Farm Safety and Health Outreach Specialist

University of Wisconsin Madison • Madison, WI

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

• 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.
• 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
• Bachelor's Degree
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• 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
• Master's Degree

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

Benefits

• generous paid time off
• competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance
• tax-advantaged savings accounts
• participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level