Responsibilities
The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and leading a statewide farm financial analysis and research program in Alabama. This research empowers the farm workforce with financial management skills, applied accounting knowledge, and decision-making tools needed to operate resilient, profitable, and data-driven agricultural operations that support rural communities in Alabama. The impacts of this program include:
- To give Alabama farmers a better understanding of where they fall in the distribution of profitability among similar farms through benchmarks set by data from Alabama farms.
- To gather cost of production data on Alabama farms that can be used to support farm policy making at the state and federal levels.
- To provide data for farm management research that will benefit Alabama farmers with guidance and additional knowledge on financial efficiency and production.
The following outlines a sample list of activities for a calendar year of farm analysis and research by the candidate:
- Education on record keeping to create balance sheets and cash flow analysis
- Commodity marketing discussions and planning
- Recording crop acres and yields/livestock inventory and production
- Submission of year-end financial records to database for analysis and benchmarking
- Goal setting for the coming year
- Generating reports on financial benchmarks and research on farm management
Responsibilities of the candidate will include recruiting farmers for the program to learn about financial analysis and collect farm financial data for further research and benchmarking. Additionally, the candidate will work with state stakeholders to encourage farmer participation in the program, and work to secure extramural funding to support the analysis, benchmarking, and research program. Frequent travel across the state is required for this position, therefore a valid Alabama Driver's license and a satisfactory driving record is required. Office location of this position will be determined based on candidate selected.
Responsibilities also include teaching one undergraduate/graduate course in Farm Management each spring semester. This teaching assignment will tie together work done in the state with farmers and other aspects of farm management informed by the other responsibilities of this position.
Qualifications
Minimum qualifications are an earned Ph.D. from an accredited institution in Economics, Agricultural Economics, or a related discipline by the expected position start date. Candidates should be able to demonstrate experience working with farmers on farm management issues including, but not limited to: financial analysis, marketing, recordkeeping, and related decision-making for the farm. Teaching experience of farm management topics is desired. The candidate must possess excellent interpersonal communication and organizational skills. The incumbent must meet eligibility requirements for work in the United States at the time the appointment is scheduled to begin and continue working legally for the term of employment.
Applicants must apply for the position by attaching the following:
- a cover letter that addresses the experience pertinent to all position responsibilities
- current curriculum vita
- copies of ALL academic transcripts
- Three professional references with contact information
Only complete applications will be considered. To ensure consideration for the position, applicants must apply by end of business on August 20, 2026. Position may remain open until position is filled. Questions concerning the position should be directed to: Dr. Wendiam Sawadgo, Search committee chair, email: wendiam@auburn.edu
Contract Type
Annual Appointment
