Responsible for planning, maintaining, and completing all phases of research programs and projects focused on economic impact, feasibility studies, and economic development. This position requires research knowledge, skills and abilities focused on input-output analysis, IMPLAN, feasibility analysis, economic impact analysis, and data dashboard development and maintains.

Responsibilities of the position include:

• Ability to be self-motivated, well-organized, detail-oriented, and independently perform duties;
• Ability to work independently or in a team environment on grant proposals, reports, and other analysis
• Provides professional contributions to complex research programs, projects, and grant proposals through the applications of economic analysis, including the design and analysis of economic impact analysis, input-output analysis, feasibility analysis, economic development, and maintaining interactive dashboards on county level agricultural statistics.
• Authors reports for grant projects, journal articles, Extension publications, research reports, and other briefs independently and as a team.
• May independently develop and submit research proposals acting as lead principal investigator in seeking grant and contract funding from external agencies.
• Collaborate with principal investigator(s) in grant proposal
• Communicate findings of research to key stakeholders included Extension Agents, government agencies, policy makers, researchers, and others through presentations and publications.
• Support Extension personnel and internal stakeholders with research for their programs

Required Qualifications

• Education: Master's degree in agricultural economics, or a related field.

• Experience: Experience in: IMPLAN, Dashboard databases, Excel, and 1-3 years experience doing economic impact analysis is required

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Ability to be self-motivated, well-organized, detail-oriented, and independently perform duties or in a team environment;

  • ability to oversee and direct work of project specific designated personnel and/or students;

  • ability to oversee research projects;

  • ability to allocate and coordinate resources;

  • ability to multi-task;

  • ability to interact effectively with federal/state/local agencies and decision-makers, as well as federal and state agency administrators and technical staff;

  • statistical knowledge pertaining to research methodology and design, database management, and ability to learn new software quickly;

  • ability to understand, construct, and apply economic models;

  • knowledge of programming skills for manipulation of large databases; and

  • advanced writing/communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: PhD degree in agricultural economics

• Experience: 3-5 years experience doing economic impact analysis, feasibility studies, and dashboard development is preferred

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

Familiarity with USDA agricultural and forestry statistical databases. Strong skills with Excel, IMPLAN, statistical software, dashboard platforms, and other software to collect data, merge and analyze data

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Onsite, Hybrid, or Remote: ONSITE

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR09
• Anticipated hiring range:
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted on or before June 18, 2026.

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of 3 Professional References