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Job Category:
Academic Staff
Employment Type:
Regular
Job Profile:
Outreach Specialist
Job Summary:
Safe, healthy farms are essential to Wisconsin’s agricultural industry. The Farm Safety and Health Outreach Specialist works with producers, agribusiness, and health professionals to translate research into practical education that supports safer, more profitable operations. This role delivers statewide outreach on key safety risks—chemical, biological, and physical—focusing on risk identification, prevention, and proper PPE use, while building partnerships with stakeholders to support outreach, evaluation, and guidance on the safe adoption of emerging technologies, including automation, while assessing their impacts on workplace safety, workforce attraction and retention, and overall farm sustainability.
The Outreach Specialist will:
Collaborate with Extension colleagues and stakeholders to identify needs and develop and maintain robust, high-quality outreach education programs to find solutions to the most critical challenges Wisconsin farmers face related to farm safety and health.
Develop and maintain specific expertise in farm management related to agricultural safety and health for farm businesses.
Build trust-based relationships with individual and organizational stakeholders.
Work with the Program Manager to facilitate programmatic efforts, maintain strategic direction, build partnerships to support the work.
The ideal candidate will have experience with developing and evaluating educational programming and a record of accomplishment of building positive relationships.
Statewide Location
Division of Extension headquarters are located within Madison, WI but the position location is flexible and will be determined based on programmatic needs, successful candidate’s preferences, and availability of suitable space.
This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location. Remote work requires an approved remote work agreement (RWA). A RWA requires successful candidates to possess their own high-speed internet and phone to perform the work on a university provided computer. Per University policy, transportation between home and assigned work location is not payable/reimbursable and will be at the expense of the employee.
This position has the possibility of working up to 2 days remote per Extension's Remote Work Policy.
It is expected that employees will make individual arrangements for transportation adequate to meet position responsibilities and essential job functions. Read more about UW-Madison Driver Authorization.
Applicants are required to: Have a valid drivers license and a reliable source of independent transportation for periodic in-state work travel, and/or comply with requirements for UW-Madison vehicle use authorization.
Key Job Responsibilities:
- May assist with the monitoring of outreach program budget spending
- Communicate plans, activities, and achievements to Program Manager, partners, and relevant stakeholders
- Schedules and secures resources and communicates logistics in support of an outreach program
- Leads the implementation of programs, policies, and procedures through oversight of day-to-day activities for program staff and student and community volunteers
- Delivers outreach program content and materials to community members
- Researches, develops, and facilitates outreach program content and materials
- Identifies, promotes, and maintains external partnerships to support the outreach program
- Develops and evaluates curriculum and programs and provides recommendations for improvement
Department:
The Division of Extension, Agriculture Institute, Farm Management Program is hiring for a Farm Safety and Health Outreach Specialist.
About Extension
Extension embodies the Wisconsin Idea by developing and connecting the research and educational resources of UW–Madison with residents and communities to address local, statewide, and national issues. We teach, learn, lead and serve, transforming lives and communities.
About the Institute
The UW-Madison Division of Extension Agriculture Institute addresses emerging issues related to Wisconsin’s agriculture and horticulture systems with research-based outreach to advance economically sustainable, socially responsible, and environmentally sound practices.
Additional Department Details
Farm Management Program is part of the Division of Extension's Agriculture Institute and works with the agriculture community to develop research-based information, resources and tools that help inform decisions for profitable, healthy farm businesses.
Compensation:
The minimum annual (12 months) starting salary for the position is $70,000 but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.
This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. Please review the summary of benefits for more information.
Required Qualifications:
Three or more years of relevant professional experience;
Demonstrated skills in interpreting, utilizing, and applying evidence-based information and research findings
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both written and verbal, through a variety of technologies
Demonstrated ability to effectively work with people from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with or knowledge of farm/agricultural production practices or work activities that influence safety and health, knowledge and/or training in agriculture safety and health science, risk assessment and control of emerging technologies in agriculture, influence of technology on farm workplace safety, workplace retention, and overall farm profitability and sustainability
Strong interpersonal relationships and problem-solving skills in a team setting
Demonstrated experience with building diverse, collaborative partnerships
Demonstrated ability to communicate scientific materials in written and verbal forms for a variety of lay and other audiences
Education:
Bachelor's Degree; preferred degree in the field of this position's focus
Master's Degree; preferred degree related to this position's focus.
How to Apply:
We are eager to learn more about how your experience and passion may align with this position. To begin the application process, click the "apply now" button. You will be prompted to upload the following documents:
Please note when applying, there will be only one attachment field. You must upload all your documents in the attachment field. Please submit a cover letter referring to your work experience and a resume detailing your educational and professional background as it relates to this position. Your cover letter should communicate your interest in the position and how your skillset aligns with the role. The application reviewers will be relying on written application materials to determine who may advance to preliminary interviews. Failure to upload all required materials may result in your application not being considered.
For additional guidance and resources on how to tailor your application materials to the job posting, please click https://extension.wisc.edu/careers/.
Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.
Application Deadline is July 26, 2026 at 11:59pm (CDT).
Contact Information:
Sara Dawson
sara.dawson@wisc.edu
(608)-890-2629
Trisha Wagner
trisha.wagner@wisc.edu
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.
Institutional Statement on Diversity:
Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.
To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.
Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.