Working/Functional Title
Food Safety Extension Educator
Position Summary
Michigan State University Extension is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive organization, which requires all staff to contribute towards a vision for success. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our work, regardless of title or position within the organization. This means that all staff at MSU Extension are dedicated to the following:
- We work together to ensure that programming is delivered to diverse audiences, produces equitable impacts for all participants, and demonstrates partnership and inclusion for all groups.
- We embrace that it is everyone’s job to create a culture that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
- We ensure that every team member is prepared with the skills and resources to contribute to our welcoming and inclusive culture.
- We foster inclusion by recognizing and valuing diverse perspectives, skills, experiences, and work to create equal access to programming for communities.
- We commit to continuous learning for diversity, equity, and cultural competency, in order to achieve inclusive excellence.
- We understand that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential elements to our work and are vital to the organizational culture and programmatic success of MSU Extension.
- We embrace a culture of understanding, coaching and feedback towards 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.
POSITION SUMMARY
As part of MSU Extension (MSUE) and the Health and Nutrition Institute (HNI), this position provides local as well as statewide educational programming expertise in food safety. This position will be located in MSU Extension’s District 11 (D11) that includes Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties, and will be responsible for local in-person programming within the assigned district. Additionally, this position will have statewide responsibilities with a focus on emergency preparedness and safe drinking water, 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.
Food safety programming encourages Michigan’s residents to use safe food practices to reduce the risk of foodborne illness by teaching foodservice managers, workers, volunteers, childcare providers, and other consumers about safe food practices. In this position, you will identify, design, implement, and evaluate research-based educational programs that meet current and projected outreach needs related to food safety. You will prepare and present both in-person and virtual workshops and trainings in food safety and home food preservation for the public at the state, regional, and national levels. You will educate consumers on proper, research-based home food preservation methods, and help create safer food handling practices at food pantries and farmers markets. Additionally, you will develop, produce, and deliver education that reaches childcare providers to reduce foodborne illnesses in the children they care for, as well as foodservice managers, workers, and volunteers across the state who protect their customers’ health when they sell or handle food products to the public.
Through your expertise, you will create and disseminate educational materials for the public on safe drinking water and food safety topics and you will implement food safety educational programs such as Emergency/Disaster Preparedness, Food Preservation, ServSafe, Cottage Food Law, Safe Food = Healthy Kids, Food Pantry Food Safety, and more. Educational delivery is online (virtual) and in-person. You will also work with team members to answer questions from the public through online platforms, texting, and a statewide telephone hotline, and will respond to questions related to food safety associated with home food preservation and food handling.
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 lead to public knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that help youth and adults learn how to reduce their risk of illness when preparing food and to preserve food safely. You will also develop, produce, and deliver educational food safety outreach materials with messaging and content that is accessible and inclusive and is consistent with the Health and Nutrition Institute’s food safety messaging. Your work will include close collaboration with colleagues at MSU and MSU Extension, as well as the diverse network of partner groups.
Although negotiable, there will be space available for this position to work from a MSU Extension County office located within MSU Extension’s District 11 that includes Macomb County with space available in Clinton Township or Warren, Oakland County with space available in Pontiac or Southfield, and Wayne County with space available in Detroit.
This position may be eligible to utilize a flexible working 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.
This position is a full-time, fixed term end-dated appointment, renewable annually based upon successful performance and continued funding.
Characteristic Duties/Responsibilities
- Identify, develop, conduct, and evaluate innovative educational programs that meet current and projected statewide needs, and supports growth and understanding of critical issues facing people in Michigan.
- Develop and maintain positive working relationships intra- and inter-organizationally and create and promote positive public relations for MSU Extension and the HNI.
- Understand and support the Health and Nutrition Institute’s efforts in diversity, equity, inclusion, and Civil Rights, with a special emphasis on removing barriers from participation and reaching diverse populations, including but not limited to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status, socio-economic class, and other human differences in rural, suburban, and urban communities, and where applicable, increasing programmatic delivery and participation in urban centers.
- Communicate and interact with community groups to evaluate the needs of the clientele.
- In concert with the MSU Extension work team(s), work with federal, state, and county agencies to complete needs assessment of the community and develop effective programming.
- Serve as an information resource to clientele, partners, and Extension staff.
- Develop and utilize appropriate media methods to communicate current and timely information, research results, and relevant industry updates, as well as a schedule of current and future activities.
- Collaborate with MSU Extension staff to gather and report programming outputs and impacts, to
