Assistant Professor, Agriculture (Agribusiness)

Job Summary :

The Agriculture Department is accepting applications for a full-time tenure-track Assistant Professor position in agriculture, with a focus on agribusiness.

The selected candidate will be expected to carry out research and teach various courses that provide a critical understanding of the Food and Agriculture sectors across the value chain (inputs, production, processing, distribution, regulation, and marketing).

Agriculture at UFV consists of several hands-on programmes. These include a 2-year Agriculture Technology diploma that can lead to a Technical Agrologist designation with the BC Institute of Agrologists.

A Four-year degree program is available in both Horticulture (Bachelor of Agriculture Science) and Agriculture Management (Bachelor of Business Administration).

These programs are offered on both the Chilliwack and Abbotsford campuses and online. On UFV's Canada Education Park site in Chilliwack, the department operates greenhouses and a barn for teaching and research.

Additionally, we are opening a CFI funded plant tissue and metabolomics research facility focused on sustainable and resilient berry horticulture.

Field trips and practicum internships with local farms and agribusinesses are required for our programmes. Faculty are expected to engage with the local agricultural community in their areas of expertise.

We are looking for applicants who share our passion for and commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching in a student-centred environment, successfully integrate their scholarship into their teaching, and have experience providing high-quality services to communities and industry (e.

g., extension). We are looking for individuals with research and hands-on experience in agribusiness. . The candidate must work well with various areas of the university community including Faculty of Science and School of Business and Computing, and with external partners, such as marketing boards and commodity groups.

• We are seeking a collegial, energetic, and innovative individual who has successful teaching experience at the undergraduate level and who communicates effectively with students;
• is strongly committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in and out of the classroom; can instruct across a range of the undergraduate courses offered by the department;

and can contribute to the ongoing renewal of the Agriculture curriculum to keep pace with evolving sector practices and needs.

A capacity to teach across traditional disciplinary boundaries (particularly in business) and to incorporate Indigenous viewpoints into the curriculum and department would be beneficial.

Experience teaching international students is beneficial since UFV is dedicated to supporting and engaging international students.

Experience with technology-supported education (such as hybrid and online) is necessary. The ideal candidate will be able to work well in groups and be interested in creative interdisciplinary teaching methods.

Applicants will have a good track record as practitioners commensurate with their experience and the ability to build and transfer those experiences into applied learning opportunities for students.

The selected applicant will be expected to contribute to advancing professional practice through student-led inquiry and scholarship related to the agriculture industry.

The chosen candidate will be instrumental in establishing a cutting-edge agribusiness curriculum and ensuring a smooth transition for students from the Agriculture Technology Diploma to our BBA in Agriculture Management.

This role demands developing a rigorous research program that can incorporate student projects, applying practical agribusiness expertise and a strong desire to teach leading to a best-in-practice curriculum.

A desire to work with the local agribusiness community is an asset.

The successful applicant will collaborate with other relevant departments to create a consistent educational pathway for students interested in agriculture and agribusiness.

Promoting multidisciplinary collaboration and programme integration is critical in this environment, and a commitment to continued professional development is necessary.

Qualifications :

a PhD in Agricullture Economics, Agribusiness, or a similar topic from a recognised post-secondary institution and appropriate agricultural work experience.

Candidates currently working on their PhD but with considerable (5+ years) experience in industry and / or teaching at the college or university level may be considered.

• Preference is given to candidates with a Technical Agrologist (T.Ag) or Professional Agrologist (P.Ag) designation from the BC Institute of Agrologists or another Agrologist Canada-affiliated institute.
• Demonstrates strong theoretical, conceptual, and applied knowledge of agribusiness as well as Canada's food and agriculture sector.
• Demonstrated teaching excellence at the undergraduate level.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and service abilities.
• Demonstrated experience with technology-supported teaching (e.g., hybrid or online).
• Scholarly involvement in agri-business and food production economics and management.

Applicants should submit the following through the HR Application portal : a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, statement of teaching philosophy, copies of teaching evaluations.

Short listed candidates will need to provide the names and contact information for three references.