Diversified Vegetable Educator

University of Wisconsin; Madison (WI); Hybrid; USD 56,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous vacation and holidays

Paid time off

Retirement benefits

Health/insurance

Job summary

The UW dMadison Extension’s Diversified Vegetable Educator position focuses on working with diversified vegetable producers to solve production challenges and deliver research-based outreach and education that improves sustainability and profitability. This Dane County role emphasizes collaboration with Extension colleagues, producers, and researchers to shape programs and respond to emerging needs.

The main office is in Madison, with some programming across Dane County and potential remote

Qualifications

• Three or more years relevant professional experience in vegetable and/or annual specialty crop production systems.
• 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.
• Demonstrated skills in interpreting, utilizing, and applying evidence-based information and research findings.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Vegetable production experience

Outreach program development

Communication skills

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category:

Academic Staff

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Outreach Specialist

Job Summary:

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 Diversified Vegetable Educator position is designed to work with vegetable producers and agribusiness professionals to solve production challenges and incorporate new research findings into outreach and educational materials that improve the efficiency and profitability of crop production.

As the Dane County Diversified Vegetable Educator, you will work with diversified vegetable producers to solve production challenges and improve sustainability and resilience of vegetable production through research-based outreach and educational programming. The Diversified Vegetable Educator is expected to utilize excellent collaboration, problem solving, prioritization, and communication skills to work closely with producers, technical advisors, and colleagues to respond to timely management questions, implement collaborative outreach and grower education, and facilitate two-way communication between producers and University researchers that will shape future research to respond to emerging needs. Extension Educators collaborate with a team that includes UW-Madison Extension and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) colleagues, producers, and other stakeholders to develop robust, high-quality educational programs that support efficient, sustainable cropping systems.

The Diversified Vegetable 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 to share with colleagues in similar positions across the state.
• 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.

County Location

The main office for this position is located in Madison, WI and the primary programming focus is Dane County; however, some programming may also be conducted over a broader geographical area.

Partially Remote

This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location. Remote work requires an approved remote work agreement (RWA). A RWA requires successful candidates to possess their own high-speed internet and phone to perform the work on a university provided computer. Per University policy, transportation between home and assigned work location is not payable/reimbursable and will be at the expense of the employee.

This position has the possibility of working up to 2 days remote per week.

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.

Travel Expectations

It is expected that employees will make individual arrangements for transportation adequate to meet position responsibilities and essential job functions.

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.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift 25 pounds without assistance
• Ability to navigate uneven ground in the course of farm visits or field work
• Ability work outside in inclement weather

Key Job Responsibilities:

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

Department:

About Extension

Extension embodies the Wisconsin Idea by developing and connecting the research and educational resources of UW–Madison with residents and communities to address local, statewide, and national issues. We teach, learn, lead and serve, transforming lives and communities.

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.

Benefits

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Benefits information can be found at (https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/)

Additional Compensation Details

This position will begin as an 80% FTE (full-time equivalency) appointment, with salary and certain benefits, like paid time off, prorated at 80% time. While the Extension team is exploring additional funding opportunities that could support an increase in FTE, any future adjustment would be contingent upon funding availability and operational needs.

Required Qualifications:

• Three or more years relevant professional experience in vegetable and/or annual specialty crop production systems.
• 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.
• Demonstrated skills in interpreting, utilizing, and applying evidence-based information and research findings.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 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.
• Demonstrated ability to organize educational or outreach events collaboratively.

Education:

Required Education

Bachelor’s degree required in a field related to this position's focus.

Preferred Education

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

Contact Information:

Michele Blakeman (Human Resources)

[e-mail]

[phone]

Shelly Shaw (Hiring Manager)

[e-mail]

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgroundsand encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR)in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.