Extension Educator

Working Functional Title

Animal Nutrient Management Extension Educator

Michigan State University Extension is committed to fostering a welcoming and collaborative environment, which requires all staff to contribute toward a vision for success regardless of title or position within the organization. We strive to create a positive culture, access to resources, and a sense of belonging for staff, partners, and programming participants. This means that all staff at MSU Extension are dedicated to the following:

• We work together to ensure that programming is available to all audiences, creates meaningful and positive impacts for participants, and demonstrates partnership and collaboration across communities.
• We understand that a welcoming and respectful environment is built through the efforts of everyone.
• We foster an environment that welcomes a broad range of perspectives and experiences, ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to contribute and thrive.
• We ensure that every team member is prepared with the skills and resources to contribute to our welcoming and supportive culture.
• We foster an environment that values a range of perspectives, skills, and experiences by working to ensure access to programming for communities.
• We commit to continuous learning and engagement to better serve Michigan residents and meet the evolving needs of communities.
• We recognize that broad accessibility and collaboration are essential elements of our work and are vital to organizational and programmatic success.
• We embrace a culture of understanding, coaching, and feedback toward achieving a vision of success for the entire organization and its staff.
• Together we will achieve success, and we commit to these goals in our work, continued education, and ongoing efforts.

As part of MSU Extension (MSUE) and the Agriculture and Agribusiness Institute (AABI), this position provides local as well as statewide leadership and educational programming expertise in environmental issues related to livestock production, including but not limited to manure and nutrient management. This position will have statewide responsibilities and will collaborate across work teams, Institutes, and community groups, working with faculty, specialists, educators, commodity groups, and state agencies for overall advancement of the needs of the Institute clientele.

Michigan ranks 6th in milk and 12th in swine production, along with substantial poultry, beef, and small ruminant populations. In this position, you will identify, design, implement, and evaluate research‑based educational programs that meet current and projected outreach needs regarding environmental issues related to livestock production, including but not limited to manure and nutrient management.

Through your leadership, the scope of your program can include but not be limited to conducting on‑farm site and environmental assessments that assist farmers and agri‑businesses in the implementation of practices that reduce the environmental impact of land‑applied nutrients from livestock farms, facilitate implementation of practices and behaviors that improve regulatory compliance, and provide education and guidance on nutrient management and emergency plans, siting livestock facilities, manure hauling and storage, manure treatment technologies, composting, along with odor mitigation strategies, ultimately improving water and air quality in an economically sustainable manner.

You will be expected to be an effective communicator with teaching methods ranging from traditional in‑person meetings, one‑on‑one or small groups, to using different forms of synchronous and asynchronous distance learning technologies. You will develop a broad array of educational materials to include but not be limited to traditional news articles and bulletins, videos, and infographics to meet the broad needs of 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 explore and implement programs that…