Visiting Extension Outreach Associate, Health and Community Wellness

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign • Urbana, IL

7d • $60,000 - $80,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Visiting Extension Outreach Associate, Health and Community Wellness, serves as a full-time academic professional with primary responsibilities to plan, facilitate, develop, and implement educational programs supporting the mission of University of Illinois Extension. As part of the Land Grant system, the University of Illinois was established not only to provide world class education and pioneer research and discovery, but to put learning and discovery into practice, to benefit the health and wellbeing of residents and communities in every part of Illinois. Extension is the university’s statewide network of educators, faculty experts, and staff dedicated to that mission.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in nutrition, dietetics, public health, community health, family and consumer sciences, or a related field. Candidates with a master’s degree in progress may be considered for interviews, but degree must be completed by hire date.
• Experience organizing and facilitating community groups.
• Experience working with varied populations in a community setting.
• Strong communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and within a team environment.
• Ability to use technology for reporting, communication, and educational assistance.
• Must have the capability to travel from one location to the other in a timely fashion.
• Employee is responsible for securing personal transportation.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with University of Illinois Extension.
• Valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Deliver educational programs, trainings, and resources that support program deliverables.
• Facilitate communications, meetings, and outreach strategies that organize and assist groups and communities to address food access and health.
• Use multiple communication, outreach, and engagement approaches to connect with individuals, groups, and communities to share resources and educational information on food-safety net programs.
• Provide resources and assistance for food benefit program applications.
• Participate in and facilitate technical assistance networks.
• Lead trainings and organize continuing education for community-based professionals.
• Collaborate with team members to ensure successful execution of deliverables.
• Evaluate the impact of program initiatives in a planned and statistically relevant fashion.
• Evaluate and document changes in clientele practices.
• Continually seek professional development opportunities to enhance competency in subject matter areas.
• Contribute to background research to support the development of educational materials.
• Use research and evaluation findings to create innovative materials and make changes to existing offerings in order to improve quality.
• Share principles of evidence-based best practice with peers.
• Assist unit staff with gathering program participant demographic information to ensure compliance with civil rights reporting requirements.
• Comply with all reporting deadlines and requirements (e.g., plans-of-work, activity, and impact reporting, etc.).
• Perform other duties that contribute to the mission of University of Illinois Extension programming, as assigned.
• Support community members through food navigation across major food benefit programs, conduct eligibility screenings, and provide 1 on 1 application assistance for programs like SNAP.
• Train new food navigators to carry out outreach, screenings, and referrals to community food programs.
• Facilitate peer learning cohorts where food navigators share best practices and build skills together.
• Build coalitions with local SNAP offices and community partners to align outreach and referrals.
• Present on food program policy changes to community members and community partners.
• Translate food program policy changes into practical guidance and updated training materials.

Benefits

• professional development and training
• healthy work-life balance
• Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

What This Job Offers

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