Assistant Professor - Precision Ranching

Job Title

Assistant Professor - Precision Ranching

Agency

Texas A&M Agrilife Research

Department

Sonora

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

Sonora, Texas

Job Type

Faculty

Job Description

About Texas A&M AgriLife

Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members:

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Texas A&M AgriLife Research

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University

Texas A&M Forest Service

Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service.

Click here to learn more about how you can be a part of AgriLife and make a difference in the world!

Position Information:

Texas A&M AgriLife Research seeks an innovative, collaborative, and highly motivated scientist to serve as an Assistant Professor in Precision Ranching. This is a 12-month, 100% research appointment administratively housed at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo, Texas, with strong preference for the candidate to be based primarily at the Texas A&M AgriLife Sonora Experiment Station, where the proposed faculty member will engage closely with regional stakeholders to address their needs through research. The successful candidate will hold an affiliation with either the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife & Fisheries Management or the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Texas A&M University.

The successful candidate will develop a nationally recognized, externally funded research program focused on advancing the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of rangeland systems through the application of precision technologies, data-driven decision support tools, and integrated resource management strategies. The position will foster interdisciplinary collaborations across Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M University, industry partners, and other stakeholder groups.

Texas rangelands comprise approximately 60% of the state's land area and support livestock production, wildlife habitat, water resources, recreation, agritourism, and numerous ecosystem services. This position will address emerging challenges and opportunities through the application of smart sensing technologies, remote monitoring systems, automation, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics to improve management decisions and resource stewardship across rangeland enterprises.

Responsibilities:

Develop and maintain an externally funded, nationally recognized research program addressing critical challenges facing Texas rangeland and livestock industries.

Conduct fundamental, applied, and translational research focused on precision ranching technologies and management systems.

Advance innovative solutions related to:

Rangeland restoration and management.

Livestock production efficiency and resource optimization.

Smart sensing, automation, and digital agriculture technologies.

Wildfire mitigation and invasive species management.

Watershed management and water quality protection.

Integrated multi-enterprise ranching systems, including agritourism.

Publish research findings in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and other relevant outlets.

Mentor graduate students and supervise research personnel.

Secure competitive extramural funding from federal, state, industry, and private sources.

Collaborate with AgriLife Research and Extension faculty, industry stakeholders, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Translate research outcomes into practical applications that support stakeholder adoption and economic impact.

Contribute to intellectual property development, technology transfer, and stakeholder engagement activities.

Administrative Relationships:

Reports to the Center Director, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo, with academic guidance provided by the affiliated department.

Provides direction and supervision for research personnel, support staff, and graduate students associated with the program.

Qualifications:

Required job qualifications:

Ph.D. in Rangeland Science, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, or a closely related discipline by the date of appointment.

Expertise in rangeland production systems and management practices.

Demonstrated experience with precision agriculture technologies, smart sensor systems, remote sensing, data analytics, automation, or related technologies.

Record of publishing original research in peer-reviewed journals.

Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

Preferred job qualifications:

Demonstrated experience with range plant identification and field-based vegetation sampling.

Prior academic, post-doctoral, or professional research experience.

Demonstrated ability to secure competitive external funding.

Experience working with federal agencies or in other multi-agency collaborative settings.

Ability to build collaborative and multidisciplinary research programs.

Ability to communicate and build relationships with regional stakeholders to identify needs to address through research.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of rangeland production systems and management practices in semi-arid rangelands, including strong plant identification skills and experience with field sampling methods.

Strong project management and organizational skills.

Demonstrated leadership and team-building capabilities.

Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities effectively.

Professional judgment, initiative, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Understanding of the mission and role of the Land-Grant University System.

Location and Facilities:

Texas A&M AgriLife’s San Angelo Research and Extension Center is an off-campus center located in San Angelo, Texas, known for its long history of work on small ruminant ranching, rangelands and wildlife in the West Central Texas region. Scientists at the center conduct research on site and at satellite stations located in Crockett, Edwards, Sutton, and Menard counties, totaling about 15,000 acres. Each location has all the equipment required for managing the livestock on these properties including cross fencing, corrals, livestock scales, barns, and storage facilities.

Sonora Station (Sutton and Edwards counties) recently celebrated its 110th anniversary as a research facility. Sonora Station totals 3,300 acres, located about 27 miles south of Sonora, Texas. Research at Sonora Station has covered all facets of rangelands, including small ruminant management and production, grazing systems, water management, prescribed fire and grazing with goats to reduce juniper invasion for savanna restoration, wildlife ecology, and rangeland plant ecology to name a few. Datasets from some of these projects span decades to inform and support future work. In addition to Sonora Station, the San Angelo Center also manages two other Texas A&M AgriLife Research ranches where similar research is conducted. Read Ranch (Crockett County) totals about 5,000 acres located near Ozona, Texas and the Carl and Bina Sue Martin Ranch totals about 4,700 acres located near Menard, Texas.

The successful candidate will have opportunities to conduct research across the properties associated with the center and collaborate extensively across Texas A&M AgriLife, other universities, governmental agencies, industry partners, and nonprofit organizations to develop impactful research programs that address regional, n