New

Diversified Vegetable and Emerging Crops Educator

University of Wisconsin Madison
paid time off
United States, Wisconsin, Barron
Oct 10, 2025
Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Jobs Hub 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 and Emerging 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 Diversified Vegetable and Emerging 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 Barron, Burnett, Washburn, and Sawyer counties. The Diversified Vegetable and Emerging 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 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 programming focus will be shared among Barron, Burnett, Sawyer and Washburn Counties. The position location will likely be at the Spooner Ag Research station in Spooner, WI, but location may be flexible depending 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. 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. Key Job Responsibilities: 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 Schedules and secures resources and communicates logistics in support of an outreach program May assist with the monitoring of outreach program budget spending Develops and evaluates curriculum and programs and provides recommendations for improvement Identifies, promotes, and maintains external partnerships to support the outreach program Researches, develops, and facilitates outreach program content and materials Department: 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 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/) Required Qualifications: Three or more years relevant professional experience 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. Physical Requirements Ability to lift 50 pounds without assistance Ability to work outside in inclement weather 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. An individual who is recognized as a partner by tribal communities of Wisconsin or will be able to quickly develop relationships with the twelve American Indian Nations of Wisconsin. Education: Required Education Bachelor's degree in a field related to this position's focus Preferred Education Master's degree in a field related to this position's focus 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 work experience and a resume detailing your educational and professional background as it relates to this position. 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/. 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. The application deadline is 11:59pm on November 6, 2025. Contact Information: Lori Pillion-Baltrusis lori.baltrusis@wisc.edu (715) 295-4112 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 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, click here. 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.