Job Summary:
About Extension:
UW-Madison's Division of Extension serves the people and communities of Wisconsin by addressing local, statewide and national issues, improving lives through research-based education, fostering partnerships and action, and facilitating positive impacts. The Agriculture Institute is one of six Institutes in the Division.
About the Agriculture Institute's Crops Program:
The Agriculture Institute's Crops Program works hand-in-hand with row crop, forage, fruit and vegetable producers to implement best practices for every aspect of the growing phase. The Crops program provides timely resources and information to help Wisconsin crop producers, and their agricultural consultants manage crops efficiently and profitably.
About this Position:
Extension has been working with farmers for more than 100 years, and we're diversifying our staffing portfolio to meet the evolving needs of our clientele. The Regional Crops Educator position is designed to work with crop producers and agribusiness professionals across a multi-county service area to solve production challenges and incorporate new research findings into outreach and educational materials that improve the efficiency and profitability of crop production.
The Regional Crops Educator will work with producers in their service area to identify needs and deliver research-based solutions to help them meet their goals. This position will cover Buffalo, Trempealeau, and Jackson counties.
The Regional Crops Educator will:
- Collaborate with Extension colleagues to identify needs and develop and maintain robust, high-quality outreach education programs to find solutions to the most critical crop management issues facing Wisconsin producers.
- Develop and maintain a specific expertise related to crop production and management.
- Build trust-based relationships with stakeholders.
The ideal candidate will have experience with developing and evaluating educational programming and a track record of building positive relationships.
Responsibilities:
Delivers and assists with planning outreach program activities, strengthens partnerships, ensures adherence to policy, and assists with program administration to promote stable and productive relationships between the university and local community. Strives to expand and ensure access to programs, facilities, and educational services to diverse audiences. May assist with tracking and managing the outreach program budget.
- 25% Identifies, promotes, and maintains external partnerships to support the outreach program
- 10% Schedules and secures resources and communicates logistics in support of an outreach program
- 20% Delivers outreach program content and materials to community members
- 10% Researches, develops, and facilitates outreach program content and materials
- 20% Develops and evaluates curriculum and programs and provides recommendations for improvement
- 5% May assist with the monitoring of outreach program budget spending
- 10% Communicates plans, activities, and achievements to Area Extension Director, Program Managers, County Partners and relevant Stakeholders through the reporting portal and verbal updates.
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.
For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion
Education:
Required
Bachelor's Degree in a field of study related to this position's focus.
Preferred
Master's Degree in a field of study related to this position's focus.
Qualifications:
Required:
- Three or more years 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, using a variety of methods and technologies
- Demonstrated ability to effectively work with people from different cultural backgrounds, including those associated with race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, socioeconomic status, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and other aspects of human diversity
Preferred:
- Demonstrated experience with building diverse, collaborative partnerships to accomplish goals.
- Strong interpersonal relationship and problem-solving skills in a team setting
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
- Demonstrated educational program development skills which include planning and implementing programs; evaluating learning experiences; and communicating program impact and value, in both written and verbal formats, for a variety of lay and other audiences as well as stakeholders
- Demonstrated experience in understanding experimental design, statistical analysis and interpreting research data
- Demonstrated ability to write grants and establish partnerships that pool or leverage public and private funds in support of the Institutional mission
- Demonstrated fiscal management skills
Work Type:
Full Time: 100%
It is anticipated this position requires work be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location.
Appointment Type, Duration:
Ongoing/Renewable
Salary:
Minimum $60,000 ANNUAL (12 months)
Depending on Qualifications
Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Benefits information can be found at (https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/)
Additional Information:
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.
The primary programming focus for this position is Buffalo, Trempealeau, and Jackson counties. The position location is flexible within the region and will be determined based on programmatic needs, successful candidate's preferences, and availability of suitable space.
It is expected that employees will make individual arrangements for transportation adequate to meet position responsibilities and essential job functions. Information about UW-Madison Driver Authorization can be found at https://businessservices.wisc.edu/managing-risk/driver-authorization-and-insurance/driver-authorization/. Applicants are required to: Have a valid driver's license and a reliable source of independent transportation for periodic regional work travel, and/or comply with requirements for UW-Madison vehicle use authorization.
This position may be required to work occasional nights and weekends to meet the program needs and priorities of the communities served.
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:
- Resume detailing your educational and professional background
- Letter of Qualifications (cover letter) communicating your interest in the position and how your skillset/related work experience align with the role
- Writing Sample (Instructions below)
The application reviewers will be relying on written application materials to determine who may advance to preliminary interviews.
A Regional Crops Educator often writes articles on current topics impacting the crops and soils industry. Articles are submitted to news outlets, posted to social media sites, and agriculture newspapers/magazines. In addition to your cover letter and resume, please submit a writing sample (approximately 500 - 1,200 words). Your writing should utilize research-based information to address a pressing issue you believe faces the crops and soils industry today.
Contact:
Sarah Torbert
sarah.torbert@wisc.edu
715-279-6818
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.
Official Title:
Outreach Specialist(OE009)
Department(s):
A47-EXTENSION/ANRCD/AGR/CROPS/CROPS&SOIL
Employment Class:
Academic Staff-Renewable
Job Number:
311602-AS
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, 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 through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings,
click hereIf you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request at the following website:
https://employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/disability-accommodation-information-for-applicants/Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require you and your references to answer questions regarding 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).
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