PFAS Community Outreach & Grant Support Specialist

University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison (WI); Hybrid; USD 57,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

The PFAS Community Outreach & Grant Support Specialist within the UW-Madison Division of Extension works collaboratively with state and local agencies, health and water quality professionals, community leaders, and university partners to improve community awareness, engagement, and access to the PFAS community grant program, enhance proposal quality, and increase grantee readiness.

The Specialist serves as a trusted resource, connecting expertise across organizations to support communities,

Qualifications

• Knowledge of grant writing principles and best practices.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills in team-based and community-centered settings.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating educational programs, community conversations, public engagement activities, or other participatory decision-making efforts.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate PFAS outreach with Extension and DNR colleagues.
• Schedule resources and manage logistics for outreach programs.
• Lead program implementation and day-to-day activities of staff and volunteers.
• Deliver outreach content and materials to community members.
• Develop and evaluate curriculum for outreach programs.
• Identify and maintain external partnerships supporting outreach.
• Monitor and assess outreach program budgets as needed.

Skills

Grant writing

Public engagement

Communication skills

Community collaboration

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in relevant field

Master's Degree in relevant field

Job description

Job Profile

Outreach Specialist

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 Summary

The PFAS Community Outreach & Grant Support Specialist within the UW-Madison Division of Extension works collaboratively with state and local agencies, health and water quality professionals, community leaders, and university partners to improve community awareness, engagement, and access to the PFAS community grant program, enhance proposal quality, and increase grantee readiness. The Specialist serves as a trusted resource, connecting expertise across organizations to support communities, including Tribal Nations and rural towns and villages.

Primary responsibilities of this position are to facilitate community conversations; coordinate subject matter expert \"road shows\" to provide training for local government officials, community-based groups, and the general public; and host grant writing workshops to assist communities in applying for funding according to the DNR program requirements. The position will also facilitate peer learning across communities and connect PFAS-related technical assistance with broader community and regional development efforts.

The Specialist works closely with the Natural Resource Institute (NRI) Emerging Contaminants Outreach Specialist as part of a statewide PFAS team. Together, the team coordinates education and outreach activities that support DNR PFAS grant objectives and statewide priorities.

Statewide Location

Division of Extension headquarters are located within Madison, WI. This location as well as the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) are being considered as a potential location. However, the position location is flexible within WI and will be determined based on programmatic needs, successful candidate’s preferences, and availability of suitable space.

Partial 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 Extension's Remote Work Policy.

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. 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.

Appointment Duration

There are three years of funding for this position with the opportunity to extend, pending additional funding.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Works closely with other Extension and DNR colleagues on the PFAS outreach team to coordinate and align information, resources, events, and deadlines


• 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


• May assist with the monitoring of outreach program budget spending

Department

Division of Extension, Community Development Institute is hiring for a PFAS Community Outreach & Grant Support Specialist.

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 Extension Institute of Community Development provides educational programming to assist leaders, communities, and organizations realize their fullest potential. We work with communities to build the vitality that enhances their quality of life and enriches the lives of their residents. We educate in leadership development, organizational development, food systems, community economic development, local government education and much more. In short, the Community Development Institute plants and cultivates the seeds for thriving communities and organizations.

Compensation

The minimum annual (12 months) starting salary for the position is $63,000, 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.

Required Qualifications

• Knowledge of grant writing principles and best practices.


• Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills in team-based and community-centered settings.


• Demonstrated experience facilitating educational programs, community conversations, public engagement activities, or other participatory decision-making efforts.


• Demonstrated ability to interpret, apply, and communicate evidence-based information and research findings to support community decision-making and problem-solving.


• Demonstrated ability to effectively work with people from a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences.


• Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining collaborative relationships with community groups, local governments, Tribal Nations, nonprofit organizations, and other partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three or more years of relevant professional experience in community development, Extension, public engagement, environmental outreach, technical assistance, grant support, or a related field.


• Demonstrated experience planning, coordinating, and delivering educational workshops, trainings, conferences, or outreach programs for diverse audiences.


• Knowledge of PFAS, water quality issues, environmental contamination, environmental health, or related natural resource and community development topics.


• Demonstrated experience leading or coordinating cross-sector partnerships among community organizations, government agencies, academic institutions, and other stakeholders.


• Demonstrated ability to assist organizations or communities in identifying, pursuing, and securing grant funding, including experience with grant writing, proposal development, or grant-related technical assistance.

Education

Required Education

Bachelor's Degree, with undergraduate studies in a position-relevant field such as community development, environmental science, environmental studies, public administration, or urban and regional planning.

Preferred Education

Master's Degree, with graduate studies in a position-relevant field such as community development, environmental science, environmental studies, public administration, or urban and regional planning.

Application Deadline

September 24, 2026 at 11:59pm (CDT).

Contact Information

Sara Dawson
608-890-2629
[e-mail]

Sarah Schlosser
[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 backgrounds and 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).

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