"Statewide Food Safety Coordinator for Community Food Systems Academic Coordinator II UC Sustainable Agriculture & Research Education Program (UC SAREP) (AP 25-22)"

Position Overview

The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) invites applications for a Statewide Food Safety Coordinator for Community Food Systems, University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (UC SAREP), (Academic Coordinator II).

Location Headquarters: UC ANR, Davis, California

Purpose:

The Statewide Food Safety Coordinator for Community Food Systems will coordinate statewide outreach, education, technical assistance, and applied research activities to support the safe preservation, processing, packaging, consumption, handling, and storage of food products for food businesses, food hubs, and other post-harvest supply chain components across UC SAREP programs. This position will collaborate with the UC Master Food Preservers (MFP) to provide content expertise and statewide coordination to promote safe food processing methods, including value-added product development; recipe development; process control; hazard analysis; risk assessment; Cottage Foods Operations; and small-scale food processing equipment and methods. This includes statewide leadership for the development and implementation of a UC Master Food Preserver (MFP) public education program to provide training and technical support for cottage food operators throughout California. The Coordinator will also collaborate with UC SAREP's Food and Society programs to enhance processed food safety for value-added products from niche and emerging crops for California; small-scale food processing; food hub and aggregation facility food safety regulatory compliance; and sustainable supply chains for value-added products.

The Coordinator will provide content expertise in food preservation and processing methods, build strong partnerships with environmental health departments, and develop resources to assist small- to medium-scale food businesses with food safety best practices and regulatory compliance. This position will interface with food safety research activities conducted by UC campus and external partner institutions and coordinate project oversight and curriculum development for efforts to develop recipes, methods, and hazard control points for small-scale food processing. The Coordinator will collaborate with multiple UC ANR and UC SAREP programs, including the Small Farms Network and the Organic Agriculture Institute, to support innovation for processed food products and foster economic development and entrepreneurship for small- to medium- scale food businesses.

This is an exciting opportunity to have meaningful impacts in the communities throughout California. The Academic Coordinator joins a team of highly motivated UC ANR colleagues who are passionate about their work and are dedicated to making a difference within their communities and throughout California.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Extension Education and Outreach:

• Coordinate statewide efforts to promote and support food safety for small-to medium-scale food businesses and food hubs. including outreach, extension education, and technical assistance.
• Develop and disseminate statewide extension resources to support safe preservation, processing, packaging, consumption, handling, transportation, and storage of food products.
• Develop and deliver educational programming in a variety of formats across UC SAREP programs for food business operators, nonprofit partners, and extension professionals reaching diverse audiences.
• Provide leadership and content expertise for development of the UC Master Food Preserver Cottage Food Operations public education and volunteer certification program and regulatory compliance training.
• Provide science-based information to small-scale food businesses, food hubs, and Cottage Foods operators through participation in relevant meetings, conferences, and working groups.

Collaboration and Partnerships:

• Coordinate collaborations with UC ANR CE Advisors and Specialists and external academic institutions conducting research to enhance food safety for small-to medium-scale food businesses and food hubs.
• Collaborate with UC SAREP and UC ANR statewide and county-based programs to support innovation and economic development efforts for processed food products, sustainable supply chains, and small business development and entrepreneurship.
• Cultivate and maintain partnerships with environmental health departments, regulatory agencies, advocacy organizations, and local government entities to ensure alignment of UC SAREP programs with local, state, and federal food safety requirements.
• Foster partnerships with cottage food operators, industry groups, and advocacy organizations to increase support and resources for food safety in small-scale food processing and aggregation operations.
• May supervise staff on UC SAREP or grant-funded projects.

Statewide Leadership and Content Expertise:

• Provide content expertise to UC SAREP programs on food safety topics relevant to a variety of crops, processed food products, supply chains, business models, and marketing strategies.
• Provide statewide expertise to support small-to medium-scale food businesses and food hubs with regulatory compliance, including Cottage Foods Operation requirements for California and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Preventive Controls Rule.
• Identify food safety research and extension needs for small-to medium-scale food businesses and contribute to UC SAREP's strategic planning efforts.
• Provide input to the UC SAREP Associate Director of Sustainable Food Economies on program needs.
• Contribute to co-authored peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations, policy papers, and technical memoranda presenting food safety needs and challenges and best practices and extension methods to support small-to medium-scale food businesses and food hubs with food safety compliance.

Project and Grant Management:

• Manage budgets of specified grants focused on food safety for small-to medium-scale food businesses and food hubs and coordinate use of funds among collaborators and partner organizations.
• Prepare grant proposals to support food safety outreach, extension education, technical assistance, and applied research, both individually and collaboratively.
• Prepare grant reports, program and project impact statements, blog posts, briefings, executive summaries, and posters and presentations to disseminate project results, challenges, impacts, and opportunities.
• Collect and analyze program data to evaluate outcomes and impacts and provide recommendations for ongoing improvement.

