Careers

The IR-4 Project, headquartered at North Carolina State University, seeks its next visionary leader driven by dedication to specialty crop stakeholders to guide IR-4 into the future while remaining rooted in the organizational mission.

Primary Function of Organizational Unit 

The primary function of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service (NCARS) unit is to develop the knowledge and technology needed to improve productivity, profitability and sustainability of industries in agriculture and the life sciences; develop ways to conserve and improve the state’s natural resources and environment; improve the health, well-being and quality of life of North Carolina’s citizens; and provide the science-based research for academic and extension programs.

The IR-4 Project is a national Federal/State partnership research program to assist farmers of fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, ornamentals, and other specialty crops by facilitating registration of safe and effective chemical and bio-based pest management products. The IR-4 Project is needed because the crop protection industry focuses their research efforts on major crops such as corn, soybean, and cotton that provide the companies adequate return on their development investment. The IR-4 proactively identifies available and emergent products to provide strategic pest-management tools to enhance profitability and sustainability outcomes for farmers of specialty crops. IR-4 Project Headquarters provides national leadership, coordination and regulatory compliance for the IR-4 Project research activities performed by approx. 125 scientists at over 20 public sector research farms and four analytical laboratories throughout the United States.

Position Description/General Scope of Duties

The IR-4 Project Executive Director position will report to the Associate Dean for Research CALS. The responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:

Responsible for coordination, oversight and management of the research, regulatory activities and long-term leadership of the national/international IR-4 Project (30%)

• Empower the 125 full time scientists and staff associated with the IR-4 Project at the headquarters and numerous Land-Grant Universities/State Agriculture Experimental Stations, and USDA-Agriculture Research Service(ARS) to successfully perform regulatory research and develop regulatory dossiers. Efforts are to support the registration of safe and effective bio-based and chemical pesticides on fruit, vegetables, nuts, herbs, ornamentals, other specialty crops and minor crop protection uses on major crops (corn, soybeans, cotton, wheat/small grains, etc.).
• Develop and implement policies/strategies for all elements of the IR-4 Project operations:
  • Participate as voting member of the IR-4 Project Management Committee (aka PMC or IR-4’s Board of Directors).
  • Implement technical and policy decisions of the PMC for USDA NIFA funded research at IR-4 Project Headquarters, IR-4’s four regional offices, two analytical laboratories, 15 Field Research Centers and other field research sites.
  • Provide oversight and guidance to USDA ARS’s two analytical laboratories and five field research sites.
• Engage with the specialty crop and crop protection industries to be aware of challenges and changes to ensure that IR-4 remains nimble and can address, incorporate, and/or innovate in response to challenges/changes.
• Facilitate and obtain annual funding (approx. $20 million) from USDA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Foreign Agriculture Service), State Agriculture Experimental Stations (aginnovation), commodity associations, crop protection industry and other sources that are necessary to perform the IR-4 Project’s regulatory research priorities.

Provide program and fiscal management/oversight of IR-4 Project Headquarters (30%)

• Provide high level direction to a team of 28 highly motivated scientists and staff who are responsible to coordinate and manage the IR-4 Project’s research programs with pesticides, biopesticides and other pest management technologies on specialty food and non-food crops. Main tasks of team include:
  • Maintain a database of specialty crop pest management voids that IR-4 has answered, that IR-4 is currently solving or voids that are awaiting IR-4’s attention.
  • Facilitate establishment of IR-4’s research priorities with significant input from stakeholders collected from a mix of on-line tools and face to face workshops.
  • Development of research protocols.
  • Direction of studies, including studies required to be performed under federal Good Laboratory Practice regulations.
  • Development and submission of dossiers to US Environmental Protection Agency and other national/international regulatory authorities.
  • Facilitate partnership with international groups with similar goals and objectives
• Fiscally responsible for approximately $20 million dollars per year in grants and gifts from various government and non-government sources that are needed to perform IR-4 Headquarters responsibilities.
  • Serve as institution’s Principal Investigator in grant submission, grant management, and reporting.

Advocate for the IR-4 Project (20%)

• Interact with stakeholders of the IR-4 Project to keep them informed of the opportunities available through “partnership” with the IR-4 Project.
• Attend numerous conferences, workshops and symposiums and serve as a spokesperson for the IR-4 Project.
• Manage in-house and outsourced communication and outreach activities of the IR-4 Project including the production of an annual report.
• Be a resource and assist the IR-4 Commodity Liaison Committee, Minor Crop Farmers Alliance, Friends of IR-4 and other commodity associations in their ongoing efforts to raise awareness to the IR-4 Projects’ funding challenges and needs to the US Congress, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Management and Budget.

Fundraise (20%)

• Unrestricted funds – Solicit donations of funds from agriculture products companies, commodity associations and food processors. The funds come into IR-4 with no agreement to perform research on a specific research study and can be used to strategically enhance IR-4 goals at the discretion of the Executive Director.
• Cooperative research funds – Solicit donations of funds or in-kind service (e.g. analysis of residue samples) from agriculture products companies, commodity associations and food to offset the cost of a planned or on-going IR-4 research study.
• Priority setting workshops sponsorship – Seek sponsorship funds from agriculture products companies, commodity associations and food processors to offset the cost of the IR-4 Project annual stakeholder priority setting workshops. Donated funds are used for food/beverages, meeting space, AV and other expenses.
• Seek new opportunities for funding IR-4 from multiple sources including international governments, Foundations, US state and federal government, and private entities.

This position is an in-person position, located in Raleigh, NC, at NC State University.

Proposed Minimum Education and Experience

PhD in horticulture or other plant sciences, pest management (Entomology, Plant Pathology, Weed Science), chemistry or related area, with years of experience in regulatory science, applied pest management research, or related discipline.

Preferred Qualifications, Skills and Education

• PhD in horticulture or other plant sciences, pest management (Entomology, Plant Pathology, Weed Science), chemistry or related area, with at least 15 years’ experience in regulatory science, applied pest management research, or related discipline.
• Willing to travel, including IR-4 meetings throughout the United States as well as international meetings. 

Department Skills

• Ability to maintain attention to details, prioritize and meet deadlines.  
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work well in both team and independent environments.
• Ability to motivate, empower and manage others.
• Committed to excellence in customer service relations with internal (IR-4 Management, peers, field personnel, lab personnel, researchers) and external (producers, commodity/trade associations, registrants, EPA) stakeholders.
• Be willing to assist others when needed.
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced work environment.

Apply for this position via the NC State University job posting.

Interested in helping IR-4 find its next exceptional leader? Please share this job flyer with your networks.