Description

The Urban Forestry and Woody Ornamentals Outreach Specialist position is designed to work with individuals, municipalities, community organizations, and green industry professionals across Wisconsin to address challenges in urban forestry and yard trees and shrubs. This role connects stakeholders with the latest research and best practices to support the health, resilience, and longterm sustainability of the state’s urban forests and ornamental landscapes.

The Urban Forestry and Woody Ornamentals Outreach Specialist will:

• Collaborate with Extension colleagues, partners, and stakeholders to identify priority needs and develop, deliver, and maintain robust, high-quality urban forestry and woody ornamental outreach education programs.
• Develop and maintain expertise related to healthy and resilient woody ornamental and urban forestry 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.

Statewide Location
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.

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.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• 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
• Leads the implementation of programs, policies, and procedures through oversight of day-to-day activities for program staff and student and community volunteers
• Communicates plans, activities, and achievements to Program Managers and relevant stakeholders through the reporting portal and verbal updates
• Schedules and secures resources and communicates logistics in support of an outreach program
• Researches, develops, and facilitates outreach program content and materials
• Delivers outreach program content and materials to community members

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• 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, using a variety of methods and technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively work with people from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience building collaborative relationships 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.
• 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.
  

Education:
Required Education - Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Preferred Education - Master’s degree in a field of study related to this position’s focus.

Preferred Certifications - ISA Certified Arborist (International Society of Arboriculture)