Continuing Education Specialist 2, Pesticide Safety Education Program

The Ohio State University•Columbus, OH

3d•$21 - $28•Hybrid

About The Position

The Continuing Education Specialist (CES) is a member of the Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) team, which provides educational resources to Ohio pesticide applicators. PSEP hosts new applicator schools, continuing education conferences, webinars, and asynchronous courses for 4000-5000 licensed pesticide applicators each year. These programs focus on pest management, regulatory updates, and best practices for pesticide application. PSEP also provides an annual in-service and teaching resources for OSU agricultural and natural resource extension educators. The CES will work with the PSEP team to facilitate all PSEP conferences, workshops, webinars, and online courses for pesticide applicators. The CES may teach in selected programs as experience allows. The CES will also assist with direct inquiries from our extension clientele. The CES will be responsible for coordinating the annual OSU extension educator in-service and other programs as assigned. Coordination involves program planning, speaker arrangements, and event logistics, including conference center and food arrangements. The CES will develop a publication that is distributed at the annual in-service. This annual in-service provides county agricultural and natural resource educators with curriculum for teaching private pesticide applicator meetings. The CES will also serve as an information resource on private pesticide applicator requirements to OSU extension educators. The CES will establish excellent relationships with OSU extension educators and state extension specialists and will collaborate with them to develop and update instructional materials (e.g., manuals, factsheets, presentations, and videos). The CES will also work collaboratively to construct, edit, and maintain asynchronous online courses. The CES will need a solid background in agronomy, horticulture, or related fields (see requirement section), obtained through education or work experience. The CES will coordinate the annual Pesticide Safety Education outreach efforts at Farm Science Review. Farm Science Review is a college-wide event held each year that attracts more than 100,000 people from the agricultural community. Responsibilities will also include creating and updating webpages, assisting extension clientele, preparing program evaluations and reports, creating a variety of communications including email, social media, and marketing flyers. The CES will work under the guidance of the PSEP director and often in close collaboration with other members of the PSEP team, as well as our student assistants. The successful candidate will exhibit excellent verbal and written communications and interact professionally with university, industry, and state agency cooperators. Occasional overnight travel will be required to assist with our regional conference programs (4-6 nights per year). The primary job location is the Columbus campus. After a satisfactory onboarding period, flexible work arrangements will be possible about 2 days per week, but flexible work arrangements will be subordinate to the needs of the program and conference/workshop schedules. It is not possible to obtain visas for this position.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
2 years of relevant experience required.
Solid background in agronomy, horticulture, or related fields, obtained through education or work experience.
Excellent verbal and written communications.
Ability to interact professionally with university, industry, and state agency cooperators.

Nice To Haves

2-4 years of relevant experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Facilitate all PSEP conferences, workshops, webinars and online courses for pesticide applicators.
Teach in selected programs as experience allows.
Assist with direct inquiries from our extension clientele.
Coordinate the annual OSU extension educator in-service and other programs as assigned.
Develop a publication that is distributed at the annual in-service.
Serve as an information resource on private pesticide applicator requirements to OSU extension educators.
Establish excellent relationships with OSU extension educators and state extension specialists.
Collaborate with OSU extension educators and state extension specialists to develop and update instructional materials.
Work collaboratively to construct, edit and maintain asynchronous online courses.
Coordinate the annual Pesticide Safety Education outreach efforts at Farm Science Review.
Create and update webpages.
Prepare program evaluations and reports.
Create a variety of communications including email, social media, and marketing flyers.