Farm Labor Outreach Specialist

Job Summary:

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 Farm Management Program:

Farm Management Program is part of the Division of Extension’s Agriculture Institute and works with the agriculture community to develop research-based information, resources and tools that help inform decisions for profitable, healthy farm businesses. Agriculture is central to a prosperous Wisconsin, contributing over $100 billion annually to our state’s economy and nearly 12% of our state’s employment (providing over 435,000 jobs).

About this Position:

A robust farm labor workforce is essential to Wisconsin agriculture, and particularly critical for dairy and other labor-intensive ag industries. The Farm Labor Outreach Specialist position is designed to work with producers and agribusiness professionals to address challenges and incorporate research findings into outreach and education in workforce development/training and human resource management, that will help inform decisions for profitable, healthy farm businesses. The Farm Labor Outreach Specialist will help producers develop the skills needed to lead a safe and productive workplace culture, contributing to Wisconsin farm businesses’ successful recruitment and retention of employees.

The Outreach specialist will:

• Collaborate with Extension colleagues and stakeholders to identify needs and develop and maintain robust, high-quality outreach education programs to find solutions to the most critical farm labor management issues facing Wisconsin producers.
• Develop and maintain specific expertise in farm management related to new and emerging human resource management and leadership challenges that present a risk and opportunity for farm businesses.
• Build trust-based relationships with individual and organizational stakeholders.
• Work with the Program Manager to facilitate programmatic efforts, maintain strategic direction, build partnerships, and seek a diverse funding portfolio to support the work.

The ideal candidate will have experience with developing and evaluating educational programming and a record of accomplishment of building positive relationships. The Division of Extension has a deep and profound commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity, believing that these values are foundational elements to eliminate disparities and expanding access for all. As Extension, we acknowledge the need for strategic and coordinated actions that help us form a more equitable, anti-racist, non- biased, and inclusive organization (https://blogs.extension.wisc.edu/oaic/call-to-action/). As such, all Extension employees are expected to foster and promote the values of diversity and inclusion.

Responsibilities:

Delivers and assists with planning outreach program activities, strengthens partnerships, ensures adherence to policy, and assists with program administration to promote stable and productive relationships between the university and local community. Strives to expand and ensure access to programs, facilities, and educational services to diverse audiences. May assist with tracking and managing the outreach program budget.

• 25% Identifies, promotes, and maintains external partnerships to support the outreach program
• 20% Schedules and secures resources and communicates logistics in support of an outreach program
• 20% Delivers outreach program content and materials to community members
• 15% Researches, develops, and facilitates outreach program content and materials
• 10% Develops and evaluates curriculum and programs and provides recommendations for improvement
• 5% May assist with the monitoring of outreach program budget spending
• 5% Communicate plans, activities, and achievements to Program Manager, partners, and relevant stakeholders

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.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Education:

Required

Bachelor’s Degree

preferred degree in the field of this position’s focus.

Preferred

Master’s Degree

preferred degree in a field related to this position’s focus

Qualifications:

Required:

• Three or more years 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, through a variety of technologies;
• Demonstrated ability to effectively work with people from different cultural backgrounds, including those associated with race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, socioeconomic status, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and other aspects of human diversity.

Preferred:

• Experience working with farm/agricultural businesses human resource management and leadership, organizational development, occupational safety, agriculture economics or policy related to the position focus;
• Strong interpersonal relationship and problem-solving skills in a team setting;
• Demonstrated experience with building diverse, collaborative partnerships;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate scientific materials in written and verbal forms for a variety of lay and other audiences;
• Demonstrated ability to write grants and establish partnerships that pool or leverage public and private funds in support of the Institutional mission.

Work Type:

Full Time: 100%

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.

Appointment Type, Duration:

Ongoing/Renewable

Salary:

Minimum $65,000 ANNUAL (12 months)

Depending on Qualifications

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 Information:

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.

Division of Extension headquarters are located within Madison, WI, but the position location is flexible and will be determined based on programmatic needs, successful candidate’s preferences, and availability of suitable space.

Occasional travel within the state of WI may be required. It is expected that employees will make individual arrangements for transportation adequate to meet position responsibilities and essential job functions. Information about UW-Madison Driver Authorization can be found at https://businessservices.wisc.edu/managing-risk/driver-authorization-and-insurance/driver-authorization/.

How to Apply:

We are eager to learn more about how your experience and passion may align with this position. To begin the application process, click the “apply now” button. You will be prompted to upload the following documents:

• Resume
• Letter of Qualifications (cover letter)

Please submit a cover letter referring to your related work experience and a resume detailing your educational and professional background. Your cover letter should communicate your interest in the position and how your skillset aligns with the role. The application reviewers will be relying on written application materials to determine who may advance to preliminary interviews.

For additional guidance and resources on how to tailor your application materials to the job posting, please click https://extension.wisc.edu/careers/.

Contact:

Trisha Wagner

[email protected]

608-263-4176

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

Official Title:

Outreach Specialist(OE009)

Department(s):

A47-EXTENSION/ANRCD/AGR/FARM/FARM MGMT

Employment Class:

Academic Staff-Renewable

Job Number:

305497-AS

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

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, 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 through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, click here

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request at the following website: https://employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/disability-accommodation-information-for-applicants/

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require you and your references to answer questions regarding 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.

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