UC ANR leadership has opened an internal call for those interested in assuming the role of County Director (CD) for Riverside County beginning Jan. 2, 2021. This call is open to all UC ANR employees regardless of staff or academic status. Employees will be expected to take on this role as a partial appointment in addition to their current role, and will be compensated accordingly.

The county director is responsible for the coordination and overall operation of Cooperative Extension programs in Riverside County. Responsibilities include leadership and oversight of all extension and research programs including effective management and supervision of all staff and academic personnel – oversight, evaluation (annual evaluations, merit and promotions), mentoring, coaching and discipline. Additionally, the director will be responsible for maintaining effective collaboration and communication between the University of California and the administrative officers of Riverside County.  Maintaining and enhancing Riverside County CE budgets, serving as an advocate for CE and all its programs, and developing and maintaining good working relationships with public and private agencies in Riverside County is paramount to the success of the CD role. 

The county director is expected to:

• Provide vision, inspire and motivate others with attitude and actions; set a high standard for excellence; innovate and foster positive change; model and support a good team working environment; and encourage and be open to exploring new ideas and innovative changes, and provide active, ongoing advocacy and support for UC ANR programs. 

• Understand and uniformly apply UC and county administrative policies; provide useful and timely feedback; take timely disciplinary action within UC and County procedures, if necessary; and work with staff in advance of deadlines for required records and reports.

• Successfully secure county resources, as well as other sources of support; effectively manage and equitably allocate resources among programs and established priorities; monitor the use of resources and comply with all relevant policies; and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external partners to form strong support networks for UCCE.

• Be an effective listener and communicator; takes responsibility for his/her own actions; motivates others; keeps commitments; and cultivates political and industry support for UC ANR.

• Demonstrate concern for all staff; effectively manage all personnel supervision, oversight, annual evaluations, merits and promotions, and take appropriate disciplinary actions; make effective use of staff expertise to strengthen the team; and invest in improving all staff expertise and supports professional development.

The add-on appointment will be for a two-year term, and is subject to renewal, renegotiation, or termination.  As with all administrative appointments, county director appointments are at the discretion of the vice president and may be terminated at any time.

If you are interested in being considered for this county director position, please address your letter and position questions to Vice Provost Mark Lagrimini at mlagrimini@ucanr.edu. Please indicate your motivation to serve in this capacity; the key strengths you will bring to this position; and your approach to balancing the demands of this appointment with your current responsibilities. Submit your letter of interest to Pam Tise at pdtise@ucanr.edu by Nov. 23, 2020.