Extension Agent, Family & Consumer Sciences, DeKalb County: UTIA

Position X2621: Extension Agent, Family & Consumer Sciences
County:  DeKalb County
Clientele Served: Adult
Headquarters: Smithville, TN

Screening of applicants’ credentials will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. 

Target Start Date: 08/01/2026

Tennessee Extension agents are teachers who work in rural, suburban and urban areas with people from all social, economic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. Our classrooms are everywhere…anywhere a person can learn. The classroom may be the county Extension office, an auditorium, an agribusiness firm, a farm, a suburban garden plot or the family home. Agents also use newspapers, radio, television, web sites, and direct mail (or email) as techniques to reach Tennesseans with the latest research information to improve their lives.

• Plan, execute and evaluate adult Family and Consumer Sciences educational programs.

• Secure and train volunteer leaders and serve as an educational resource for the Family and Consumer Sciences programs within the county.

• Meet with, advise and train leaders of organized Family and Consumer Sciences groups, including Family and Community Education Clubs.

• Responsible to the County Extension Director and must keep current on the latest research information in Family and Consumer Sciences.

• Provide leadership for a program of activities that meets the needs of all eligible clientele regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion or veteran status.

• Assume other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences and/or majoring in nutrition, culinary arts, child and family studies, consumer economics, human ecology, community health, or a closely related major. 
• Applicants must have either a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 point scale, a minimum of 3.0 during their senior year of undergraduate study, or must have earned a Master’s degree. MS Degree, and/or work experience in a related field is preferred. Applicants graduating prior to position start date are welcome to apply.
• A complete application package will include a 1) letter of interest, 2) a resume or curriculum vitae, 3) and official or unofficial transcripts showing degree(s) conferred. 

 

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Internal Applicants:

Request for transfer may be approved if applicant: 

• Has normally been employed with Extension in their current location a minimum of eighteen (18) months. 
• Has a performance rating of satisfactory or above for the previous eighteen (18) months; and 
• Training appropriate for the assignment.

• Attach a complete application package which includes a 1) letter of interest, 2) a resume or curriculum vitae, 3) and official or unofficial transcripts showing degree(s) conferred.

   

 

UT Extension 
212 D Morgan Hall 
Knoxville, TN 37996-4525

Phone: (865) 974-7245
Email: UTExtensionPersonnel@utk.edu
Website: http://utextension.tennessee.edu

Work Location:

• On-Site

 

Compensation and Benefits:

• Starting Salary Based on Education & Experience
• Salary: Commensurate with training and experience. This position is funded jointly by UT Extension and DeKalb County. DeKalb County Government funds 22% of the position salary and benefits costs.
• Benefits: Group hospitalization and life insurance; State Retirement; Workers’ Compensation; sick and annual leave; numerous University of Tennessee and state benefits programs, including liberal time off for holidays, and longevity pay after three years of service; reimbursement for official travel. Find more information on UT Benefits here.

 

Application Instructions:

For best consideration applicants should submit the below materials immediately

• 1) letter of interest, 2) a resume or curriculum vitae, 3) and official or unofficial transcripts showing degree(s) conferred.

 

About The College/Department/Division:

UT Extension provides a gateway to the University of Tennessee as the outreach unit of the Institute of Agriculture. It is a statewide educational organization, funded by federal, state and local governments, that brings research-based information about agriculture, family and consumer sciences, and resource development to the people of Tennessee where they live and work. 

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service. 

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.  

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone. 

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.  

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!