Virginia Cooperative Extension is actively seeking applicants to be our Associate Extension Specialist for Volunteer Engagement. Please read through the job details (also below) and apply if interested.
Please direct questions to H. Lester Schonberger, Ph.D. (hlschon@vt.edu).
Job Description
Empower communities to advance the wellbeing of residents through volunteer engagement. As part of the Learning and Organizational Development unit, the Volunteer Engagement Associate Specialist works closely with faculty across Virginia to build capacity within Virginia Cooperative Extension to effectively engage and support volunteers.
The Associate Specialist will conduct, facilitate, and disseminate scholarship related to emerging and contemporary issues affecting volunteerism and volunteer management. Collaborating with specialists and agents, the Associate Specialist will develop and implement strategies to build system capacity to attract, develop, and retain volunteers who will be demographically reflective of the communities they serve. By developing effective partnerships with subject matter specialists, the Associate Specialist will increase the number and variety of volunteer opportunities within VCE, as needs emerge, thus expanding the reach and visibility of VCE programs.
This position is eligible for work on the Blacksburg campus or remotely. Remote work location must be in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Required Qualifications
• Earned master’s degree in Extension Education, Volunteer Administration, Community Development, Leadership, or closely related field.
• Experience in designing and implementing community-based Extension or non-formal educational programs through the engagement of volunteers.
• Interest in and demonstrated skills in effective program evaluation.
• Demonstrated ability to work with volunteers and diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to design, promote, implement, and evaluate youth and adult development programs based on experiential learning principles.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• A commitment to working with diverse clientele and colleagues and to the Virginia Tech Principles of Community.
• Willingness to work occasional nights and weekends with occasional overnight travel.
Preferred Qualifications
• Earned doctorate in Extension Education, Volunteer Administration, Community Development, Leadership, or closely related field. Degrees in other fields will be considered for candidates with professional Extension experience.
• Resource development (e.g. curricula, fact sheets, trainings) experience in support of programming efforts.
• Demonstrated experience developing effective on-line educational programs or trainings.
• Demonstrated skills in team leadership and problem-solving.
Appointment Type
Regular
Salary Information
$63,500 - 95,000
Review Date
September 23, 2024
Additional Information
The successful candidate will be required to have a driver's license check with an acceptable and safe driving record.
The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
About Virginia Tech
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.
Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
About Virginia Cooperative Extension
Virginia Cooperative Extension was established in 1914 and is a partnership between Virginia’s two land grant universities: Virginia Tech and Virginia State University.
Today, Extension operates out of 107 offices, 11 Agricultural Research and Extension centers, and six 4-H centers across the commonwealth. Our agents, specialists, and volunteers work to assist farmers, empower youth, guide responsible resource management, and advance the wellbeing of all Virginians.
We work in communities across the commonwealth to share knowledge, support businesses, and implement research that advances the wellbeing of all Virginians.
We know our constituents and understand the unique challenges and opportunities that exist within their communities. From this frame of reference, we put Virginia Tech and Virginia State University knowledge into action and find real solutions.
We advocate for the social, economic, and environmental needs of all Virginians. Through community organizations, businesses, and families, we work to improve everyone’s wellbeing – starting in Virginia and extending across the world.
We work on the big issues, partnering with governments and organizations to solve systemic challenges in a way that benefits everyone. Virginians also count on us for their immediate land, health, and community needs to fix problems as they arise or seize opportunities that seem out of reach.
Our system incorporates the expertise of faculty in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station; as well as the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Lester Schonberger at hlschon@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
Advertised:
Applications close: Open until filled
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