Area Extension Director - Area ; Dane

Area Extension Director – Area 16 (Dane County)

University of Wisconsin‑Madison

The Division of Extension is hiring an Area Extension Director to serve as an administrative leader across Area 16 (Dane County). The Area Extension Director (AED) for Dane County provides overarching leadership, direction and guidance within the geographic area, leading a team of county-based Extension educators and support staff to cultivate an inclusive, respectful, and collaborative work environment. Through ongoing engagement with local communities, the AED helps identify emerging needs and opportunities, aligning Extension resources and programming to address those priorities effectively.

A successful AED will have the skills and competency required to work with diverse staff and clientele and have the political aptitude needed to work with county, municipal, and community partners to identify and assess new opportunities in programming, funding, and staffing. In addition to supporting Extension programming, this position will facilitate, build, and support partnerships between UW‑Madison, Dane County, and community partners within Dane County.

Reporting to the Assistant Dean, the AED will support the work with county and tribal governments, municipalities, and partner organizations to ensure that the educational needs of local communities are met. The AED serves as the direct supervisor for the programmatic Division of Extension staff in the Area and provides leadership in staff development and partnerships. The AED ensures compliance with equal employment opportunity and civil rights laws, regulations and policies while carrying out the primary duties.

The principal duties of this AED position include program and community relations; supervision and staff development; financial management; and policy implementation and management. The AED contributes to the delivery of evidence‑based outreach that addresses the needs of local communities through coordination with Extension programs to identify programmatic needs and support programmatic responses to those needs.

• Develop and manage relationships with partner organizations operating within and across the geographic boundaries of the area, such as county governments, tribal nations, municipalities, third parties, other governmental agencies.
• Build and support relationships between UW‑Madison, Dane County, and community partners.
• Assist program leadership in supporting local staff programming opportunities within the geographic area, ensuring educational needs of the local communities are met.
• Identify issues of critical importance to the community; create opportunities for increased engagement between Extension and the community.
• Ensure preparation of annual educational work plans and reports of activities and impacts for the public, county government and Division of Extension administration.
• Assist Institutes in adapting and sharing program impacts and other communications to enhance the visibility of Extension programs within the Area.
• Engage with program leadership to coordinate regional and statewide programming activities to achieve local programming goals as necessary.

• Supervise, coach, and lead Division of Extension staff and county support staff, including annual performance reviews and professional development activities.
• Promote a positive, supportive environment within the local office team through hiring practices and promotion of an inclusive work environment. Support and encourage professional improvement of faculty and staff.
• Manage recruitments and hiring processes for new positions within the geographic area.
• Provide critical support roles for volunteer management in Extension educational programming.

• Develop and manage budgets for UW‑Madison Division of Extension’s Area office, including salary, fringe, travel, professional development, and county level budget.
• Develop, steward, and manage contracts and agreements established between the Division of Extension and its partners, including Dane County. Collaborate with Institutes to assess opportunities to diversify…