Regional Crops Educator

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Job Category: Academic Staff

Employment Type: Regular

Job Profile: Outreach Specialist

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 Adams, Green Lake, Portage, Waushara counties. Geography may shift in the future. The successful candidate will have expertise in vegetable cropping systems at a range of production scales, and will support other cropping systems that may include fruit, row crops, and forage.

• 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 vegetable 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.

Regional

Location:

The primary programming focus is Adams, Green Lake, Portage, and Waushara counties; however, programming will be conducted over a broader geographical area. 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.

In Person:
It is anticipated this position requires work be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location.

Evening/Weekend Work:
This position may be required to work occasional nights and weekends to meet the program needs and priorities of the communities served.

• Ability to walk on uneven ground in the course of farm visits or field work.
• Ability to lift 25 pounds.
• Ability to work outside in inclement weather.

Travel Expectations:
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 driver’s 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.

• Delivers outreach program content and materials to community members
• Researches, develops, and facilitates outreach program content and materials
• Communicates plans, activities, and achievements to Area Extension Director, Program Managers, County Partners and relevant stakeholders through the reporting portal and verbal updates
• Identifies, promotes, and maintains external partnerships to support the outreach program
• Develops and evaluates curriculum and programs and provides recommendations for improvement
• May assist with the monitoring of outreach program budget spending
• 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

Division of Extension, Area 12 and Area 7 Administration are hiring for a Regional Crops Educator.

UW-Madison’s Division of Extension serves the people and communities of Wisconsin by addressing local, statewide and national issues, improving lives through…