Extension Educator - Supervising and Staff Development Educator
As part of MSU Extension (MSUE) and the Health and Nutrition Institute (HNI), this position provides leadership to MSU Extension Nutrition and Physical Activity (NPA) program and paraprofessional staff in Ingham, Genesee, Jackson, Washtenaw, and Monroe counties. This position will have statewide responsibilities and will collaborate across work teams, Institutes, and community groups, working with faculty, specialists, and educators for overall advancement of the needs of the Institute clientele.
In this position, you will lead efforts related to the recruitment and initial onboarding of new paraprofessional staff and will oversee continuing education and development for existing paraprofessional staff. You will learn grant compliance requirements, and approved curriculum to allow you to effectively coach staff in implementing appropriate nutrition and physical activity education. Through your leadership, you will be responsible for guiding and coaching staff as they implement and evaluate the Expanded Food and Nutrition Program (EFNEP) grant. You will coach, mentor, train and provide technical support to staff in their programming efforts to ensure the needs and goals of the Health and Nutrition Institute, MSU Extension, and grantors are met through support and management of the programming staff, including evaluation of staff to ensure requirements and objectives of the programming and appropriate use of grant funds, are met. In this supervising role, you will be expected to hold your staff accountable to the program requirements and deliverables.
In addition to your supervisory role, you will be responsible for assisting with special projects related to the EFNEP grant.
Through your supervising role, you will meet with each staff member individually, at least once per month and will conduct program observations at least two times per year. Additionally, you will be expected to engage with your entire team of programming staff at least once per quarter and you will encourage and provide coaching for internal staff teams to work collaboratively on projects that will advance grant goals.
You will ensure dissemination of research-based curricula and information and will serve as an information resource for Extension personnel and clientele. Through collaboration in research, engagement with community members, and dissemination of research-based information through various methods, including in-person and multimedia programming and written communications, you will implement, support, and collaborate with programming staff to explore programs that lead to public knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that empower Michigan’s limited resource adults, families and youth to gain crucial knowledge about nutrition and healthy foods, increase their daily physical activity, and reduce their food insecurity. You will work with staff to identify community partners to work with and will be able to step in and provide direct and indirect education, when necessary. You will also develop and produce nutrition and physical activity outreach materials with messaging and content that is accessible and inclusive and is consistent with MSU Extension Health and Nutrition Institute messaging.
Your work will include close collaboration with colleagues at MSU and MSU Extension, as well as the network of partner groups to ensure that programming with individuals and groups meets the needs of the clientele and is in alignment with funder and/or MSU Extension Institute expectations. You will also meet regularly with other supervising and staff development educators and will actively participate as part of the Nutrition and Physical Activity team in providing programmatic training, development, testing, and implementation in areas such as physical activity, partnership development, and program cultural adaptations.
Although negotiable, there will be space available for this position to work from the MSU Extension office located in Jackson County.
This position may be eligible to utilize a flexible work environment, however, there is an expectation to work from a MSU Extension county office. The needs, responsibilities, and opportunities of an individual’s position and office location drive the ability and amount of work-location flexibility.