Regional Crops Educator

Universities of Wisconsin • Green Lake, WI

8d • $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. 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. Physical Requirements Ability to walk on uneven ground in the course of farm visits or field work. Ability to lift 25 pounds. Ability 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 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. Department: Division of Extension, Area 12 and Area 7 Administration are hiring for a Regional Crops Educator. 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. About the Institute The UW-Madison Division of Extension Agriculture Institute addresses emerging issues related to Wisconsin’s agriculture and horticulture systems with research-based outreach to advance economically sustainable, socially responsible, and environmentally sound practices. About the Program The Agriculture Institute’s Crops and Soils 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 and Soils program provides timely resources and information to help crop producers and their agricultural consultants manage crops efficiently and profitably. Crops & Soils Compensation: The minimum annual (12 months) starting salary for the position is $62,000 but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications. 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. Please review the summary of benefits for more information.

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.
• Bachelor’s required.
• 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.

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

• Leads the implementation of programs, policies, and procedures through oversight of day-to-day activities for program staff and student and community volunteers
• Schedules and secures resources and communicates logistics in support of an outreach program
• May assist with the monitoring of outreach program budget spending
• Identifies, promotes, and maintains external partnerships to support the outreach program
• Develops and evaluates curriculum and programs and provides recommendations for improvement
• 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.
• Delivers outreach program content and materials to community members

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
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees