission is to advance a community-centered AgTech workforce system that aligns partners and leverages data, partnerships, and funding to accelerate North Dakota’s agricultural economy.

This position leads the design, development, and delivery of agricultural education and workforce training systems that support career pathways, agricultural literacy, and workforce readiness. The Specialist plays a central role in building scalable, high-quality curriculum and training resources aligned with industry needs and accessible across North Dakota.

Working collaboratively with the AgWIIC team, educators, Extension professionals, and workforce partners, the Specialist ensures that educational programming contributes to a coordinated, scalable, and data-informed workforce system.

The position includes a limited teaching appointment within Agricultural and Family Education (AFE) to maintain strong alignment with formal education systems and inform curriculum development.

The position reports to the AgWIIC Director and Program Coordinator of AFE and works closely with AgWIIC team members, Extension specialists, and education partners statewide.

Key Responsibilities

Curriculum Development


Lead development of scalable curriculum and instructional resources supporting agricultural literacy, workforce readiness, and AgTech career pathways aligned with AgWIIC priorities.

Build and maintain a centralized AgWIIC curriculum repository and resource-sharing system.

Document and share best practices, tool kits, and program frameworks to support statewide adoption.
Program Evaluation and Developing External Partnerships


Administer and support an education and training development fund to advance workforce innovation projects across the state.

Collaborate with K–12 schools, higher education institutions, and training providers to strengthen education and workforce partnerships.

Conduct evaluation of AgWIIC educational programs, including tracking participation, outcomes, and impact, and use data and stakeholder feedback to continuously refine curriculum and program delivery.

Contribute to data collection and reporting processes for the Agriculture Workforce Report and related outputs.

Serve as a resource for partners implementing agricultural literacy and workforce initiatives.

Teaching and Program Leadership


Maintain a teaching appointment in the Department of Agricultural and Family Education (AFE), typically one undergraduate course per semester.

Train educators, Extension professionals, and volunteers on AgWIIC-developed curriculum and program delivery.

Provide professional development opportunities that build local capacity for agricultural education and workforce programming.
Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education or a closely related field.

Minimum of three years of teaching experience at the secondary level.

Demonstrated experience in curriculum development and instructional design.

Strong communication and organizational skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences.
Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s or Ph.D. in Agricultural Education or related field.

Experience working with Extension, Workforce Development Programs, Agricultural Education, or community-based education initiatives.

Familiarity with agricultural systems, AgTech, and workforce trends.

Experience developing training programs, toolkits, or online learning resources.

Experience evaluating educational programs and using data to inform improvement.
Position Expectations:

Willingness to pursue a graduate degree.


Travel statewide, including occasional overnight stays, to support training and program implementation.

Flexibility to work occasional evenings or extended hours for program delivery and partner engagement.

Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a dynamic environment.

Serve as an active contributor to AgWIIC and Extension workforce initiatives.

Perform additional duties as needed to support AgWIIC programming and mission.

Remote work is an option with occasional travel to Fargo/NDSU Campus.