Position Summary
Position Description
Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics
As part of UC Davis’ commitment to hire leading research faculty with an outstanding commitment to teaching, research and service that will address the needs of our increasingly diverse state and student population, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, at the University of California announces an Assistant Professor faculty position (9-month) in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
Applications are encouraged from candidates with a strong background in financial and agricultural commodity market economics. Research foci could include (but are not limited to) work on the interdependence of physical and financial agricultural commodity markets; risk analysis of commodity derivatives; financialization of agricultural commodity markets; and global and regional trade of agricultural commodities.
As one of the country’s leading R1 institutions, UC Davis seeks candidates with exceptional potential for research, teaching, and inclusive excellence. Successful candidates will help advance UC Davis’ strategic goal of improving access and building an inclusive community for all. The successful candidate also will have an accomplished track record (calibrated to career stage) of teaching, research, or service activities and a clearly articulated vision of how their work at UC Davis will continue to contribute to the University’s mission of serving the needs of our diverse state and student population.
This is an academic year (9-month), Assistant Professor tenure-track position with teaching, research, outreach/engagement and service responsibilities.
Responsibilities:
The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics is seeking applicants that focus on financial and agricultural commodity market economics. The appointee is expected to establish a competitively funded research program to address critical or emerging issues in financial and agricultural commodity market economics, including, for example, the interdependence of physical and financial agricultural commodity markets; risk analysis of commodity derivatives; financialization of agricultural commodity markets; and global and regional trade of agricultural commodities.
The appointee is expected to establish a competitively funded research program in financial and agricultural commodity market economics. The appointee’s primary teaching responsibilities are likely to include ARE 138 International Commodity & Resource Markets, 139 Futures & Options Markets, and 171 Principles of Finance. Other courses that the appointee may be asked to teach include UG courses in finance (172 and 173), MS level courses in agricultural economics and finance (223, 271), and PhD level courses in empirical methods (202B, 202C), and agricultural economics (231, 232, and 233). In particular, the candidate will be expected to teach in the undergraduate joint business major, managerial economics major, and the graduate program. Teaching responsibilities will be up to four courses per year, taking rank into account and will be set by the department chair based upon departmental needs and the successful candidate’s interests/expertise. Other responsibilities include student advising and training at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Participation in and development of outreach/engagement programs, and performance of departmental and university service is expected.
Qualifications:
Basic Qualification: Ph.D. or equivalent in economics, agricultural economics, or a closely related discipline, including training in and/or knowledge of finance. Demonstrated expertise and research interest in financial and agricultural commodity market economics. This expertise could include (but is not limited to) work on the interdependence of physical and financial agricultural commodity markets; risk analysis of commodity derivatives; financialization of agricultural commodity markets; global and regional trade of agricultural commodities. Evidence of research excellence is expected. The candidate should have the ability to develop and instruct undergraduate and graduate courses and the ability to develop and conduct extramurally funded research.
• Basic Qualification: Ph.D. or equivalent in economics, agricultural economics, or a closely related discipline, including training in and/or knowledge of finance (degree must be awarded by time the position starts).
• Demonstrated expertise and research interest in financial and agricultural commodity market economics.
• Demonstrated or potential ability to develop a distinguished research program that results in publications in high-quality refereed journals.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to develop and instruct undergraduate and graduate courses and to present information to scientific audiences.
• Demonstrated ability or potential and interest to advise undergraduates in the joint business major and managerial economics major.
• Demonstrated ability or potential and interest to mentor M.S. and Ph.D. students in the Agricultural and Resource Economics graduate program.
• Demonstrated ability or potential and interest to work with peers in the department, on campus, and in Cooperative Extension to meet the mission of the University.
Salary:
The salary range for this position is $140,000 – $166,700 (annual). “Off-scale salaries” and other components of pay resulting in a salary that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions, qualifications, and experience.
Applications:
Application materials must be submitted via the following website: https://apptrkr.com/6571476. The position will remain open until filled. To ensure consideration, applications should be received by November 3, 2025.
Initial review of applications will be conducted using anonymized versions of the Statement of Research Accomplishments and Interests. Applications demonstrating sufficient potential based on this review will be advanced to full review.
Required application materials include: 1) curriculum vitae including publication list, 2) up to three working papers or publications 3) statement of research accomplishments and future research plans, 4) statement of teaching accomplishments and philosophy, 5) at least three recommendation letters, and 6) an Authorization Release Form https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk2376/files/media/documents/authorization-release-form.pdf. Additional inquiries should be directed to Professor Jens Hilscher, Recruitment Advisory Committee Chair (jhilscher@ucdavis.edu).
As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer. “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
(https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000385/SVSH)
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
(https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination)
• APM – 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment
(https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/apm/apm-035.pdf)
To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled, “Authorization to Release Information” (AOR)
https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk2376/files/media/documents/authorization-release-form.pdf into UC RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state for federal law.
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all employees and students. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service are embodied by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values. A variety of resources and programs are available to academics, staff, and students that reflect the core values reflected in our strategic plan: “To Boldly Go” (https://leadership.ucdavis.edu/strategic-plan), our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs’ Mission Statement (https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/mission-statementand), and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400 (https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/governance/policies/4400.html).
UC Davis supports Family-friendly recruitments. UC Davis covers travel expenses for a second person to accompany an invited faculty recruitment candidate who is a mother (or single parent of either gender) of a breast or bottle-feeding child less than two years of age.
http://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/programs/work-life/index.html
UC Davis recognizes the necessity of supporting faculty with efforts to integrate work, family and other work-life considerations. To recruit and retain the best faculty, the campus sponsors a Work Life
Program that provides programs and services that support faculty as they strive to honor their commitments to work, home and community. http://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/programs/worklife/index.html
The UC Davis Partner Opportunities Program (POP) and Capital Resource Network (CRN) are services designed to support departments and Deans’ offices in the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty. For information about POP, please visit https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/partner-opportunities-program-pop. For information about the CRN, please visit https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/capital-resource-network. Please note eligibility for these programs may be based on policy and funding availability.
As a university employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.
The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings (https://greenmetric.ui.ac.id/about/welcome). UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate