This job was posted by https://illinoisjoblink.illinois.gov : For more information, please see: https://illinoisjoblink.illinois.gov/jobs/11863925 Extension Specialist - Agriculture and Agribusiness (Commercial Agriculture)

University of Illinois Extension

WE TRANSFORM LIVES.

Everything we do is designed to improve the quality of life of the people in the state of Illinois, across the nation, and around the world. We discover, develop, translate, and disseminate knowledge to address societal concerns and train the next generation of experts and leaders in a way that empowers them to expand the boundaries of science to higher levels of understanding and influence.

Be a part of our story. Through learning partnerships that extend knowledge and change lives, University of Illinois Extension provides educational programs aimed at making life better, healthier, safer, and more profitable for individuals and their communities. Illinois Extension has operated continuously for more than 100 years connecting the citizens of Illinois to their land-grant university by providing educational programming around the state. University of Illinois Extension is based in the College of ACES and works with all colleges and units of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

This position will have applied research and outreach responsibilities for the commercial production and management of field crops grown or potentially grown in the Extension Unit and state. For the purposes of program delivery, the geographic area is both to the Unit and statewide.

The Extension Specialist serves as a regular, full time, 12 month academic professional with primary responsibility for the development, delivery, and evaluation of educational programs supporting the mission of the University of Illinois Extension. Extension Specialists support one of the four core Extension program areas and within that program area may focus on one or more of the following interdisciplinary initiatives: Community, Environment, Economy, Food, and Health. Programmatic objectives of Extension Specialists will be consistent with national and statewide initiatives considered of significant importance to residents of the state of Illinois.

This position will be expected to collaborate closely with campus based specialists, educators in the field and other faculty and other members of the Commercial Ag team in the planning and implementation of research projects with high local relevance to stakeholders. As necessary, Commercial Agriculture specialists will be expected to cooperate with campus faculty in the conducting of pest surveys and the dissemination of these findings to clientele. This position will oversee selected Commercial Agricultural programming within the Unit and will have some regional and statewide duties.

Location: Northern Illinois

(Position will be housed in one of the Extension offices served in Northern IL - Location is flexible)

Additional positions may become available in other locations.

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability or veteran status. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Development, Delivery and Evaluation

• Provide program leadership, interpret and integrate information, teach in the field of designated expertise, maintain the competencies to develop and deliver educational programming, and assist clients with the appropriate resource bases.
• Assess the needs of local clientele in a systematic and analytical manner. This will include networking and collaborating with community organizations and other relevant groups.
• Within the designated area(s) of specialization, develop innovative curricula and programs to address local needs as well as to mesh with the broader state and national interdisciplinary initiatives.
• Deliver high impact programs to diverse audiences utilizing a selection of innovative delivery mechanisms to optimize reach and effectiveness, by teaming with additional Extension employees and volunteers who assist with program management functions and teaching roles when appropriate.
• Guide program expansion and program quality processes by teaching and providing training and support to employees or volunteers who teach and work within the program area.
• Support voluntary educational delivery systems with relevant subject matter expertise.
• Evaluate the impact of program initiatives in a planned and statistically relevant fashion. Evaluation plans should focus not only on short-term impacts but also on long-term changes in clientele practices.
• Develop effective and contemporary approaches to communicate with clientele. This may include constantly evolving electronic technologies (e.g. twitter, Facebook, blogs, e-learning, etc.).
• Comply with all reporting deadlines and requirements (e.g. plans of work, activity and impact reporting, etc.)

Organizational Leadership and Development

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