Natural Resources Instructor

Natural Resource Management

South Dakota State University

South Dakota State University Department of Natural Resource Management (NRM) is offering an exciting career opportunity as a Natural Resources Instructor. We are looking for a creative and innovative professional to join us at the rank of Instructor with experience in natural resources disciplines classroom and lab teaching, preferably starting in spring 2025. The candidate will also assist with undergraduate recruitment and advising. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, this is a 9-month, 100% time, benefit eligible position. This position is supervised by Department Head, Dr. Michele Dudash.

The NRM Department is in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and offers B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. The department fosters a vibrant and highly collegial environment among 20 faculty members; including three USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit Scientists; five Extension Field Specialists located throughout the state; approximately 285 undergraduates; and more than 55 graduate students and postdocs. NRM faculty lead regional, national, and international research programs, securing an average of $2.1 million in grants annually. Undergraduate students are trained through five programs: Conservation Planning and Park Management, Ecology and Environmental Science, Natural Resource Law Enforcement, Rangeland Ecology and Management, and Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. The department also has teaching and research support facilities within one mile of campus and at Oak Lake Field Station, approximately 30 minutes away near White, South Dakota.

South Dakota State University promotes access to and opportunities for all to receive the benefit of and participate in education, research, and service and is especially interested in candidates that can contribute to this land-grant mission of access.

Must be authorized to work in the U.S.  Sponsorship is not available for this position.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The successful candidate will serve as an instructor of foundational 100- and 200-level courses and laboratories in NRM programs based on expertise, and may include wildlife, fisheries, environmental science, and rangeland ecology and management. The anticipated teaching load is 10-12 credits per semester. The successful candidate will also serve a critical role in recruitment of students into all five of our undergraduate programs and advise students. They will participate in service roles within the department in addition to their teaching and potential advising duties.

SALARY RANGE:

The salary is commensurate with qualifications, starting at $60,000 for a 9-month appointment. We offer a generous retirement plan that includes 6% matching, 9.34 hours of sick leave each month, and eleven paid holidays.  Relocation benefits are available per university’s guidelines. 

BENEFITS:

We offer a rich academic experience in an environment of inclusions and access. The university is part of a dynamic community for families, students, young professionals, and retirees, which offers an abundance of attractions and activities.  South Dakota State University offers a wide range of excellent benefits including medical, dental, and flexible benefits, retirement plans, compensation packages, paid holidays, and leave.  Employees also have access to internal and state-sponsored training as well as reduced tuition for state-supported courses at all State of South Dakota academic institutions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Earned M.S. in a natural resources discipline or related field at time of application.
• Ability to work collaboratively as a team member; and
• Effective verbal and written communication skills and interpersonal skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience teaching and/or designing undergraduate natural resource courses or related fields at the university level.
• Knowledge and use of classroom technology and the Internet to facilitate classroom teaching, including the use of digital classroom platforms.
• Experience in the scholarship of teaching and learning; and
• Ability to network with natural resource agencies to facilitate internship placement and lab experiences for undergraduate students.

UNIVERSITY AND THE BROOKINGS COMMUNITY:

South Dakota State University is the state’s largest, most comprehensive university with more than 200 academic programs, an enrollment of approximately 12,000 students, and over $60 million annual research expenditures.

South Dakota State University offers a rich academic experience in an environment of inclusion and access through inspired, student-centered education, creative activities and research, innovation and engagement that improve the quality of life in South Dakota, the region, the nation and the world. Its employees embrace the university’s core values of being people-centered, expanding knowledge through creativity, embracing organizational and personal integrity, commitment to diversity of thought, and excellence through continuous improvement.

As the state’s 1862 Morrill Act land-grant institution, the work of South Dakota State University is carried out on its main resident campus in Brookings, at sites in Sioux Falls, Pierre, Rapid City, and Aberdeen, and through Extension offices and Agricultural Experiment Station research sites across South Dakota.

Jackrabbits Athletics competes as an NCAA Division I member with membership in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, the Summit League and the Big XII for wrestling.

Brookings is home to approximately 24,000 residents and is located 60 miles north of Sioux Falls and 200 miles west of Minneapolis. Brookings is listed as an ideal community for families, students, young professionals and retirees, and is rated among the safest and most vibrant cities in South Dakota.

The Brookings Public School District educates approximately 3,300 K-12 students and ranks among the state’s highest academic achieving school districts. The district includes three elementary schools, an intermediate school for fourth and fifth grade, one middle school, and a high school.

The city also boasts an abundance of attractions and activities, including the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, Dakota Nature Park, South Dakota Art Museum, McCrory Gardens, South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum, Outdoor Adventure Center and the Brookings Summer Arts Festival.