Assistant Professor - Precision Ranching

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. 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 West Central Texas. The Sonora Research Station totals 3,300 acres, located 27 miles south of Sonora, Texas, where research has covered all facets of rangelands, including small ruminant management/production, grazing systems, water management, prescribed fire, wildlife ecology, and rangeland plant ecology. Two additional research ranches managed by the San Angelo Center provide additional research opportunities.