Regional Crops Educator

University of Wisconsin Madison • Stevens Point, WI

7d • $62,000 • Onsite

About The 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 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. 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 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.

Requirements

• 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, using a variety of methods and technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively work with people from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.
• 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.
• Bachelor’s required.

Nice To Haves

• 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.
• Master’s preferred, in a field of study related to this position’s focus.

Responsibilities

• 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

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

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