Counties of Responsibility: This position is focused on work across the State of California and will coordinate activities across multiple counties and regions.

Reporting Relationship: The Statewide Food Safety Education Program Coordinator serves under the administrative and programmatic guidance of the Associate Director for Sustainable Food Economics with additional input from the UC SAREP Director.

Qualifications and Skills Required

Required Qualifications

Education: A minimum of a master's degree in food science, food systems, public health, public policy, or a related field is required at the time of appointment.

Additional Requirements:

• Background and experience in food science, food safety, or a similar field relevant to evidence-based food preservation and processing methods.
• Awareness of policies, regulations, and best practices relevant to small-scale food businesses, food safety, and/or public health, including state and federal regulations such as the California Food Safety Act, Cottage Foods Law, and Food Safety Modernization Act.
• Familiarity with standard control measures to prevent, eliminate or reduce food safety risks and hazards for processed foods.
• Experience in curriculum development, public-facing education programs, and/or adult learning principles. Experience with participatory community education approaches and practices to support inclusion and belonging.
• Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills to network and maintain effective professional relationships with colleagues, volunteers, agencies, industry groups, and program participants.
• Effective verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills including public speaking and delivering instruction in-person and virtually.
• Strong time management and organizational skills to manage tasks on multiple projects.
• Effective skills to conduct needs assessments and develop new methods and materials to meet program needs.
• Strong analytical skills to conduct analyses and develop recommendations for problem-solving.
• We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. at the time of hire.
• Ability and means to travel on a flexible schedule as needed, proof of liability and property damage insurance on vehicle used is required. Must possess or obtain valid California Driver's License to drive a County or University Vehicle.
• This is not a remote position. The candidate must be available to work onsite. In accordance with UC ANR Flexible Work Guidelines flexible work agreements are available upon approval by supervisors and periodic re-evaluation.

Desired Qualifications and Experience

• Knowledge of microbial food safety risks for processed foods and best practices to avoid contamination.
• Previous experience working with food businesses, food entrepreneurs, and/or food hubs.
• Existing relationships and networks with California food business operators.
• Demonstrated success in developing or coordinating partnerships between academic institutions, public agencies, and nonprofit partner organizations.
• Experience in securing and managing philanthropic funding and building relationships with private donors.
• Knowledge of university policies, procedures and regulations, or experience in a similar setting.

Skills Required

To be successful Academic Coordinators require skills in the following:

Technical Competence

• Demonstrated content expertise relevant to food safety for food businesses and supply chains. Familiarity with extension education methods. Awareness of food and agriculture policies and knowledge of challenges faced by California food business operators. Ability to coordinate applied research collaborations and contribute to multidisciplinary projects with a diverse range of collaborators.

Communication

• Demonstrated excellence in written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate and coordinate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex information in a format tailored to the audience.
• Literacy in online communications and computer software to support community education programs.

Collaboration, Teamwork, and Flexibility

• Demonstrated ability to model and support effective teamwork and remain open to exploring new ideas and innovative solutions.
• Able to adapt as circumstances warrant, shifting focus as times and organizational needs change.

Interest in Continued and Lifelong Learning

• Demonstrated commitment to ongoing self-improvement both professionally and personally.

Salary & Benefits

Salary: The salary will be in the Academic Coordinator II series from Step 1 - $84,246 to Step 10 - $128,101 annually. The Step placement in this series is based on experience and professional qualifications. For information regarding the Academic Coordinator series salary scales, please refer to: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2025-26/policy-covered-july-2025-scales/t36-ii.pdf

This appointment is a limited term appointment. The merit cycle is every two years. The performance in the position will be evaluated annually. The position will be extended based on the continued need for the position, performance and availability of funding.

Benefits: The University of California offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance, retirement plans, two days per month paid vacation, one day per month paid sick leave, and paid holidays. For more information, refer to the UC Benefits website at: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

How to Apply

If interested in this position, please visit: https://recruit.ucanr.edu/ and choose 'applicants' (refer to position #25-22)

Closing Date: To ensure full consideration, application packets must be received by January 2, 2026 (open until filled).

Questions?

Contact Kahla Wallace via email: kahwallace@ucanr.edu

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter
• College Level Transcripts - Electronic transcripts or legible scanned copies (PDF) of original transcripts will be accepted. Transcripts must identify course work completed, grades earned, degrees conferred and confer dates. Please DO NOT send transcripts that are password protected.
• References - Please provide 3 references including names, titles, emails and phone numbers.

Reference requirements

• 3-5 required (contact information only)